A Delta County, Colorado school board member said castration would be necessary before Delta would adopt laws like those passed in other states, respecting a student’s gender choice.
When questioned later by the local TV station, board member Katherine Svenson reportedly stood firm by her comments, stating concerns about boys pretending to be transgender and able to impregnate girls in locker rooms. She brought up the issue, she added, after learning about laws passed in California and Massachusetts protecting student gender-identity.
But experience and research show Svensen's concerns are unfounded - that it’s totally illogical that male students would intentionally expose themselves to the bullying, alienation and other threats transgender students face.
Svenson's comments likely originate from an anti-transgender media campaign being spread by opponents of gender-identity protections, and even worse, her overly offensive remarks encourage violence towards transgender students.
Tell Delta to discipline this school board member for her remarks about castrating transgender students.
We, the undersigned, say Svenson should be disciplined, if not removed, by the board for her ignorant and offensive remarks about transgender students.
The Center for American Progress explains why the concern Svenson claims supports her views is totally illogical and unfounded:
Opponents of basic protections for transgender students claim that this law will allow male students who pose or pretend to be transgender to gain access to different -sex facilities for nefarious reasons. This illogical argument assumes that students would impose on themselves the risk of family rejection, alienation from friends, extreme discrimination, and significant rates of bullying in order to simply gain access to a bathroom or play for a female athletic team.
Laws passed in California and other states are based on far more realistic concerns. CAP says that misidentifying or segregating transgender youth from other students adds to the “already high rates of bullying, discrimination, and harassment” that transgender students face. This violence and discrimination in turn leads to high rates of illness, homelessness and suicide among transgender students.
Before supporting myths and violence against transgender students, Svenson should consider the real concerns and the solid research other states relied upon in passing protective laws, as well as the fact that Delta’s own recently adopted policy prohibits discrimination against any student.
We request, at the very least, that the Delta School Board take appropriate disciplinary action toward Svenson for her remarks about castrating transgender students. Thanks for your time
