COLUMBUS, Ohio — This week, the Ohio Board of Education discussed a resolution regarding Title IX. It's a response to President Biden's amendment to Title IX that would protect transgender students from discrimination. Stonewall Columbus, an LGBTQ+ organization, says their position is pretty clear.
“Ultimately the proposal of this resolution was really what seemed detrimental to young people in critical stages of their personal development and understanding who they are,” said Denzil Porteous, the Executive Director of Stonewall Columbus.
The resolution would require districts to tell parents when their child wants to be identified by another name, pronoun, or other matters related to their gender identity. The proposal would also ban transgender women from joining women's sports teams.
“When you find something that you're passionate about or you love and enjoy, that is essential to who you are, and then all of a sudden someone's telling you you can't be a part of that, that is not a good feeling, that is not a welcome space to be in,” said Porteous.
A major concern for Stonewall Columbus is mental health in transgender youth. The Trevor Project's 2022 National Survey found that more than half of transgender youth have seriously considered attempting suicide. The Trevor Project also found in a study that transgender youth were about two times as likely to experience depressive symptoms, seriously consider suicide, and attempt suicide compared to their cisgender LGBQ peers.
“When we're thinking about anyone who belongs in a space or feels that they belong in a space and they are told that they shouldn't be in that space, that's not a welcoming feeling, they're not welcomed,” said Porteous.
How do school districts feel about this? 10TV was inside the Columbus Board of Education meeting this week when the board came out formally against this resolution. Their plan is to sign their own resolution at their next meeting.
The Ohio Board of Education will meet again to hear more testimony and discuss the resolution in October.
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