During a school board meeting, students in the Clarkstown Central School District in upstate New York fought back against the district’s policy of allowing students to use bathrooms that correspond to their “gender identity” rather than their biological sex.
The district states in its regulations that “harassment” could be “based on any characteristic, including but not limited to a person’s actual or perceived,” then lists a number of characteristics, including “gender (including gender identity or expression).” It explains, “Gender identity is one’s self-expression as being male or female, as distinguished from actual biological sex or sex assigned at birth.”
A girl student stated, “I’m here to express that I no longer feel safe within the four walls at Festa (Felix Festa Middle School) and I feel that my freedom has been taken away from me. I have been waiting since second grade for swimming during school at Festa, only now to find out I am sharing a locker room with a trans female who may still have a penis. I do not feel comfortable being exposed to that and I no longer feel safe. This has nothing to do with any[one] being a bad person. It is simply that I do not feel mature enough to view any man’s penis, whether they identify as female or a man. A penis is a penis.”
“Private spaces are one of the most important things in a growing boy or girl’s life,” another student declared. “Private spaces we as children go to recognize a change in us and our body … Everyone should feel safe, but I and my fellow students are being forced to sign petitions to allow these things to follow through. It becomes bullying. You are not teaching me to be okay with who you are; you are pushing me to show my vulnerable parts to somebody I may not trust. But this is not a hate speech; this is a 15-year-old student who’s affected by the decisions you push upon us. I am the child on the other side of this, and I and my friends want our sense of privacy to be valued by the higher-ups.”
“Central to this debate is the issue at hand of allowing individuals who are biological men or women to enter bathrooms or locker rooms that do not align with their biological sex,” a third student propounded. “This practice leaves many feeling vulnerable and breaches a moral and ethical boundary, suggesting that those who identify differently should utilize single occupancy bathrooms. This stance is not rooted in transphobia but in a concern for the safety and privacy of all students.”
“I’m filled with apprehension at the thought of using these facilities under existing guidelines; policies in my eyes fail to protect our privacy and safety in spaces where we should feel most secure,” a fourth student added. “The policy, which seems to have been adopted without thorough consideration of its impact on the student body, leaves many of us feeling exposed and vulnerable. We need leaders who prioritize the well-being, privacy, and safety of every student. Leaders who are willing to listen, recess, and if necessary, reverse decisions that do not serve the best interests of those who [they] have pledged to protect.”
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“This policy change has sparked fear among a significant portion of our student population; particularly girls, who now feel their safety and privacy are compromised,” a fifth student contended. “The idea that facilities should be accessed based on self-identification, rather than biological sex, is not just troubling, it’s a blatant disregard for the well-being of students. To allow individuals into bathrooms and locker rooms that do not align with their biological sex is beyond discomforting. It is, frankly, lunacy and unacceptable. This isn’t about denying rights or excluding anyone; it’s about ensuring that every student’s right to privacy and safety is upheld. What’s currently happening is that our trusted board is in alignment with the degradation of the moral fabric of our community.”
POWERFUL! Students in @CCSDSchools begged the school board to reverse their bathroom policy which allows males to use the girl’s bathrooms/locker rooms.
"I no longer feel safe… I don't feel mature enough to see any man's p*nis.”
These young girls shouldn’t feel unsafe going… pic.twitter.com/cFdM1oSLIr
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 15, 2024