Students Rise Up Against Transgender Bathroom Policy

Transgender bathroom policy

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Students from a high school in New York staged a walkout to demonstrate against the transgender bathroom policy in place at their school.

Identity preference

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The school allows students to use the restroom corresponding to their gender identity preference.

John Jay High School

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The protest occurred at John Jay High School, which is a part of the Wappingers Central School District.

Uncomfortable

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“A bunch of people from our school, John Jay, feel uncomfortable,” Shauna Neilan, a senior at John Jay High School, said.

Want to change

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“We want to change that and give them their own spaces to make us more comfortable and them more comfortable,” she said.

Petition

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Neilan initiated a petition detailing alleged incidents involving a transgender student in a restroom.

Superintendent

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The Superintendent of Wappingers Central School District, Dwight Bonk, stated that he has no knowledge of such occurrences. Bonk mentioned that the school will hold discussions on the code of conduct with students who joined the protest.

Cory Pittore

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Cory Pittore, a senior at the school, participated in a counter-protest.

Shouldn’t be silenced

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“I feel as though that we shouldn’t be silenced no matter what,” said Pittore, who is a biological female identifying as a male.

We are human

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“We are human, just like everyone else. I, myself, have been struggling with this for so long, and I just feel like we shouldn’t be silenced because we’re human ourselves,” Pittore said.

Defense of Democracy

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According to Spectrum News, a group called Defense of Democracy, focused on promoting inclusivity, took charge of organizing the counter-protest.

Trans students

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“It is not enough to just stand up with trans students, we must fight their oppressors,” said one of the organizers, according to cable outlet News 12 Westchester.

Follows the law

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In a statement, Bonk said the school follows the law. “Under state and federal laws (including Title IX and New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act), school districts are required to provide access to transgender students to the restroom of the sex with which they identify, which may not be the student’s sex assigned at birth,” he said.

Transgender population

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“The District is fully aware of its obligations to its transgender population (as well as to the entirety of the student body) under these laws and remains fully committed to protecting these students and ensuring that they can safely access these rights,” the statement said.

Peaceful

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His statement said the protest “involved approximately 20 students that was peaceful and concluded without incident.

Free speech

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“I was personally present at the school during the protest and the students had the opportunity to exercise their free speech rights to express their positions in a manner which is both respectful, safe, and in accordance with the requirements of the School District and governmental authorities,” he said.