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Victoria school district to consider transgender-support policy

The Greater Victoria School District could start using new pronouns or designate gender-neutral bathrooms if a proposal to develop new gender-identity and gender-expression policy is approved.
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The Greater Victoria School District is looking at a proposal to develop a new gender identity and expression policy.

The Greater Victoria School District could start using new pronouns or designate gender-neutral bathrooms if a proposal to develop new gender-identity and gender-expression policy is approved.

Trustee Jordan Watters said she has made the proposal to support students who do not identify themselves as the male or female gender they were assigned at birth.

“It is so important that these kids have their communities and their schools standing behind them in the most supportive way possible,” she said. “We have a real opportunity to play a positive role in these kids’ lives and create safe and supportive spaces.”

Her proposal received unanimous support from the five trustees who attended a meeting of the district’s education policy development committee. It will go before all nine trustees at the next board meeting on May 19.

If approved, the District Gay Straight Alliance Advisory Committee will be given the task of developing a draft policy to “ensure the safety and support of transgender and gender-variant students and their families.”

While Watters won’t be responsible for drafting the policy, she gave the example of “opposite-sex language” — and dividing students into groups of “boys” and “girls” — as something that’s not inclusive for all students. “That can be really limiting because not all kids fit with their assigned sex and not all kids identify fully with one sex.”

The district already has an anti-discrimination policy protecting students on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.

But Watters said it doesn’t go far enough.

“Our district actually has had gender identity and expression under our anti-discrimination policy for quite some time, which is really excellent — we were one of the first to do that. However, all that does is say what you can’t do. And what we need to really think through is what our commitments are to students.”

Existing policy leaves it up to parents and students to lodge complaints of discrimination, while a broader gender identity policy would mean actively identifying ways to create safer spaces for transgender and gender-variant students, she said.

A gender-variant person does not conform to gender-based expectations of society.

John Bird, president of the Victoria Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, said the issue has not been raised among parents. Bird said he supported the idea based on the principle that everyone deserves dignity.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s an issue of respect. If someone wants to be called a certain name, that’s what you call them.”

Deborah Nohr, chairwoman of the district’s education policy development committee, said she supported the proposal.

“We do know, in terms of policy, that whenever we identify a group specifically, it’s more effective.”

Nohr recently attended the region’s first gay-straight alliance conference, Love Is Love, held at Lambrick Park Secondary. Presenters made it clear that there are ways to make safe and positive environments for all students, she said.

“It made me much more aware of the number of students in our district who fall within this group,” Nohr said.

Other school districts have adopted some form of gender policy, including ones in Saanich, Vancouver and Toronto. Saanich School District has a “sexual orientation and gender identity” policy that does not commit to specifics like gender-neutral facilities or pronouns. It uses broader language about creating safe environments for students and not tolerating harassment.

asmart@timescolonist.com