Tranny teacher here! I brought in the cupcakes!

How are coed schools in the area handling transgender students with regard to restroom facilities and athletics?

Anonymous wrote:15:50, I disagree. It is not the job of schools to counsel one child, to the extent that it makes so many others uncomfortable.

Like it or not, gay rights are regarded as a civil rights issue by much (not all) of contemporary American society. And real education, in the classical sense, often means learning about things that make people "uncomfortable." Again, these are independent schools. If they believe that educating the whole child means creating an environment where gay students can feel more comfortable/accepted, they have that right -- families who feel like the issue is detracting from their own child's education can choose to go a different direction. With that said, there is nothing wrong with having a dialogue with the school about age-appropriate conversations in this as in other areas (e.g., sex ed).

Anonymous wrote:It is not accurate reality. The percentage of gay families is so small that acting like it is an everyday thing and the same as a mom and dad is just innaccurate.

It is not accurate reality to say that there are a lot of different ways to be a family? What about adopted children, children with divorced parents, children with a parent who died, children who live with a non-parent relative, or children in foster care? Do they not count either?

And having two mothers or two fathers is certainly an everyday thing for the children who have two mothers or two fathers.

It is not accurate reality. The percentage of gay families is so small that acting like it is an everyday thing and the same as a mom and dad is just innaccurate.

15:50, I disagree. It is not the job of schools to counsel one child, to the extent that it makes so many others uncomfortable.

Anonymous wrote:HS is different than elementary. I think a gay alliance makes sense because kids are starting to date and have sexual feelings etc. Pushing gay themes in preschool..that is a stretch. Our school did a you can have two moms or one mom thing...goal was to push this discussion at a young age. My dd would have been clueless and just went with it is a family in her class was gay but is now asking all sorts of questions that we did not want to get into so young. The stamp of a school discussion makes it more serious.

What do you mean by "pushing gay themes"?

If you mean saying that there are a lot of different ways to be a family -- I don't consider that "pushing". I consider that accurately describing reality. But perhaps that's not what you mean?

Anonymous wrote:HS is different than elementary. I think a gay alliance makes sense because kids are starting to date and have sexual feelings etc. Pushing gay themes in preschool..that is a stretch. Our school did a you can have two moms or one mom thing...goal was to push this discussion at a young age. My dd would have been clueless and just went with it is a family in her class was gay but is now asking all sorts of questions that we did not want to get into so young. The stamp of a school discussion makes it more serious.

Most kids know they are gay long before high school. Transgender kids tend to know even earlier. This is why educational experts increasingly agree that differences in gender and identity need to be addressed from the earliest grades.

Anonymous wrote:What the hell is this http://www.potomacschool.org/voices/kristin/index.aspx

gay alliance? It's one thing to be respectful it's another to promote it .

Cross this school off my list . What are some other privates in McLean that are more grounded? Maybe safe some money and go to Langley.

LOL. Guess your kid won't be going to any college in the United States.

Go back to your hole and "safe" some money.

HS is different than elementary. I think a gay alliance makes sense because kids are starting to date and have sexual feelings etc. Pushing gay themes in preschool..that is a stretch. Our school did a you can have two moms or one mom thing...goal was to push this discussion at a young age. My dd would have been clueless and just went with it is a family in her class was gay but is now asking all sorts of questions that we did not want to get into so young. The stamp of a school discussion makes it more serious.

Anonymous wrote:What the hell is this http://www.potomacschool.org/voices/kristin/index.aspx

gay alliance? It's one thing to be respectful it's another to promote it .

Cross this school off my list .

I don't think you'll be missed.

Anonymous wrote:What the hell is this http://www.potomacschool.org/voices/kristin/index.aspx

gay alliance? It's one thing to be respectful it's another to promote it .

Cross this school off my list . What are some other privates in McLean that are more grounded? Maybe safe some money and go to Langley.

I thought it was great – good for Potomac. Both for holding the event and for talking about it on their website. By high school (and often earlier) their sexuality is indeed an issue for many high school students. The teenage years are very very difficult for many gay kids – more conversations like this would help, not hurt.

But if you don't like it certainly explore other places -- It's private school, you don't have to send your kids or keep them there, if you dislike a school's approach.

Anonymous wrote:If any LGBT people are reading these comments and feeling discouraged, keep in mind that attitudes about LGBT people break down by age more than political affiliation or even religion. Younger people tend not to be bigots. We just need to wait awhile and the Neanderthals will die off.

In the meantime, all you bigots, please do send your kids to religious schools because the rest of us don't want you around our children. And yes, at non-religious schools, you will be ostracized for your offensive attitudes.

Please remember that the Episcopal Church supports same-sex marriage. Not all "religious schools" share the same attitudes.

Anonymous wrote:Why can't someone do both? Try to change the school system AND home school until they get it right.

The reason so few people focus on changing the system is that their DC will be out before the changes take place. Only the teachers and administrators are in for the LONG run, which leads to a teachers first, kids second mentality.

Ha ha, I am enjoying the thought of the reaction to the phone call from the homeschooling family with comments on the moral instruction at any given school. Administrators need things to make them smile during the school day too – please do make those calls.

I wouldn't feel right in an environment where they only hire gay teachers. tolerance is fine but promoting it like it's the cool thing to do is not right.