KPCC Talk Show Host John Rabe forwarded this on to me: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 3, 2013 CONTACT: Vicki Fox, ACLU of Southern California, (213) 977-5227; [email protected] SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California State Senate Wednesday passed the School Success and Opportunity Act (Assembly Bill 1266), sending the bill that ensures transgender students have the opportunity to succeed in school to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature. Authored by Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), the bill passed the Senate with a 21-9 vote (unofficial). The bill passed the California State Assembly last month with a 46-25 vote. AB 1266 will ensure that California public schools understand their responsibility for the success and well being of all students, including transgender students, and will allow transgender students to fully participate in all school activities, sports teams, programs and facilities in accordance with their gender identity. Co-authored by Sens. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Ricardo Lara (D-South Gate) and Assemblymember Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), the bill is backed by a coalition of leading organizations, including Transgender Law Center, Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Gender Spectrum, Equality California, ACLU of California, National Center for Lesbian Rights, statewide teacher and parent organizations and dozens of other organizations. “I’m so happy the state is taking action to make sure I have the same opportunity as everyone else to go to school and graduate,” said Ashton Lee, a 16-year-old transgender boy from Manteca who came to Sacramento with his mother to testify before the Senate Education Committee last week. “I just want to be treated the same as all the other boys, but my school forces me to take P.E. in a class of all girls and live as someone I’m not. I can’t learn and succeed when every day in that class leaves me feeling isolated and alone.” In 2005, the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s second largest school district with more than 670,000 students, successfully implemented a policy nearly identical to AB 1266 to ensure that no student is left out. “Families matter in LAUSD. We’ve worked closely with students and families to ensure that our policies related to gender identity are successful, welcomed by students, and supported by parents," said Judy Chiasson, Program Coordinator for Human Relations, Diversity and Equity at the Los Angeles Unified School District. "In addition to longstanding policies banning bullying, harassment and discrimination, LAUSD has had specific policies banning discrimination based on gender identity for nearly a decade. We have firsthand experience recognizing and valuing the diversity of school communities, which ultimately enhances and enriches the lives of all our students." California law already prohibits discrimination in education, but transgender students are often still unfairly excluded from physical education, athletic teams and other school activities and facilities because of who they are. This exclusion negatively impacts students’ ability to succeed in school and graduate with their class. For example, physical education classes help students develop healthy fitness habits and teach values like teamwork and fair competition – and P.E. credits are required, so students cannot graduate without them. Under AB 1266, California’s public schools would be required to respect a transgender student’s identity in all school programs, activities and facilities. The bill will provide guidance to district and school leaders about how to meet their obligations to protect the safety and well being of all students, including those who are transgender. “California law already prohibits discrimination in education, but transgender students are still unfairly excluded from physical education, athletic teams, and other school activities and facilities. Today the Senate’s action took us a big step closer to making sure transgender students can just be themselves, succeed in school, and graduate with their class,” said Melissa Goodman, an attorney with the ACLU of California. ###
Posted on: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 23:31:46 +0000