Our efforts were recently highlighted in the Phoenix New Times in a piece about how a Phoenix school district (Dysart) rejected new federal protections for LGBTQ+ students.
In the piece, we roundly rejected the idea that one student’s religious beliefs about gender justifies the discrimination of another.
“They’re sending the message to the families, to the trans members of that community, that you’re not worthy, that you’re not human, that I won’t even acknowledge you,” said Executive Director Jeanne Casteen. “These kids are being told by elected officials that their life does not matter.
“It is a clear violation of the establishment clause and the separation of church and state,” said Casteen. “They are free to be bigots in their church but you can’t do that in public school.”
Dysart’s resolution states that the district opposes the new protections put in place by the Biden administration under Title IX.
Other Arizona school districts are expected to follow Dysart’s lead, including Peoria Unified School District. Constituents are advised to contact their board members and attend public meetings to voice their support for the Title IX protections.
