Legal Rights for LGBTQ youth in public schools?

[Joker]

I'm posting this here to hopefully get more responses and possibly reach someone who may not be in the social group. 

 

Does anyone know where I can get a clear picture of the rights of transgender youth in schools in Indiana? I've been using Google but nothing I've found seems concrete. I'm mostly needing the rights of a student to be called by the name of their choosing and for teachers to use the pronoun of their choice as well. I know official documents can't change until there is a name change (which I think can happen with our consent at 17) - I'm just talking about teachers, counselors, and students. I'm hoping for a site or place where I can get clear information on what is and isn't legal/allowable.

[Χά�ων]

I do not know, but HUGS

[El...]

I don't know, but there was a story on NPR this very morning about a teen going through some of that with his school district.  I wonder if there were any linked resources? 

[Rosie_0801]

I don't know either, but manners ought to be enough, oughtn't they?  :grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[KarenNC]

Try these:

http://indianatransgendernetwork.com/category/resources/advocacy/ 

http://indianatransgendernetwork.com/resources/advocacy/gekco-gender-expansive-kids-central-indiana/

http://www.indypflag.org/trans-resources.html

 

 

Edited July 30, 2016 by KarenNC

[StephanieZ]

I believe that these rights are being established at this very moment nationally . ..  still very much in flux. I'd say, contact your local/national LGBQT rights organizations and ask for help. I've heard of schools being very helpful/cooperative, but obviously, that's gonna' depend on the individual you have in the office until/unless these rights are firmly established in case law . . . So, if you're running into trouble, then I'd definitely google up your various advocacy organizations and seek help there. Hopefully, there'll be a nice lawyer who will take the case pro-bono and make a few "friendly" inquiries with the school to help meet your needs.

 

(((hugs)))

[Anne in CA]

I would guess that no matter what state you are in things are changing fast and it will vary by school district what guidelines are chosen for everyone to follow no matter what the laws are.

[Farrar]

I second contacting your statewide LGBTQ organization. As I understand it, the statewide organizations tend to be ears to the ground, in the nitty gritty with questions and issues like these.

[Tanaqui]

I'm pretty sure you can change a name earlier than 17 for unusual circumstances, though that's not a specifically LGBT thing.

[justasque]

The feds just put out some quite good guidelines - 
Here is their "Dear Colleague letter".

Here is a page with links to more resources.  Among them (I forget which) is a very nicely done document outlining the ways various districts have addressed certain issues to meet the needs of transgender students (and their fellow cisgender students).

All of these documents would be things worth sharing with your district administration. 

 

As several previous posters mentioned, the legal framework is in flux.  Reading some of the documents in current cases can prepare you for some of the pushback you may get, and how you can respond with sensible solutions to various concerns.  You can skip over some of the legalese, and just read the various arguments that are presented.  Here are links to some of the documents in the current case regarding a Virginia student's restroom use.

[Joker]

Yeah, I've just been informed the 17 thing may have been a miscommunication. I think dh and I need to be 17, which we definitely are, so that's a good thing. We are going to look into that very soon. I am also now going to look into changing ds' gender marker. I think it would just take a physician signing off on it here and stating ds has done the work. He's been in therapy for two years and is now fully living as a male so maybe we could start that process. 

 

The hive is awesome! Thanks so much to all who posted here and those who pm'd me. You guys rock!

[Joker]

I will also say that while I understand those who are brave enough to push the bathroom issue in high school or younger, that I have asked ds not to do so. His high school is large and very sports oriented. I am really worried about him in a bathroom with a group of high school boys who don't understand him. I worry about that group mentality and what could possibly happen. Ds is only 5'6" and 125 lbs. He is much braver than I but has agreed for the time being to use only the single bathrooms in the front office. I do think others should be able to decide differently for themselves, though. 

[Joker]

We did receive an email from the principal today. He was reaching out and wanting to sit down with us. He used the right name and pronouns and said he wanted to make sure it was a good year for ds. That is very promising (especially considering my interactions with one of the counselors)!

 

[Haiku]

I'm glad the principal sounds like he has a clue!

[DawnM]

Indiana.  Yeah, that sounds rougher than where I worked in LA.  We had specific schools for gay teens who felt unsafe in a traditional school program.

[TranquilMind]

I'm posting this here to hopefully get more responses and possibly reach someone who may not be in the social group. 

 

Does anyone know where I can get a clear picture of the rights of transgender youth in schools in Indiana? I've been using Google but nothing I've found seems concrete. I'm mostly needing the rights of a student to be called by the name of their choosing and for teachers to use the pronoun of their choice as well. I know official documents can't change until there is a name change (which I think can happen with our consent at 17) - I'm just talking about teachers, counselors, and students. I'm hoping for a site or place where I can get clear information on what is and isn't legal/allowable.

Different groups are working on this.  To my knowledge, there is no current legal "right" to be called anything other than your legal name in Indiana schools, however, most teachers are perfectly willing to call a student by a nickname and even request what nicknames are used on admission documents, so there is that.

 

http://indianapublicmedia.org/stateimpact/2015/06/17/teachers-lesson-lgbtq-issues-students/

 

(FYI:  If you are going to adopt a name, at least spell it correctly!  Argh.  Isaac, not Issac).