Latest / Brett Keane and Eve Show / Schools force young girls to strip in front of trans-identified male students.
Transcript
- 0:01Our next participant is Nicole Gorges.
- 0:09Hello, my name is Nicole Gorges and I'm here to demand that the
- 0:12locker rooms and bathrooms at District 109 be designated as
- 0:15biological male and biological female as there already is a
- 0:18gender neutral option. The girls want their locker
- 0:21rooms and bathrooms back. They want their privacy back.
- 0:24This is why I'm here tonight. My 13 year old daughter's
- 0:27well-being and mental health and privacy is is at stake.
- 0:31This nightmare began on February 5th when my daughter was using
- 0:34the girls bathroom and was stunned that a biological male
- 0:36student was using it as well. She came home frightened and was
- 0:39extremely upset. I asked her to talk with her
- 0:42teachers and find out more information.
- 0:44She was told by the administration that a student
- 0:46can use the bathroom as well as a female locker room because
- 0:49they now identify as female. I was sent an e-mail to the
- 0:52teachers involved and received a call from Principal Wegley.
- 0:56He verbally reiterated that under Joanna Ford's direction
- 0:59and their legal counsel, that the student could use both the
- 1:01locker room and bathroom. I expressed that the school was
- 1:04in clear violation of federal policy.
- 1:08The Trump administration issued an executive order restricting
- 1:11biological males from participating in sports and
- 1:13accessing female locker rooms. That day I filed a civil rights
- 1:18complaint on behalf of my daughter with the Department of
- 1:21Justice. It has now been referred to the
- 1:23Department of Education. A federal complaint has been
- 1:26filed with the district to to protect the students.
- 1:29The situation went from bad to worse.
- 1:31A few days later, the male student was present in the girls
- 1:35locker room. Feeling violated, the girls made
- 1:37the choice to not change into their PE clothes with a with a
- 1:40biological male student presence.
- 1:43The next day Assistant Principal Kathy Vantris pull the girls
- 1:46into their office questioning them.
- 1:48The same day Assistant Superintendent Joanna Ford,
- 1:51Kathy Vantris, and multiple teachers all came into the girls
- 1:55locker room making them change into uniform.
- 1:58This went on all week with the addition of Ginger Lagermann.
- 2:02My daughter refused to take part in having her privacy being
- 2:04violated. How dare they.
- 2:07She ran out and called for me for help.
- 2:09Principal Wagley answered, was answered.
- 2:13We're offering my daughter a new answers was offering my daughter
- 2:16a new PE class. The answer was no.
- 2:18She is not changing for the remainder of the year and she's
- 2:21not changing into another class. The girls just want their
- 2:24privacy and they want their locker room back.
- 2:27There are gender neutral options.
- 2:29This is my daughter's story and the story of many other young
- 2:33girls who have been forced at the difficult age to do
- 2:35something they know and most adults know is wrong.
- 2:38Do the right thing Dearfield, and give these girls their
- 2:40locker room and bathrooms back. Allowing biological males to
- 2:44access girls locker room sets a dangerous precedent that arose
- 2:47the very foundation of female privacy and safety.
- 2:51By making this decision, the school board is not only
- 2:54disregarding the concerns of young female students and making
- 2:57their families, but also establishing a legal and policy
- 3:00framework that will make it increasingly difficult to
- 3:03protect the integrity of female only spaces in the future.
- 3:18Thank you. We'll call our next participant,
- 3:24Charles. Excuse me?
- 3:25If we can be respectful of everybody's time here, so.
- 3:29Yes, thank you. I'm happy to go after that one.
- 3:35Thank you. School board.
- 3:36From what I've heard, y'all are following the law, which is
- 3:40fantastic. My name is Charlie Friedman.
- 3:44My pronouns are they he. I'm a trans person.
- 3:47I am the parent of a trans middle schooler.
- 3:49I'm also the director of operations for Trans Upfront.
- 3:53It's a nonprofit organization fighting for trans rights.
- 3:58We partner with over 30 major organizations including the
- 4:00ACLU, Lambda Legal, HRC, etcetera.
- 4:05We have a protest coming up for trans rights on March 30th, 1:00
- 4:07PM Federal Plaza. We have A and I would like to
- 4:11take a moment to talk about Illinois.
- 4:14We're all very lucky to live in a state that protects everyone
- 4:16here. Specific to today, Executive
- 4:19Order 2019-11, which my kid was standing next to Pritzker when
- 4:24he signed, yes, an executive order from the governor and in
- 4:28that order, it's called strengthening our commitment to
- 4:31affirming inclusive schools, which protects trans, non binary
- 4:36and gender non conforming students from the type of
- 4:38bullying that this parent represents.
- 4:45Also, under the Illinois Human Rights Act, Section 3BU-1, the
- 4:51use of restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms may not be
- 4:55restricted based on a student's physical anatomy or chromosomal
- 4:58sex. A student must be permitted to
- 5:01access restrooms or bathrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms
- 5:04that align with their gender related identity and without
- 5:07having to provide documentation or other proof of gender under
- 5:11this Act. And it is stated the discomfort
- 5:13or privacy concerns of other students, teachers or parents
- 5:16are not valid reasons to deny or limit the full and equal use of
- 5:20those facilities based on a student's gender related
- 5:22identity. And said any student, teacher or
- 5:25other individual seeking more privacy should be accommodated
- 5:28by providing that individual with a more private option upon
- 5:31their request. Sounds like that would be a
- 5:33great option in this case for your kids.
- 5:36OK, talk to everyone now. Excuse me.
- 5:43So the whole audience is that direction.
- 5:46Excuse me, this is, it's, it's, it's his time to to talk, right?
- 5:50So thank you. So if needed, if needed, we'd be
- 5:55happy to dig in to contact our coalition to make sure that the
- 5:59board is supported in doing the right thing for the right
- 6:02reasons and following Illinois State law.
- 6:05If you need my assistance, please do reach out.
- 6:07It's trans upfront. il.com. Thank you.
- 6:11Thank you.