I am opposed to this bill, especially the idea that school personnel could be influencing a child's gender transition without notifying the parents.
From the proposed document: "Regardless of the circumstances, the school should support the student’s need for privacy and not disclose a student’s gender identity to other students or parents."
The school has the responsibility to inform parents of major changes to a child, whether injury, mental health decline, or any sort of new behaviors. Whether or not you agree with the idea of transgender theory, parents MUST be informed of such a large issue in the life of their child.
Allowing schools and teachers to withhold the fact that a student is suffering from gender identity issues is serious, and will lead to delayed mental health treatment that is vital to the student. There is very little scientific fact regarding transgenderism except that almost all students affected by it have co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses. Schools and teachers do not "know better" than parents and cannot provide the adequate counseling needed in such situations.
Thank you for your time,
Lauren Schierer