Irrational fear leads to transgender bias

All discrimination stems from lack of education and irrational fear, and I believe this was clearly the case in District 211 denying a young woman the basic right of inclusion. They have reached a settlement and now this young woman has access to the locker room, but this does not extend to all transgender students. In addition, I believe history has proved that separate is not equal. Providing a private changing space that any of the students can use, but that she must use is still discriminatory.

I am extremely disappointed in my local high school district. They claim they were considering the rights of all of the students, yet they risked millions of dollars in funding that benefits all the students. Resources are continuously spent on anti-bullying education, yet the district decided to set an example that it is OK to exclude someone who is different if it makes those that they deem "normal" uncomfortable. This was mostly due to pressure from parents responding with irrational fear and a lack of education. Fortunately, the students who have spoken out in support of their friend get that this is an injustice.

Gender identity is in one's brain, not in one's physical characteristics. It is not something that a person chooses. Transitioning is a long and complicated process. Transgender people face injustice at every turn, whether it is from educational systems, landlords, employers or healthcare workers. I applaud this young woman and her family, as well as others who are willing to share their stories to help educate people and fight to put an end to this marginalization.

The bottom line is that those who are fighting to restrict this student's access to the locker room do not recognize her as a real girl. In this, they show their lack of education about and irrational fear of transgender people, which has led to this discrimination. It really is as simple as that.

Denise Logan

Palatine