Transgender rules should mirror home

What is the position at your home regarding respect to individual privacy?

Our two teenage daughters are in the same bedroom. They honor each other's privacy by knocking before entering the room with a closed door.

I have a teenage son as well. We do not put our teenage son in the same room with our teenage daughters. Do you?

It is not hard for me to imagine why many people are uncomfortable with the OCR's position on District 211's policy toward transgender students. If not at home, why then in our schools?

Given this particular case involves a student with male anatomy wanting access to the women's locker room, it'd be more appropriate to get an accurate perspective from the female population within District 211. There are varying degrees of vulnerability within the District 211 locker rooms.

The cultural norms regarding gender are both very complex and powerful within our society. The driving forces which compel an individual to identify with the opposite gender are the very same forces that cause the apprehension toward opposite gender anatomy in the locker room.

Acceptance and trusting friendship does not come from mandated law, but rather from behaviors like compassion, respect, and a sincere desire to love and help each other.

It's great to see healthy debate among teenagers on issues of today. Regardless of our stance, I applaud Jake Lytle for having the courage and initiative to establish the petition. Dialog and action is far better than apathy.

However, there are other topics that would benefit from healthy debate and front-page coverage. I encourage everybody to consider the many students in District 211 who do not have a reliable source of food, clothing, and shelter.

Michael Radochonski

Palatine