Fort Worth schools jam through new trans policies

[TitanTiger 20,472]

The public schools in Fort Worth — Fort Worth — are going trans-positive. Here’s a link to the new school policy, (link is incorrect - TT) which is based on the new federal interpretation of Title IX. It’s in Scribd, so I can’t quote excerpts. Highlights include:

• There doesn’t need to be a medical or mental health diagnosis involved. If a male student says he’s a girl, then he’s a girl, and vice versa.
  
• Schools are instructed to keep the student’s asserted gender identity hidden from parents unless authorized to share that information with them.
  
• School personnel are to consider themselves to be allies of a student undergoing gender transitioning. That means not telling their parents or guardians.
  
• Transgender students must have the opportunity to participate in school sports as the gender they claim to be, though they are not guaranteed this as a right.
  

But there’s more. The Fort Worth schools are now compelling teachers and others to teach gender ideology to students. Highlights:

• Teachers are no longer to call their students “boys” and “girls,” but to use gender-neutral language to refer to them, e.g., “students”
  
• Classrooms are to “feature diversity” in their classroom materials
  

So, let’s recap: public school teachers and personnel in the Fort Worth Independent School District are now required by policy to instruct students that gender can be whatever you want it to be. And they are required to keep parents in the dark about their kids transitioning or presenting themselves as the opposite gender at school.

Not in Austin. In Fort Worth...

...We barely have an understanding of what transgenderism is, but elites in government, education, and media are fast-tracking this progressive agenda in the schools. It’s madness.

Don’t be fooled: the bathroom issue is a proxy for a deeper conflict over what it means to be male and female, and beyond that, about fundamental human nature. These standards are collapsing in American society in part because of elites pushing against them, but also — and perhaps moreso — because radical individualism is going into hyperdrive. We call it freedom — freedom to choose who you are, with neither custom, nor religion, nor even biology standing in the way of your will. But here’s what’s going to happen. People who submit to this way of thinking will find that their freedom, so construed, will make it impossible for them to construct a coherent, stable identity. They’re not going to make it. This perversion of liberty will wreck them.

Chances are the FWISD would do this even if the US Government didn’t issue its new Title IX guidelines. But there are plenty of local school districts, in Texas and in many other places, and parents who would not yield so quickly to federal dictates. Are the feds going to sue them all? I hope they fight, but I don’t have any hope that they will prevail in the long run.

If you are a public school parent who doesn’t want your child catechized in gender ideology, you had better start figuring out how you can get your child into an orthodox, traditional Christian school. Churches that have the resources would be wise to begin planning now to educate the children of the congregation, and making available scholarships and other ways to help working and low income parents get their kids into these schools.

Noting that this is happening in Massachusetts public schools, by state diktat, Catholic writer Mary Hasson wonders if there will be an exodus of Catholic kids from the state’s public schools:

The Massachusetts policy systematically foists a perverse orthodoxy on every teacher and child within the system.

It promotes the core belief – the big lie – that there is no such thing as human nature or natural distinctions of male and female. Instead, the Board of Education embraces the idea that each person is a god unto him or herself, creating a gender identity and sexual exp

ression based on feelings, or one’s “internalized sense” of self, regardless of biology.

The indoctrination (“education and training”) will be part of every Massachusetts school’s “anti-bullying curriculum, student leadership trainings, and staff professional development.” And the Massachusetts Board of Education clearly expects all students and teachers to get with the program. The entire school community must help create a “safe and supportive” culture for transgender and gender non-conforming students.

Catholic parents who send their children to public school in Massachusetts

now have to worry not only about the system’s hostility to religious belief but also about its hostility to basic truths about the human person.

She goes on to make a crucial point:

Catholics in the past have been able to opt-out of public school sexuality education classes; it’s impossible to opt-out from a pervasive culture based on a flawed anthropology.

She’s right. You can’t escape this pervasive ideology, and you cannot deny that it’s not simply about sexuality, but about anthropology.

I have been thinking that schools are going to be a major part of the Benedict Option, but I had not quite anticipated how quickly things would move, and how radically. Christian schools and homeschooling programs need to start preparing now for an influx of students getting out of the public schools in the next few years. Parents, if you think it’s not coming to your school district, you’re wrong. If it can happen in Fort Worth…

And if tradition-affirming religious schools intend to hold the line against gender ideology, they had better start strategizing now about how they’re going to stand up to alumni and parents who object. Mount Saint Charles Academy, a small Rhode Island Catholic school run by a religious order, said it could not accept transgender students because it could not accommodate them. After a social media campaign that included many outraged young alumni, the school reversed itself. And after losing a court case, a Catholic school in Massachusetts just settled with a former stafferit fired after finding out that he was in a gay marriage, against school policy. As the reader who sent that last item to me said, “Goodbye, free association.”

These are the battle lines today and in the near future.

http://www.theameric...hools-go-trans/

Every time one of these stories comes out, I sit here trying to get my head around how anyone gets to this point in the first place. It simply doesn't compute to me no matter how hard I try to put myself into this alternate mindset about the nature of reality. It's just madness. That's the phrase that keeps coming back to me. It's as if the entire society is having a mental breakdown.

[wdefromtx 3,159]

Society has gone nuts!!! (Wait, it can't figure out if it is supposed to have nuts or no nuts and where to take said nuts!!!)

When I was in high school....in fact a Fort Worth ISD school, our principal came on the announcements on Halloween and said something like "For any boys that have dressed up like girls...you still have to use the boys restroom and boys locker rooms."

We thought it was funny. She probably would have gotten fired now!!

[TitanTiger 20,472]

In junior high, the 9th graders had an annual SCAG Pageant. It stood for Senior Class Abnormal Girls. Basically, it was a bunch of the football players and other manly guys that had to dress up like girls and do beauty pageant routines for comedic effect. Think more Milton Berle than Caitlyn Jenner. Pretty funny stuff.

I'm sure we'd all be marched into sensitivity and anti-bullying classes now.

[AUFAN78 3,894]

"To drum up unwarranted and unfounded fears around the issue of gender identity and seek to scapegoat the transgender community is certainly not doing the work of God. Instead they are targeting an already vulnerable community, whose members are already at risk of violence simply for being who they truly are."

Interesting take. What about prosecuting the violence? Won't that send a message? And must our young girls now learn about male anatomy in the girls locker room? Many claim we've lost our common sense. Surely a common sense approach has worked in the past. Why not now?

[TitanTiger 20,472]

"To drum up unwarranted and unfounded fears around the issue of gender identity and seek to scapegoat the transgender community is certainly not doing the work of God. Instead they are targeting an already vulnerable community, whose members are already at risk of violence simply for being who they truly are."

Interesting take. What about prosecuting the violence? Won't that send a message? And must our young girls now learn about male anatomy in the girls locker room? Many claim we've lost our common sense. Surely a common sense approach has worked in the past. Why not now?

This is what gets me. It's a completely subjective statement put out there as rock-solid fact. And the rest of society is supposed to wholly reorient itself to align with this new felt reality.

[wdefromtx 3,159]

We had something similar to that pageant.

Also had a real field day and you had to compete and only 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each category was given awards. Granted everyone got a "thank you participation certificate", but it was obvious what it was and no kid took it as an award.

That would just be cruel nowadays!! LOL

[maxwere 82]

Jails and prisons are the complement of schools; so many less as you have of the latter, so many more must you have of the former.

Scientific truth is marvelous, but moral truth is divine and whoever breathes its air and walks by its light has found the lost paradise.

If any man seeks for greatness, let him forget greatness and ask for truth, and he will find both.

Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, — the balance-wheel of the social machinery

Oh the irony of Mann's legacy. The Humanist model of compulsory education finally begets its logical ends.

One must ask, why restrict this to bathrooms and sports? If a HS footballer self-identifies intellectually as 3rd grader can he attend the class? This would solve a lot of problems.

[Auburn4life 24]

Just wait until all the "male" students dominate girl sports. Wonder if that will cause a problem. Its all just stupid

[PUB78 1,358]

Evil is at work. Isaiah 5:20

[SLAG-91 1,483]

http://static.gatewaypeople.com/students/fort_worth_transgender_student_guidelines.pdf

I got this from a source that highlighted some of the, in their view, more noteworthy provisions.

This is the part that just floors me:

“No medical or mental health diagnosis or treatment is required in order to have a student’s gender identity recognized and respected. School personnel must not question any student’s sincerely held belief regarding his or her gender identity once established and known.”

So, someone can just state that they're male or female, regardless of hard-wiring, and as long as they really, really, really believe it, then everyone else has to go along with it. Not only that, the restroom policy aspect of it would make the vast majority conform to the very distinct minority...restroom policies that apply to the convenience of the transgender person do not apply to the rest of the students.

It's just incredible to me that things have gotten to this point. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by much of anything, but this just seems like a "solution" in search of a problem. It feels like we've gone straight through the looking glass and into the land of Jabberwock.

The superintendent and the school board had been working on this for months in private, which would seem to be a violation of the Open Meetings Act in place in Texas. They had to know that this would be a powderkeg of an issue that would get (eminently justifiable) blowback and they did it behind closed doors anyway...and I'll be damned if I know why.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Everyone keeps talking about restrooms which people don't seem to have a problem with according to polls...however, they are never asked the question would they have a problem with a transgender person changing in front of their little girl in a locker room? or a transgender changing in front of their little boy? restrooms can be more private than locker rooms at the Y or school but that never seems to be asked in the polls...

[TitanTiger 20,472]

Everyone keeps talking about restrooms which people don't seem to have a problem with according to polls...however, they are never asked the question would they have a problem with a transgender person changing in front of their little girl in a locker room? or a transgender changing in front of their little boy? restrooms can be more private than locker rooms at the Y or school but that never seems to be asked in the polls...

That is a purposeful tactic. They know there's way more to it than restrooms, but harping on that aspect sounds like less of a big deal than other things such as locker rooms and other facilities where women and girls have a rightful expectation of privacy.

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

Everyone keeps talking about restrooms which people don't seem to have a problem with according to polls...however, they are never asked the question would they have a problem with a transgender person changing in front of their little girl in a locker room? or a transgender changing in front of their little boy? restrooms can be more private than locker rooms at the Y or school but that never seems to be asked in the polls...

That is a purposeful tactic. They know there's way more to it than restrooms, but harping on that aspect sounds like less of a big deal than other things such as locker rooms and other facilities where women and girls have a rightful expectation of privacy.

Yes, I know they have an agenda. It is always one sided in these venues...the minority outweighs the majority and that is a shame...also it could become very costly in lawsuits etc...especially if new facilities have to be built...

[cptau 169]

Back in the 1970s the Equal Rights Amendment was sailing toward approval but stalled at 35 states in 1977. 5 states even rescinded their approval. 1979 was the deadline for approval and the deadline was moved to 1982, but no additional states approved. So the ERA amendment died.

Among the reasons for states not approving the ERA: Same sex marriage would be allowed, restrooms and locker rooms could not be segregated based on sex, and women would be forced to register for selective service and could be drafted.

So now same sex marriage is legal, the government is demanding that anyone be allowed into any restroom or locker room, and the military is being forced to accept women into combat branches and roles.

The last one is particularly interesting. While the draft is not active, selective service registration is required of all male US citizens at a certain age. Women are now exempt.

If a biological male identifies as female, does that person no longer have to register? (Easier than moving to Canada)

A woman identifying at male would have to register?

The solution, make them all register and be subject to the draft. Whether the Federal government may not do that on its own, but we will probably see a court decision for some 18 year old guy over being forced to register while women are not.

[Mikey 16,577]

Am I reading this right? If a guy isn't quite hacking it and is second team on his school's basketball team, he can suddenly announce that he self-identifies as a girl and become their biggest, strongest player overnight? The Olympics now require gender testing of all female athletes, but Fort Worth high schools won't even be able to ask?

Has common sense up and left the USA for parts unknown?

[homersapien 11,366]

So, let’s recap: public school teachers and personnel in the Fort Worth Independent School District are now required by policy to instruct students that gender can be whatever you want it to be.

I think that's a distortion of the policy.

[homersapien 11,366]

Am I reading this right? If a guy isn't quite hacking it and is second team on his school's basketball team, he can suddenly announce that he self-identifies as a girl and become their biggest, strongest player overnight? The Olympics now require gender testing of all female athletes, but Fort Worth high schools won't even be able to ask?

Has common sense up and left the USA for parts unknown?

Common sense says that's not going to happen.

[homersapien 11,366]

Back in the 1970s the Equal Rights Amendment was sailing toward approval but stalled at 35 states in 1977. 5 states even rescinded their approval. 1979 was the deadline for approval and the deadline was moved to 1982, but no additional states approved. So the ERA amendment died.

Among the reasons for states not approving the ERA: Same sex marriage would be allowed, restrooms and locker rooms could not be segregated based on sex, and women would be forced to register for selective service and could be drafted.

So now same sex marriage is legal, the government is demanding that anyone be allowed into any restroom or locker room, and the military is being forced to accept women into combat branches and roles.

The last one is particularly interesting. While the draft is not active, selective service registration is required of all male US citizens at a certain age. Women are now exempt.

If a biological male identifies as female, does that person no longer have to register? (Easier than moving to Canada)

A woman identifying at male would have to register?

The solution, make them all register and be subject to the draft. Whether the Federal government may not do that on its own, but we will probably see a court decision for some 18 year old guy over being forced to register while women are not.

Are you positive that was in the ERA?

[homersapien 11,366]

Everyone keeps talking about restrooms which people don't seem to have a problem with according to polls...however, they are never asked the question would they have a problem with a transgender person changing in front of their little girl in a locker room? or a transgender changing in front of their little boy? restrooms can be more private than locker rooms at the Y or school but that never seems to be asked in the polls...

That is a purposeful tactic. They know there's way more to it than restrooms, but harping on that aspect sounds like less of a big deal than other things such as locker rooms and other facilities where women and girls have a rightful expectation of privacy.

Well, my wife tells me that woman just don't expose their naked bodies to each other in locker rooms. (Hell, most men don't.)

It's hard for me to accept a transgender would go out of their way to expose their genitalia. It's more likely they would be even less reluctant to expose themselves, considering their male genitalia is what they are trying to reject and conceal.

Again, there are lots of states that have these sort of "right of gender" laws and there is no evidence it has caused any problems.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

So, let’s recap: public school teachers and personnel in the Fort Worth Independent School District are now required by policy to instruct students that gender can be whatever you want it to be.

I think that's a distortion of the policy.

If it is, it's barely.

[homersapien 11,366]

Everyone keeps talking about restrooms which people don't seem to have a problem with according to polls...however, they are never asked the question would they have a problem with a transgender person changing in front of their little girl in a locker room? or a transgender changing in front of their little boy? restrooms can be more private than locker rooms at the Y or school but that never seems to be asked in the polls...

That is a purposeful tactic. They know there's way more to it than restrooms, but harping on that aspect sounds like less of a big deal than other things such as locker rooms and other facilities where women and girls have a rightful expectation of privacy.

Yes, I know they have an agenda. It is always one sided in these venues...the minority outweighs the majority and that is a shame...also it could become very costly in lawsuits etc...especially if new facilities have to be built...

Can you please describe their "agenda" in a sentence or two?

[homersapien 11,366]

So, let’s recap: public school teachers and personnel in the Fort Worth Independent School District are now required by policy to instruct students that gender can be whatever you want it to be.

I think that's a distortion of the policy.

If it is, it's barely.

I'd say being proactive to an otherwise uncaring class is more than barely.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

Well, my wife tells me that woman just don't expose their naked bodies to each other in locker rooms. (Hell, most men don't.)

My wife says different. Most locker rooms don't have private areas to put on underwear after a shower for instance. I know many if not most of the men's locker rooms I've been in don't. Many don't have separate shower stalls, just a big shower area with shower heads in the wall. Or perhaps a partition between them but not a door or curtain on the front.

You usually have to go to your locker to put on your clothes if you don't want them to get wet. So you are naked at least long enough to take off the towel and put on some underwear.

There's a reason this comic exists:

It's hard for me to accept a transgender would go out of their way to expose their genitalia. It's more likely they would be even less reluctant to expose themselves, considering their male genitalia is what they are trying to reject and conceal.

Again, there are lots of states that have these sort of "right of gender" laws and there is no evidence it has caused any problems.

It's hard for me to accept that we should just let people choose whatever facility to use based on nothing but their professed feelings. It's even harder for me to accept that people are actually incredulous that there would be reasonable objections to such a thing.

[homersapien 11,366]

http://static.gatewa..._guidelines.pdf

I got this from a source that highlighted some of the, in their view, more noteworthy provisions.

This is the part that just floors me:

“No medical or mental health diagnosis or treatment is required in order to have a student’s gender identity recognized and respected. School personnel must not question any student’s sincerely held belief regarding his or her gender identity once established and known.”

So, someone can just state that they're male or female, regardless of hard-wiring, and as long as they really, really, really believe it, then everyone else has to go along with it. Not only that, the restroom policy aspect of it would make the vast majority conform to the very distinct minority...restroom policies that apply to the convenience of the transgender person do not apply to the rest of the students.

It's just incredible to me that things have gotten to this point. I guess I shouldn't be surprised by much of anything, but this just seems like a "solution" in search of a problem. It feels like we've gone straight through the looking glass and into the land of Jabberwock.

The superintendent and the school board had been working on this for months in private, which would seem to be a violation of the Open Meetings Act in place in Texas. They had to know that this would be a powderkeg of an issue that would get (eminently justifiable) blowback and they did it behind closed doors anyway...and I'll be damned if I know why.

Well presumably, a transgender would already be presenting themselves as the opposite sex.

[TitanTiger 20,472]

Everyone keeps talking about restrooms which people don't seem to have a problem with according to polls...however, they are never asked the question would they have a problem with a transgender person changing in front of their little girl in a locker room? or a transgender changing in front of their little boy? restrooms can be more private than locker rooms at the Y or school but that never seems to be asked in the polls...

That is a purposeful tactic. They know there's way more to it than restrooms, but harping on that aspect sounds like less of a big deal than other things such as locker rooms and other facilities where women and girls have a rightful expectation of privacy.

Yes, I know they have an agenda. It is always one sided in these venues...the minority outweighs the majority and that is a shame...also it could become very costly in lawsuits etc...especially if new facilities have to be built...

Can you please describe their "agenda" in a sentence or two?

I think the article did a pretty good job of it:

Don’t be fooled: the bathroom issue is a proxy for a deeper conflict over what it means to be male and female, and beyond that, about fundamental human nature. These standards are collapsing in American society in part because of elites pushing against them, but also — and perhaps moreso — because radical individualism is going into hyperdrive.

It's evidenced not just by the silly notion that someone can play on the sports team of the gender they self-identify with or locker room issues, but even the manipulation of language...not referring to the kids as boys and girls, but only as "students." It's in the directive to not just be tolerant of this notion of gender and sex, but to be "affirming", which goes far beyond merely being gay or lesbian and is a deconstructing of what it means to be male or female and the nature of the human person.