In the interest of clarity on this important public education issue for all students, we’re writing to provide information from and respond to points in the original letter sent by the school district to the Mathis family’s attorney in late December 2012. That letter stated in part: “ … regulations don’t absolutely require students to be able to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity provided the other offered facilities are similarly accessible…”

Existing laws do, in fact, lean toward allowing a transgender student be able to access the bathroom of the gender with which they identify unless they choose to utilize a gender neutral bathroom provided by the school.

Regardless of various legal interpretation, we can all agree that much of the time our laws lag far behind fairness.

The Pikes Peak Safe @ School Coalition exists to help transform thinking, policies and actions within school districts to keep all students safe, especially those targeted by bias-based harassment and discrimination around issues of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression and transgender status. Transgender students — 9 in 10 of whom already suffer harassment for their nonconformity — do not have to live under magnified difference and discrimination.

In the case of Coy Mathis, the school district appears to have been somewhat accommodating. But the district now states that it has come up against a level of concern because, as they state in their original response letter: “…at least some parents and students are likely to become uncomfortable …”

Discomfort does not excuse discrimination. Why is it unfair to deny access to the girls restroom to Coy if the school makes unisex bathrooms in the faculty areas accessible to her?

Unisex restroom facilities incorporated into the general school population, available to and encouraged for the use of many students, is a strategy that creates equity and inclusion. But singling out a transgender student and requiring them to use a gender neutral restroom in a separate area from the student population prompts feelings of isolation and difference.

Let’s let Coy be Coy.

In the school district’s original response to the organization representing the Mathis family, attorney representing Fountain-Fort Carson School District, W. Kelly Dude, made the following statements:
• “I’m certain you can appreciate that as Coy grows older and his male genitals develop along with the rest of his body, at last some parents and students are likely to become uncomfortable with his continued use of the girls’ restroom, and that it would be far more psychologically damaging and disruptive for the issue to arise at an age when students deal with lots of social issues.”;
• “ … regulations don’t absolutely require students to be able to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity provided the other offered facilities are similarly accessible…”;
• “The District and I believe therefore that the District has made reasonable accommodations for Coy’s gender identity …”
Quotes come directly from a December 28, 2012, letter from the firm Anderson, Dude & Lebel, P.C. written to Michael Silverman, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund on behalf of the Fountain-Fort Carson School District. The letter was accessible via the TLDEF website.

For more information on the findings from The Family Acceptance Project View this Link.

My experience at Student Lobby Day with Inside Out and ONE-Colorado was amazing. I`ve never been to the legislature so it was a great learning experience for me. We talked about Civil Unions and health care and also about fair tuition for students, and a lot more.

We spoke with our Colorado State Representatives and Senators, including Pete Lee, Janik Joshi and Owen Hill. Senator Morse represents our area, but he’s also the Majority Leader and was in meetings. We talked with his Chief of Staff instead. Pete Lee came out to see us and talked for a while. Let me just say he is amazing person! He took time to talk to us about his beliefs. I really appreciated that he took the time and explained his views. I would just like to say thank you Representative Pete Lee.

Because we didn’t get a chance to speak with Sen. John Morse, I looked him up on Google. I read about him and found out he and I have some of the same views. Like John Morse said: “Can you imagine how great a state we would have if we went back to achieving our visions? Can you imagine how many companies would want to move to Colorado to be part of our community? Can you imagine the number of jobs that would create and sustain?” I thought that would be great.

I have Pete Lee as a Representative and John Morse as a Senator. They are both great people. I would like to say thanks to Inside Out for making this experience happen for me. I believe we should do this more so that more young people get involved. We don’t always get to see what’s going on in the world first hand, but this is a way we can do that.

Youth Organizations Policies on GLBT

We are disappointed in the delay, but hold out hope that the Boy Scouts of America want to ensure deliberate decision making on such an important change to the way they include people. Unfortunately, myths and fear about GLBT people still exist in large parts of our culture, and organizational leaders can be slow to move forward.

America is up-righting equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, but the decision by BSA shows there is still much heavy lifting to be done before GLBT youth get the message they deserve to live honest, happy lives. The results of continued discrimination are devastating.

On Sunday Feb 3, 15-year old Jadin Bell died after two weeks on life support in a Portland, OR., hospital. Bell hanged himself at his local playground after anti-gay bullying and hopelessness took over his life. Rejection by family, church and community results in much higher risks of suicide, depression and drug addiction among LGBT youth.

With 8 in 10 LGBT students experiencing harassment and violence, messages from leaders — whether those on Capitol Hill, in national groups like Boy Scouts, or teachers in the classroom — either deepen or heal the wounds. Several young people attending Inside Out programs in Colorado Springs participate in traditional national youth programs such as scouting and ROTC. Every person has a sexual orientation. We urge BSA to make changes so LGBT youth no longer must hide this part of their identity.

Research from the Human Rights Campaign to the Journal of Pediatrics shows that 92% of LGBT youth have heard negative comments about being gay:
• 60% of LGBT youth say they have heard anti-gay messages from elected officials
• 54% say they heard anti-LGBT messages from teachers or school officials
• 30% of LGBT youth who come out to their parents are severely rejected by their families, including being kicked out of the house or physically and verbally abused
In 2012, more than 500 youth attended support and discussion groups at Inside Out Youth Services in Colorado Springs. Inside the center, youth find safety, support and the place to be themselves. Out in the community, we worked with 370 teachers, principals, students, bus drivers and school boards as well as foster parent groups to create safer climates in school and among families.

Shawna Rae Kemppainen
Shawna@insideoutys.org
Executive Director
719.328.1056 Office
719.201.5926 Cell
Safety, support, respect, possibility for LGBTIQ youth.

I’m currently President of my college’s GSA. We have been able to perform the play “8” on campus and focus on the acceptance of minorities, especially the LGBT Community. An extremely unique part of Lyndon is that the President of the college is openly gay, this has in turn allowed GSA to be more prominent and involved on campus.

But I would never have been able to come this far if I hadn’t had the leadership guidance Inside Out gave me while I was still in high school. I was able to learn and teach to others that it is possible to have a tremendous impact in our community while overcoming the challenges some people have accepting LGBT people.

Meagan Leduc
Lyndon State College, Class of 2016
Inside Out scholarship recipient 2012