Emerging Leader Fellow Lizzy Wingfield responds to a piece written by the Lancaster Online editorial board in support of practices affirming the gender identities of transgender students.
A big thank you to the editorial board for its thoughtful and empathetic piece in support of Eastern Lancaster County School District’s practices affirming the gender identities of transgender students (“Measured approach,” Feb. 8).
Through my work as a Stoneleigh fellow at Education Law Center focusing on the rights of LGBTQ students, I know welcoming, inclusive school climates enable transgender and gender-nonconforming students to thrive in their educational environments, whereas hostile and negative school climates are associated with severe educational and health consequences.
It is important that we educate ourselves and our communities about gender identity — a concept many of us were not given the tools to talk about when growing up. The editorial does an excellent job of helping readers to understand and support the transgender and gender-nonconforming students in their lives.
For a legal advocate’s perspective on Elanco’s practices affirming students’ gender identities, see the Education Law Center’s open letter to the school board at bit.ly/ElancoLetter or at elc-pa.org.
