CRI In the News   Next Transgender Policies: Boys Will Be Girls Published on Apr 30, 2009 Email To Friend    Print Version California state law prohibited harassment based on gender identity, and in many school districts, the board of education has adopted a similar policy. San Francisco Unified has clearly detailed how its schools are expected to implement the policy against gender-based harassment.   Read these example directives from San Francisco:   Names/Pronouns Students shall have the right to be addressed by a name and pronoun corresponding to their gender identity that is exclusively and consistently asserted at school.   Locker Room Accessibility Transgender students shall not be forced to use the locker room corresponding to their gender assigned at birth.   Sports and Gym Class Transgender students shall not be denied the opportunity to participate in sports and gym.   Dress Codes Students shall have the right to dress in accordance with their gender identity that is exclusively and consistently asserted at school, within the constraints of the dress codes adopted at their school site.   Gender Segregation in Other Areas As a general rule, in any other circumstances where students are separated by gender in school activities, students shall be permitted to participate in accordance with their gender identity exclusively and consistently asserted at school.   Los Angeles Unified has a similar policy that bans “discrimination” in locker room and restroom use, sports teams, and so forth. It strongly urges teachers to ask transsexual students “they want to be addressed in correspondence to the home or at conferences with the student’s parents.” Elsewhere, LAUSD prohibits schools from telling parents about student gender changes.   “Schools are saying, ‘Boys will be girls. Girls will be boys.’ They act like it’s good for students to break free from the so-called gender expectations that society forces on them,” said Karen England, Executive Director of Capitol Resource Institute.   “Parents need to stay updated on how their own districts interpret the law, because these issues are going to keep moving across California,” she said.   Read more SFUSD transgender policies   Read the LAUSD transgender policy   Share