1. Do you support the HCPSS guidelines that transgender students will have access to restrooms, changing facilities, and sports in accordance with the student’s gender identity? Please explain your answer.

I support every student being able to use bathrooms and changing facilities where they are comfortable and their privacy is respected. I think it is ludicrous to think that someone would pretend to be transgender to get access to a bathroom for nefarious purposes. Nothing is stopping anyone from entering any bathroom or changing room, if they are intent on entering it. I’m not a fan of requiring students to undress in front of other students. It made me uncomfortable even as a cisgender teenage girl.

During an admitted student day I attended with my oldest in 2022 on the UMBC campus, I used an all gender, multiple stall bathroom. The row of stalls had doors that went all the way down to the floor and no gaps as many stalls inside a single gender bathroom have. At first I wondered, is this the bathroom for me? Going inside, it quickly made perfect sense. At home we don’t have gender segregated bathrooms. At an outdoor event, anyone can use any port-a-potty and we don’t bat an eye.

I think it would be great if we could rethink bathroom design in our schools. Currently having a semi-private public space of single gender bathrooms leads to several problems. The “devious licks” Tik Tok trend encouraged vandalism and destruction of school bathroom facilities. Some students don’t feel safe entering school bathrooms due to bullying or drug use that can happen there out of view of school staff. If we had a row of stalls each just large enough for their purpose (and ADA compliant) with floor to ceiling doors with easy to use locking mechanisms that made it clear from the outside that they were in use, in a public hallway, I think we could address multiple challenges. Sinks outside of the bathroom stalls area is something we’re already building in newer buildings and they have the added benefit of making it easier for students to wash their hands more frequently.

2. Would you support a policy that codifies the guideline that requires HCPSS staff and non-official documents to use the name and pronouns that a student requests? Please explain your answer.

I would definitely support that. It is rude to call someone a name they don’t want to be called. I think those who disagree would find themselves getting angry and upset if they were consistently called the wrong name and referred to with the wrong pronouns, even without the additional pain that such treatment causes gender non-conforming individuals.

3. To what age groups (if any) is it appropriate for teachers and other staff members to disclose to students that they have LGBTQ+ family members or are in a same-sex relationship?

At whatever age group it would be appropriate for teachers and staff to discuss their heterosexual relationships and family members.

4. What concerns, if any, do you have with students talking about themselves or family, friends, or community members related to being LGBTQ+?

I would hope that students feel comfortable being their authentic selves and feel safe talking about their LGBTQ+ family or others in their community. At preschool one day, I overheard a conversation that I believe started with one child asking another about having a playdate outside of school. The one child said to the other, “ask your mom and dad if you can.” The other child said, “I don’t have a mom and a dad, I have two moms.” The first child said, “fine, ask your two moms if you can.” The fact that their friend had two moms was a complete non issue.

5. Should curriculum be revised to include reference to LGBTQ+ individuals, including the fact or possibility that the individuals were LGBTQ+ identified. If yes, what (if any) is the minimum grade level at which these changes should be made? Please explain your answer.

Curriculum about civil rights and the movements and history that expanded them in our country should include those for LGBTQ rights, highlighting those who were key, both LGBTQ individuals and allies. That is part of our history.
During LGBTQ celebration events, LGBTQ individuals who have contributed to our nation and society in whatever field can be highlighted and recognized. These items should be included at whatever level they fit into the curriculum.

6. Should curriculum be revised to include reference to LGBTQ+ themed works of literature, art, and media, and if yes, what (if any) is the minimum grade level at which this should be done? Please explain your answer.

I think that books and other media that are inclusive of different types of families and which don’t perpetuate negative gender stereotypes are appropriate for all levels. We want students to be able to see themselves in the stories and the characters they are introduced to. We want students to have an opportunity to see into and learn from the lives of others who are different from themselves as well.

7. Should HCPSS make sure schools continue to offer access to LGBTQ+ student clubs like GSAs to their students? At what levels (High? Middle? Elementary?) should this happen? Please explain your answer.

I think HCPSS should encourage these types of supportive clubs. Interested staff, possibly with the help of volunteers, should be supported in facilitating them. It gives students an opportunity to support one another and an opportunity for them to practice leadership and organization skills. It’s another way that students can feel like they belong and are accepted. Clubs are more available in high school and middle school, but there are also opportunities for elementary school groups or elementary rainbow family groups to connect families outside of school as well.

8. Do you support the continued funding of programs for LGBTQ+ students at HCPSS such as employing an LGBTQ initiatives specialist and rainbow representatives within the schools? Please explain your answer.

I support the continued funding of programs for LGBTQ+ students.

9. What changes would you like to see made to the way HCPSS handles identification, reporting, interventions, and prevention of bullying?

It needs to be very clear that bullying won’t be tolerated. We need to continue working every day to foster a culture of belonging. We need to make sure we’re not perpetuating stereotypes and that we’re being inclusive. We need to make sure that everyone understands and is aware of policy and that it is followed. The procedures for reporting problems should be well known and easy to access. Responses to issues need to be timely and substantive.

10. What measures should the school system take to prevent suicide among the student body?

During the ‘stay at home’ part of the pandemic, I had the opportunity to take an online QPR class. QPR stands for question, persuade, and refer. It’s a first aid type class for mental health and suicide prevention. While the class I took was geared towards adults, there are programs tailored to younger people. I think that including this type of instruction in our schools could help to save lives. Programs to help destigmatize mental health concerns would also help. We also need to make sure that we have sufficient mental health supports available to our students.
We must also continue fostering a culture of acceptance and belonging at every school.

11. HCPSS has a diverse student population with regard to race, ethnicity, country of origin, immigration status, socioeconomic status, disability, family structure, etc. What roles do you think these intersectional identities should play in the school system’s policies and practices in supporting LGBTQ+ students?

I think that this is something that we always need to be mindful of. Historically marginalized groups are not a monolith, even within groups. Individuals face very different experiences when group identities intersect in their lived experience. I think that this is a reason that an advisory board made up of allies from many backgrounds and perspectives would be beneficial. If we had such a group of volunteers with various religious and cultural perspectives willing to do outreach in a person to person format and/or to help develop materials to assist families going through what they have already experienced, they could share how they navigate support for their children and their faith and/or culture.

12. HCPSS has guidelines for gender inclusion (found in https://www.hcpss.org/f/supports/gender-inclusive-guidelines.pdf). Do you support these guidelines and would you vote in favor of a policy that codifies these guidelines? Please explain your answer.

I support these guidelines and think that they are a reasonable way to support all students.

13. What are your views on training all staff on LGBTQ+ and other diversity related issues?

I think training on bias is important for all staff. We all have unconscious biases and need help to recognize them and to learn how to reduce their harmful impacts on others or even on ourselves. Increasing awareness and understanding of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized groups will help our school system to be more inclusive and more effective at educating and supporting every student.

14. How should the school system deal with requests for book removal? How do you prevent those requests from disproportionately affecting LGBTQ+ themed books?

I support parents’ right to restrict what their own children read, but no single person or group gets to dictate what every student has access to. I trust and will support our media specialists as they offer age appropriate and diverse materials in our school libraries. There is a process in place to get community feedback on all materials and to request re-evaluation, if there are concerns.

To prepare children for the future, we need to teach them both the good and the bad of our history. We want our students to learn about the role of race and racism in the shaping of America so we don't repeat the mistakes of our past. We also want all students to be able to see themselves in the materials we have at school. LGBTQ+ students should have the same freedom to study in a supportive learning environment as any other student, despite the attempts of some politicians to demonize them and to stoke fear for political gain.