Transgender students in Colorado warned not to use restrooms

[The Philosopher]

from LGBTQ Nation

Two high school students in Fort Collins, Colo. — who identify as transgender — say that attitudes displayed by the school’s administrators make them feel unwelcome on campus, including being prohibited from using the same restrooms as other students.

Dionne Malikowski and Kurt Peters, both 16, have been instructed by officials at Fort Collins High School to use staff restrooms or face disciplinary measures.

Malikowski, who was born male, and Peters, who was born female, told KUSA-TV in Denver that that faculty and staff at Fort Collins High has not been receptive to their needs as transgender individuals.

“To be one sex that feels like they’re the other sex,” Malikowski said defining what a transgender person feels.

Inside Fort Collins High School, the two say they are asked to use staff restrooms.

“There’s not staff bathrooms all over the school, so when you really got to pee, you got to pee,” Malikowski said.

That’s what she says happened about a month ago when she used the women’s restroom. She was told she’d be suspended for three days.

“I cried,” Malikowski said. “I told them that it was really messed up for them to do that to me, and they were like, ‘We’ve warned you before,’ and I was just like, ‘Obviously you don’t understand what it’s like.’”

The school won’t comment because of student confidentiality, but on the school’s website “defiance” is listed as one reason a student can get suspended.

“I feel like the school doesn’t really understand what it’s like to be in our situation,” Malikowski said.

http://www.9news.com/news/article/228934/188/Transgender-student-says-she-was-suspended-for-using-ladies-restroom-">KUSA-TV

http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2011/11/transgender-students-in-colorado-warned-not-to-use-restrooms/">Click Here To Read More

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[HillWilliam]

2. K&R

Cripesakes, what is it with selfservatives, er, "conservatives" and bathrooms? Like Miss Malikowski said, when you've gotta pee, you've gotta pee. This American fake-puritanism should have been relegated to the 16th Century. Ft Collins needs to get a grip and leave these kids alone.

/rant

[NMMNG]

3. How is that even legal?

:shrug:

[Jim Lane]

4. I'm sure the administrators will harumph that letting them use the bathroom would be "disruptive"

I'm also sure that making such a big ruckus about it is far more disruptive than a simple, common-sense accommodation would be.

In the administrators' defense, this may contribute to the school's educational mission. It's an occasion for the other students to learn about transgender issues. I'm pretty sure that, when I was in high school, I was completely clueless on the subject, so it's a worthwhile lesson.

The students will also learn that adults in positions of power can be real dimwits, but they probably already knew that.