Transgender substitute teacher hired; no audience comment

[davidinalameda]

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060929/NEWS/609290411/1070/NEWS02

Lily McBeth was one of several substitute teachers the Pinelands Regional Board of Education voted to hire Thursday night. None of the handful of local residents who attended the meeting spoke on the hiring of the 72-year-old transgender Little Egg Harbor woman.

It was a marked contrast to the scene at an Eagleswood Board of Education meeting last winter, where dozens of residents, both supporters and opponents of McBeth working in the district, turned out to speak after she was hired as a substitute there. The Eagleswood board did not back down from its decision to rehire McBeth, who had substituted at the elementary district before having a sex-change operation more than a year ago.

"I think this is a sign of progress, that the community indeed accepts and embraces Lily McBeth's right to teach in the classroom," said Steven Goldstein, chairman of gay- and transgender-rights group Garden State Equality, referring to the apparent lack of opposition among Pinelands parents.

Garden State Equality members came to the Eagleswood meeting to support McBeth. On Thursday, Goldstein went on to call the opposition there, where some had argued McBeth substituting would expose children to a complicated issue before they were ready, "among the most heinous bigotry ever directed at a citizen of New Jersey."

[triakis36]

1. Sweet Silence

Just as it should be.

[tonekat]

2. Yes, simply regarded as another teacher

...to be judged on merit, and not on gender orientation. Slowly, society is comprehending trans people.

[HockeyMom]

3. I work at a Non Profit Mental Health Agency

that was founded by a former Catholic Nun. Last week I had to get CPR re certified. At the session was a transgender House Manager who has worked for the agency for the past 5 years. As the agency policy states, they do not discriminate. It also applies to their benefit policies which also cover domestic partners of all orientations.

Looking around at all the staff I work with, I can definitely say they most certainly do not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, age, or sexual orientation.

It's nice that there are still places around these days where you can be judged solely on your job performance and nothing else.