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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: US TRANSGENDER STUDENTS
HEADLINE: California moving to block schools from telling parents about transgender students
TEASER: Mothers on both sides of the argument
PUBLISHED AT: 09/20/2024 at 8am
BYLINE: Genia Dulot
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: San Diego and Chino, California
VIDEOGRAPHER: Genia Dulot
PRODUCER: Genia Dulot
SCRIPT EDITORS: Stearns, Mia Bush
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT: 3:05
VID APPROVED BY: Baragona
TYPE: TVR
EDITOR NOTES:
((INTRO))
[[In California, a new law will block public schools from notifying parents if their children decide to change their gender. That has led some school districts to challenge the state’s authority over issues of gender identity. Genia Dulot has our story from Southern California.]]
((NARRATOR))
Sixteen-year-old California high school student Blu told his parents he was a transgender boy two years ago. Blu, who asked that we not use his last name over concerns for his safety, says that conversation was something he needed to do in his own time.
((Blu, Transgender Teenager))
“It took a very long time. It was like over weeks that I came out to my mother, and if I had that opportunity taken from me, and there were teachers that involved themselves in my conversations or in my identity and brought that home to my family without my knowledge, I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to slowly warm up to the conversation, and it would’ve been stressful, and it could have been very scary.”
((NARRATOR))
The Chino Valley Unified School Board thinks differently and last year required its schools to notify parents within 72 hours if their child asks to be identified by a different gender. Sonja Shaw is the Chino school board president.
((Sonja Shaw, Chino Valley Unified School Board President))
“It would never be, you know, Susie just being called another name by her peers. It would have to be initiated by an action, and the action was: ‘Hey, school, I want you to now officially call me this name and change my gender. I want to officially start going into the opposite sex’s restroom. I want to officially play on a opposite sex’s team. That would initiate the notification to the parents.’”
((NARRATOR))
The state of California sued the Chino school district over that policy and this year passed a law prohibiting such notifications. The Chino school district is countersuing the state, arguing that the new law infringes parents’ constitutional rights. Nichole Babel says the state should stay out of parenting.
((Nichole Babel, California Parent))
“There is nobody or nothing or anybody going to get in the way between me and my children. Period. And I don’t have to do it. I pulled one of them out. He’s being homeschooled. I have a senior right now. She’s going to finish this year, and I am done with the public school system.”
((NARRATOR))
California parent Kathie Moehlig says those kinds of parental notifications are a “forced outing” for students who may not be ready to discuss the issue with their parents. Moehlig is the parent of a transgender child and founder of the nonprofit group TransFamily Support Services.
((Kathie Moehlig, TransFamily Support Services Founder))
“We want families to know. This isn’t about keeping secrets. This is about a student and their parents having the organic conversation when the student is ready to have that conversation and in the way that student is ready to have that conversation rather than it being forced upon them.”
((NARRATOR))
The law blocking schools from notifying parents about students’ gender decisions takes effect in January.
((Genia Dulot, VOA News, San Diego and Chino, California))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing AvailableNo
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateSeptember 20, 2024 08:03 EDT
BylineGenia Dulot
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
