We, the community of Keller ISD, are URGING the board to reconsider and reverse the new policies regarding its queer students.

Recently, the Keller ISD school board unveiled a draft of new policies being implemented in the school district, multiple directly affecting our lgbtq+ students. If you haven't heard about these policies, it's likely because they have been overshadowed by the new, very extreme, phone ban.

One of the most harmful policies being implemented is the requirement of teachers to contact parents if a student requests to use a name that is not "the name that appears in the student’s birth certificate (as originally issued), or (ii) if the student prefers, using any nickname commonly associated with the name that appears in the student’s birth certificate." I do not doubt that this rule will be given exceptions, whether that be to a child whose name is difficult to pronounce or a child who has gone by a middle name since they were young. When everyone will be given exceptions except our trans youth, which WILL happen, it's impossible to deny that this treatment is discrimination. We are isolating kids and creating hostile classroom environments. 

According to the AAP, 39% of trans teens endure physical abuse. When a trans child is outed to their parents by a KISD staff member, there is a big chance they are going home to an unsafe environment. The KISD board claims these new policies are in place to protect children and encourage parental rights, but they lack sympathy and protection for kids who may endure abuse. These kids are likely not protected at school either. In the current school Code of Conduct, harassment is listed under "General Types of Prohibited Conduct, stating: "Engaging in harassment toward another student or a District employee, official, or volunteer, including harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sex, gender, or age." What sticks out to me is that harassment based on sexuality is not included in the Code of Conduct. Although I would hope the children affected by this kind of bullying would get the help from administration that they need, it is obvious that Keller ISD would rather pretend that queer students do not exist.

According to this policy, it's clear that the teachers themselves will have to contact parents personally with name requests. This will take even more time out of teachers' already very crammed schedules. With the removal of phones from our district, I predict this time will already be more limited due to students no longer being able to submit assignments incompatible with laptops to Canvas, such as images of art projects.  

The next harmful rule states this: "For any school program, event, or activity (including extracurricular activities) that are separated by gender, the appropriate participation of students shall be determined by biological sex." Assuming this affects all programs, Skylar Melon, the ONLY National Merit Finalist from Timber Creek last year, will be the first and LAST trans woman to participate in KCAL's GEARS (Girls Engineering and Robotics Society). These policies affect KISD's brightest students, who you would think they would have more regard for. This isn't just affecting sports, however, if it was, it's not protecting girls like they say it is. A trans student in sports is not at any more advantage than a girl at a biological advantage due to her height. Every person in sports has their advantages and disadvantages, not just transgender folk.

Additionally, students may now have to gain parental permission to join clubs. This will affect many GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) members. Many kids will no longer have a home/community at school.  

These new policies may be life threatening to some students. Please, speak up at board meetings, email your board members, sign petitions, read up on trans youth, and most importantly, VOTE!! These new rules keep coming at us one after another. Help protect our lgbtq+ youth.

To the trustees: Trans kids exist. Trans kids will be harmed without your protection. We urge you to set aside your political beliefs and reverse these decisions.

One article has been posted: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/education/article290439614.html

HATE IS NOT A KISD VALUE!!!