SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang regarding recent actions by the Chino Valley Unified School District Board that discriminate against LGBTQ+ students, families, and staff:
“LGBTQ+ students deserve to feel safe and protected in their schools. However, the recent actions of the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education are anything but supportive or affirming. The majority-conservative board voted 4-1 Thursday evening to ban the display of Pride flags in classrooms, sending a chilling message to LGBTQ+ students, families, and staff that they are unwelcome. Public comment on Thursday’s vote was also staggeringly one-sided, with parents and educators who attended the meeting to speak out against anti-LGBTQ+ policies largely silenced. It is our hope that the Chino Valley Board of Education — and all governmental bodies — allow comments from community members and advocates representing all sides of an issue, and that they follow the letter of the law established by the Ralph M. Brown Act. In addition to the shameful vote to ban Pride Flags, the board is also considering adopting a policy that would forcibly out transgender students to their parents. While in an ideal world, all trans students would have supportive homes, we sadly know this is not the case. This policy would compromise the safety of these already vulnerable students. It also flies in the face of guidance from the California Department of Education to not reveal a student’s gender identity to their parents without that student’s express permission. It is not lost on us that this policy initiative is spearheaded in part by Asm. Bill Essayli, who attempted to advance a bill this legislative session, AB 1314, that would have made forcibly outing transgender students a state law. Through the efforts of Equality California and our partners, we were able to quash this bill before any action was taken. Equality California will continue to advocate for the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ students through outreach and education efforts, as well as working to pass legislation like AB 5, the Safe and Supportive Schools Act by Asm. Rick Chavez Zbur, which would implement LGBTQ+ cultural competency training for all educators to better support and affirm their LGBTQ+ students.”
“LGBTQ+ students deserve to feel safe and protected in their schools. However, the recent actions of the Chino Valley Unified School District Board of Education are anything but supportive or affirming. The majority-conservative board voted 4-1 Thursday evening to ban the display of Pride flags in classrooms, sending a chilling message to LGBTQ+ students, families, and staff that they are unwelcome.
Public comment on Thursday’s vote was also staggeringly one-sided, with parents and educators who attended the meeting to speak out against anti-LGBTQ+ policies largely silenced. It is our hope that the Chino Valley Board of Education — and all governmental bodies — allow comments from community members and advocates representing all sides of an issue, and that they follow the letter of the law established by the Ralph M. Brown Act.
In addition to the shameful vote to ban Pride Flags, the board is also considering adopting a policy that would forcibly out transgender students to their parents. While in an ideal world, all trans students would have supportive homes, we sadly know this is not the case. This policy would compromise the safety of these already vulnerable students. It also flies in the face of guidance from the California Department of Education to not reveal a student’s gender identity to their parents without that student’s express permission.
It is not lost on us that this policy initiative is spearheaded in part by Asm. Bill Essayli, who attempted to advance a bill this legislative session, AB 1314, that would have made forcibly outing transgender students a state law. Through the efforts of Equality California and our partners, we were able to quash this bill before any action was taken.
Equality California will continue to advocate for the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ students through outreach and education efforts, as well as working to pass legislation like AB 5, the Safe and Supportive Schools Act by Asm. Rick Chavez Zbur, which would implement LGBTQ+ cultural competency training for all educators to better support and affirm their LGBTQ+ students.”
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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ civil rights organization. We bring the voices of LGBTQ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ people. We advance civil rights and social justice by inspiring, advocating and mobilizing through an inclusive movement that works tirelessly on behalf of those we serve. www.eqca.org
