We are currently in the process of putting together our voter guide for the following election, Chairman, Prince William County School Board, At Large. This election is scheduled for November 6, 2018 (see 2018 ELECTIONS).

We currently expect to have seven questions. Here is the seventh.

Do you support or oppose allowing students to use school restrooms, locker rooms, showers of the gender with which they identify, even when inconsistent with their biological sex?

Why this question? The policy changed on June 21, 2017. Here is how carried the story, Prince William school board approves new protections for LGBTQ students, staff.

The board voted 5-3 on June 21 to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, following a second lengthy meeting on the subject after the board previously voted to delay consideration of the policy change last September. Acting member Shawn Brann of the Brentsville District, Willie Deutsch of the Coles District and Alyson Satterwhite of the Gainesville District cast the dissenting votes. (continued here)

Here is the current policy, 060 Nondiscrimination and Commitment to Equity (after the change). Opponents have expressed the concern that the policy revision opens a bag of worms. People fear that adding “gender identity” to the non-discrimination clause will allow transgender students and staff to choose the bathroom, locker room, showers and athletic team participation of their preferred choice, regardless of biological anatomy.

Considering the flap over the #METOO movement and now the hullabaloo over the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh, there is a certain weirdness about this new policy. If we can arbitrarily choose our gender identity, how do we keep men out of the women’s restroom. Yet advocates for the policy revision didn’t seem to see a problem with a male self identifying as a female entering the lady’s room. Fortunately, under considerable pressure, the Chairman of the School Board, then Ryan Sawyers, accepted a compromise.

That compromise occurred at an earlier board meeting. Here are couple of articles on that.

• Sawyers’ motion: ‘Superintendent…is to not change the current regulations and practices regarding bathroom and locker room use’ (potomaclocal.com)
• Sawyers Eliminates Trans Bathroom Issue from LBGT Non-Discrimation Amendment (bristowbeat.com)

Will the compromise stand? That remains to be seen.