September 2014
Our ALERT about the new Minnesota State High School League transgender policy, and how it is putting students in danger, has made a huge impact! And our full page, color ad in the Sunday Star Tribune Sports section took the state by storm. Monday was filled with media interviews. The word is out, and thank you to all who are so generously contributing financially toward this effort! And thank you to those who are contacting the MSHSL. They are hearing from you!
The reaction has been swift. False narratives are being circulated to cause confusion.
The MSHSL and others are telling callers that the controversy of transgenders sharing showers, bathrooms, locker rooms and hotel rooms with members of the opposite biological gender is not their decision. In fact, they don’t intend to discuss it. They are leaving that decision up to the local school boards!
Do not be fooled by this misleading information!
If the MSHSL adopts a policy that allows transgender students to compete on the team of the opposite gender, nothing a local school board can do will resolve the privacy issues it creates. The MSHSL will have created an impossible and unmanageable situation that no school can successfully navigate.
The MSHSL is completely responsible for the consequences of its transgender policy. They have no right to then throw all the inevitable physical privacy issues onto the backs of the local schools, and force them to bear the brunt of public outrage. Which school districts have the available financial resources to provide individual showers, changing rooms, and hotel rooms for every athlete?
The first draft of this policy stated: “Transgender students should not be required to use separate facilities.” Do you think they’ve changed their minds? No, the language has just become more vague.
The new draft states: “Ensure reasonable and appropriate restroom and locker room accessibility for students.” “Accessibility” is not privacy from the presence of someone of the opposite gender.
Under this policy, transgender athletes can appeal to four separate levels if schools deny their requests to be on the team of their preferred gender. The final judgment rests with a single individual appointed by the Executive Director of the MSHSL Board of Directors. Approving a transgender student onto the team of the preferred gender is essentially out of the hands of local school administrators. And there is no appeal process for any other students or parents to object.
The policy requires that the privacy rights of transgender athletes must be completely respected. It does not require that other students be notified in advance so that they can protect their own privacy.
All of these controversies will be created by the decision of the MSHSL, not of the local school. Don’t let them off the hook!
OutFront MN is also disseminating false statements:
Statement: The opposition [that’s us] is maligning transgender youth and insisting they should not be able to participate in high-school related activities in their appropriate gender.
Fact: There is no maligning of transgender youth. CPLAction is concerned about policy that is unsafe for children–transgender and all other students alike.
Statement: The conduct of the opposition is harmful and shows us how much work there still needs to be done to make Minnesota a place where all people can simply be who they are with out fear of harassment, discrimination or violence.
Fact: The draft policy of the MSHSL is dangerous for all students. It assumes the premise that gender is a matter of choice, not biology. That premise is wrong and absurd. Parents have every right, every obligation, to speak up without being vilified. They have the responsibility to oppose this radical new dogma being imposed upon them and their children.
According to yesterday’s report by Minnesota Public Radio, “The Minnesota State High School League is expected to approve the proposal at a workshop on Wednesday, and enact it at its board of directors’ meeting on Thursday.” That is THIS WEEK!
Please take the time to call and email the appropriate members of the MSHSL while you still have that option. Next week will be too late! If you can attend the meeting, please show up. If you can submit testimony, please do. (See below for instructions.)
Here are links to both drafts of the proposed policy: First Draft Current Draft
Consider also contacting your school board members to alert them to this new policy. They should be encouraged to contact the MSHSL themselves.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
- Write an email to the MSHSL. Your e-mail need not be exhaustive or eloquent, anything you write to oppose this policy will be better than nothing (avoid just pasting the above into your e-mail…use your own language to be most effective.
- Send your email to:
* MSHSL Board President, Scott McCready: smccready@schs.k12.mn.usAND* Find your MSHSL Rep. by looking up all the Board Members HERE, or look for your school’s Administrative Region HERE starting on page 13 ( you can always e-mail the MSHSL Board Members in charge of certain boys and girls sports.* If you want to easily comment to the entire MSHSL Board, highlight all the e-mail addresses listed at the end of this email, copy (Ctrl C) and paste (Ctrl V) into your e-mail address line.* NOTE: There are concerns that feedback opposing this policy has not been distributed to the full Board, so try to copy several Board Members, listed again, HERE, or just send to the entire Board (e-mails below). - Attend the MSHSL “workshop” on October 1st at 3pm, at 2100 Freeway Blvd, Brooklyn Center, intended to give the public 3 minutes each to oppose or support the policy. We need your support. Opponents may show up in large numbers.
Board Workshop
Wednesday, October 1
MSHSL Office – Board Room
Starting at 3:00pm
2100 Freeway Boulevard
Brooklyn Center
The Workshop is for discussion/
No formal action will be taken.
Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, October 2
MSHSL Office – Board Room
Starting at 9:30am
Help us fund this effort! We are using every avenue possible to sound the alarm, but every outreach requires financial support.
Thank you for your attention to this matter!
MSHSL Board E-mails:
smccready@schs.k12.mn.us
bgrey@montevideoschools.org
ekeenan@cathedralcrusaders.org
cstoskopf@esko.K12.mn.us
tom.graupmann@nfld.k12.mn.us
turdahl@stanthony.k12.mn.us
dan.johnson@hopkinsschools.org
mikeolson@lfalls.k12.mn.us
shelly_hotzler@jccschools.com
mark_solberg@cambridge.k12.mn.us
chris.mcdonald@district196.org
wjohnson@wao.k12.mn.us
erich.martens@isd47.org
lane.powell@isd2198.k12.mn.us
dpauly@isd717.org
Betsy.Anderson@hopkinsschools.org
lolsen1@msn.com
steve@genesiswireless.com
beals8@charter.net