A school district in Vermont claimed that if schools begin honoring a day that celebrates those who detransitioned after changing their gender (well, attempting to), calling it “Detransition Awareness Day” would be hurtful and offensive to “transgender” students.
Townhall obtained documents from Parents Defending Education who’d initially requested the “Detransition Awareness Day.” Supposedly, a parent emailed the school board on February 6, 2023 asking to add a “Detransition Awareness Day” to the school calendar. The parent proposed March 12 for the celebration.
Townhall reported that the parent also asked that the book “Irreversible Damage,” a story by Abigail Shrier that details how harmful transgender procedures are, be available to students “on an easel atop the shelves in the HS library” in the Essex Westford School District in Vermont.
“Within the framework of equity and inclusion, those who choose to reverse course on the current prevalent narrative should be celebrated. It is a lonely path since it travels uphill against the downhill slippery slope, but students in this marginalized group deserve our support,” the parent wrote in the email.
While school districts regularly celebrate pride, it seems only fair that a day to honor those who don’t celebrate changing their gender be instituted as well, yet, the Vermont district didn’t agree.
Here’s what the school district replied according to Townhall:
People who transition genders in any direction are recognized on national coming out day and during Pride month. We would, of course, support someone transitioning in any direction. Centering transitioning gender as damaging does not align with the EWSD Equity Policy's requirement of being LGBTQIA+ affirming. This particular frame on gender transition -- moving from a trans status to a status of gender assigned at birth because of damage done -- is not something we would center. Instead, we would support any person transitioning for any reason through the current days and structures we recognize and be supportive of their transition by recognizing the gender to which they identify. Detransition can be hurtful to transgender people and youth. We want to meet their mental needs.
The school district is essentially saying, 'We’ll celebrate you if you want to live a delusion but if you accept reality, you’re on your own.'
In the email, the school district indicated that the book, “Irreversible Damage,” “actually goes against our equity policy and can cause harm.”
Following that email, the parent reached back out insisting that their intention is not to “celebrate cisgender identities,” but rather bring awareness to “transition regret.”
A few days after that email, the school district replied that it “would not add a day to the calendar where the underlying narrative or content of the day points at others in harmful ways based on identity or for existing in the first place,” and later added, “If the narrative around detransition day were a genuine celebration or recognition of folks who are detransitioning without pointing toward others as harmful for creating representation and equal rights for trans folks, I would see this differently.”
So schools can point out how amazing they think transitioning is, but not how harmful it can be? Seems like a cherry picked assortment of data and information access in order to push an agenda if you ask me.
Erika Sanzi, the director of outreach for Parents Defending Education felt similarly and told Townhall the following:
Schools should get out of the habit of celebrating all these silly days on the calendar but if they are going to do so, they can't choose sides. And if school officials think that detransition awareness violates their equity policy, they'd be wise to get rid of that policy because it's clearly not equitable or inclusive despite claims to the contrary.
That’s exactly right! Schools shouldn't pick sides or they should allow both or multiple to be supported and be given the opportunity to have equal access and representation.
It’s crazy that parents even have to advocate for a day that brings light to the dangers of transgenderism. Transgenderism isn’t something that should exist, so a day celebrating detransitioning shouldn’t have to exist either. But it’s the end of 2023, and here we are.
Long story short, get your kids out of public school.
