YWCA Columbus Statement on State School Board of Education and the introduced Resolution to Support Parents, Schools, and Districts in Rejecting Harmful, Coercive, and Burdensome Gender Identity Policies:

YWCA Columbus supports our partners in education policy, Equality Ohio and Honesty for Ohio Education, and echoes their calls for the State School Board of Education to firmly oppose this harmful resolution. This resolution, which urges school districts to reject federal Title IX guidelines to investigate claims of discrimination against students based on gender-identity, is one of many introduced policies in the state which promote harmful and untruthful narratives about gender-identity. LGBTQ+ youth have among the highest suicidality rates, and those who identify as transgender often face social isolation, bullying, and general harm from their environments. Instead of facilitating a way to help them thrive, this resolution proposes that schools forsake their safety – even going so far as to risk the loss of federal dollars to support programs such as free and reduced lunch.

YWCA Columbus continues to support LGBTQ+ youth, knowing that when they thrive, Ohio thrives.

 

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