This commentary is by Rachel A. Bogart, a resident of Bethel, a second-year law student at Vermont Law and Graduate School, and a member of the executive board of the school’s Alliance (LGBTQIA+) organization. Her colleagues Miche Altman, Hope Mclellan, Nicholas Pellegrini, Patrick Slater and Alexis Whelan, along with Vermont Law and Graduate School, collaborated on the commentary.
We are the Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Alliance Club, writing this in hopes of reaching trans youth affected by the recent allegations of transphobia at Randolph Union High School and showing solidarity and support.
You are valid. You are loved. You have a community that is there for you and proud of you for living your most authentic life. Keep on being you. You are magic.
We hate to see the animosity that such an interaction has drawn. We vigorously oppose the threats of violence associated with transphobia, and remind you of your legal right to exist and use bathrooms and locker rooms at school.
State statute dictates, “No Vermont student should feel threatened or be discriminated against while enrolled in a Vermont school.”
You have the right to attend school in a gender-reaffirming setting. The Vermont Agency of Education’s “Continuing Best Practices for Schools Regarding Transgender and Gender Noncomforming Students” says that schools should be proactive in creating a culture respecting and valuing all students — one that “fosters understanding of gender identity within the school community” and feels safe for everyone.
It also says, “A transgender student should not be required to use a locker room or restroom that conflicts with the student’s gender identity.”
You are legally protected to exist and go about your daily activities in a peaceful and respected manner. Please feel free to reach out to VLSAlliance@vermontlaw.edu as a source of support and good tidings. Stay strong and remember the massive local support you have behind you.
