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Title: Hillsboro High students walk out over transgender dispute
Source:
St Louis Post Dispatch
URL Source: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/ ... 39-5944-9733-32f569dcdc32.html
Published: Sep 2, 2015
Author: Doug Moore
Post Date: 2015-09-02 08:46:54 by cranky
Keywords: None
Views: 13968
Comments: 156
Lila Perry, a senior and transgender student at Hillsboro High School, speaks with reporters as Blayke Childs of Farmington offers his opinion after a student walkout on Monday, Aug. 31, 2015, over Perry's request to use the girls locker rooms. Both supporters and opponents of Perry's request turned out for the morning protest. "I have sisters and brothers that go to school," said Childs, 21. "I don't want this to grow like wildfire." In the middle of last school year, Lila Perry came out as transgender. Before that, she had been living as a gay male. But that’s not who she really was. No longer was she going to pretend, Lila said. So this year, she told teachers and administrators at Hillsboro High School, where she is a senior, that she would no longer be content to use a unisex faculty bathroom. She wanted to be treated like other female students, including access to bathrooms and locker rooms for girls. Her decision spread quickly through the small Jefferson County school district and, on Monday morning, students at Hillsboro High School walked out in protest. During the walkout, Lila was locked in the principal’s office. She said she and administrators worried about her safety. The student walkout came on the heels of a School Board meeting Thursday that drew a large crowd — parents concerned that Lila is getting special rights at the expense of other students. Most of the students at Monday’s protest were opposed to accommodations for her. A smaller group gathered in support. “The girls have rights, and they shouldn’t have to share a bathroom with a boy,” said Tammy Sorden, who has a son at Hillsboro High. It is fine to be different, she said, but it is not right to give Lila special treatment “while the girls just have to suck it up.” Students and parents interviewed after the walkout were overwhelmingly in support of keeping Lila, 17, out of the school facilities for girls. But the school’s gay-straight alliance and other supporters held a counterprotest to show that not everyone is in agreement. Some students on both sides left after school administrators broke up the protest. Supporters of Lila said they did not feel comfortable going back into the school. Opponents said leaving school was a continuation of showing their position. Lila said she has dropped out of her physical education class because there is little supervision and that makes her uncomfortable. And she rarely uses the bathroom now while at school. Still, Lila said, she should be able to use the facilities girls use. “I wasn’t hurting anyone. I didn’t want to be in something gender-neutral,” she said, referring to the faculty bathroom administrators encouraged her to use. “I am a girl. I am not going to be pushed away to another bathroom.” LEGAL ISSUES High school administrators referred a reporter to Superintendent Aaron D. Cornman. He would not comment about the issue, which has become the talk of the community since classes began in mid-August. He said he had to protect the privacy of students. He did, however, hand a reporter a written statement. It said, in part, that the district “respects the rights of all students and appreciates the fact that the students we are educating are willing to stand on their belief system and to support their cause/beliefs through their expression of free speech.” Students were allowed to protest through second- and third-hour classes and then were asked to return to class. Cornman’s statement also says that the district accepts all students “no matter race, nationality/ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. We will promote tolerance and acceptance of all students that attend our district while not tolerating bullying/harassing behaviors of any type in any form.” Lila said the school administration has been very supportive and is working to make her feel welcome. They have allowed her to use the facilities used by girls and women. Districts that refuse to allow students to use a bathroom for the gender with which they identify could run afoul of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, said Kelli Hopkins of the Missouri School Boards’ Association. “The Office of Civil Rights has issued an opinion that says, if you do this, you have engaged in gender discrimination,” Hopkins said. “At the same time, there is no case law or statute in Missouri that says this is against the law.” Schools found to have violated a student’s civil rights are at risk of losing some of their federal funding, Hopkins said. ‘OUT IN PUBLIC’ Several people interviewed outside Hillsboro High on Monday argued that a student who still has male genitalia should not be allowed into a changing room with teenage girls. “I’m not comfortable with it,” said Britney Heimos, a 2008 Hillsboro graduate who was at the school to pick up her brother. “There is nothing wrong with being different. But when you are different, there are sacrifices.” Shortly after the protest, Jeff Childs, 47, and his son, Blayke, 21, both of Farmington, drove onto the high school parking lot with “Girls Rights Matter” painted on the sides and tailgate of the Ford pickup. When they were told by police to leave, they went to a Dollar General store, bought poster boards and markers and made signs that they held at the busy entrance to the high school. “This needs to stop before it goes too far,” said Childs, who has a niece and a nephew who go to an elementary school in Hillsboro. “I’m not trying to be ignorant, but (the transgender student) is bringing it out in public for everybody else to deal with.” Skyla Thompson, 16, refers to Lila as her best friend. She said Lila often stays at Skyla’s house overnight while Lila’s family tries to come to grips with their child identifying as transgender. “She is such a good person. They are just judging her on the outside,” Skyla said of those who have been critical of Lila. Lila wears a long brown wig, with bobby pins keeping the hair from her eyes. On Monday, her outfit included a short blue skirt and wedges. “She is choosing her life to better herself, to better accept herself,” said friend Gianna Warfel, 16. “I don’t know what there is to discriminate about that. I really support the bravery she has.” Hopkins, of the Missouri School Boards’ Association, said she is having to explain to school boards with more frequency how the federal government views treatment of transgender students. “I got no calls on this five years ago,” she said. “I’ve gotten at least half a dozen recently.” 
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#117. To: redleghunter (#61)
How I hated that show, wasn't he a homo in real life??? On some days. I have good days and bad days,just like everyone else. Why is democracy held in such high esteem when it’s the enemy of the minority and makes all rights relative to the dictates of the majority? (Ron Paul,2012)
Didn't this show come on about the time homos sued/took over the APA???
Maybe some people did but I sure as hell didn't!!! He was in the French Navy??? Oy Vey... Thanks. Let's see call the cops and wait for an hour while they finish jerking off at the local donut shop??? Naahhh... Ask the perp very nicely if he would consider leaving if I paid him $20??? Naahhh... Oh wait I know throw the bat at his feet, pull out Uncle Siggy point it at him and tell him if he doesn't beat the schitt out of himself with the bat I'll use Uncle Siggy... When he passes out from beating the schitt out of himself then deposit the bat were the sun doesn't shine, that way he'll wake up semi happy in jail... That's about as Christian as I get... :) I forgot about the nuns... HEH! That was my first impression -- especially with the bad wig. You guys forgot about the lemons he has stuffed in his trainer... Yeah forget when that happened.
"The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”"---Isaiah 40:8
Homo on the show and one in the movie "Slingblade." Don't know about IRL. If then I guess it was not acting. "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”"---Isaiah 40:8
He is our gracious owner and host of this chit-chat site. He's got mental problems, but we put up with him as best we can. You might think he's a Taliban or ISIS or Al Qeda extremist, but he's only a Christian fundie.
I thought that was a great movie.
Which is one of the reasons Jesus was a poor role model for responsible manhood. There are people in this world who need killing as a sane corrective measure.
You can't be serious, Robert, can you?
The best bet is to stay away from parks that GOP candidates frequent... There are people in this world who need killing as a sane corrective measure. You can't be serious, Robert, can you? I've never been more serious about anything in my life. The reason this country has fallen into compliance with defiant insult, lack of integrity, and degeneracy is for lack of it.
Yes Billy Bob Thornton did quite well in that movie. Tough character and he was convincing.
"The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”"---Isaiah 40:8
I didn't realize that one of the other actors was a real life musician/entertainer. I do remember his line: "Shut up you goddamn retard!" I use it on my retarded friend all the time.
Christ has the keys to Heaven and Hell. When you meet Him, you won't think He is a wimp.
Is that your own interpretation of scripture? Where did I say I was intrepreting scripture? Are you stupid or something?
You might be. Pebbles, you should be more magnanimous in your comments.
You may find that neither of us may ever meet him. On the other hand, you may get an unwelcome surprise if you do meet him and he holds you responsible for the mess you have created on Earth in his name.
You know now that I get to thinking about it I think it is someone else I'm remembering, I suck with names so it will probably come to me later today/this week... Lol. I'm not worried about that. The blame for this "mess" has been assigned.
Who assigned it. you? Based upon your hysterical conception of mythology as a desperate substitute for rigorous and disciplined thought?
You keep on with this assertion without providing any evidence other than "Christians caused the counter culture." I took on that assertion on another thread and you did not respond. So let's have it. How did Christians destroy our society? "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”"---Isaiah 40:8
You claim other's worldviews are absent rigorous and disciplined thought, yet you use "hysterical" and "conception of mythology" in your statement. Your assertion is absent rigorous and disciplined thought. "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”"---Isaiah 40:8
Do I look like God to you? See Redleghunter's post above this one.
Psalm 37
By failing to give a rational refutation to the counterculture.
So Christianity was around for roughly 2,000 years and the counter culture types hadn't figured out what it was all about? Did it occur to you that the counter culture preached a different "gospel"? A gospel consisting of self sexual and material gratification, disrespect for elders, rejection of Christian morality, and drug induced mind altering states? So basically the counter culture was an antichrist "gospel" diametrically opposed to the Christian gospel. So what's the answer? Should have Christians figured out a way to modify Christianity in order to add some drugs, sex and rock and roll? The fact is the counter culture was a rejection of Christian morals and beliefs. People wanted to shed morality for instant gratification. The Christian answer to that is "don't do that." Now...If it is your contention that Christians as a majority cloistered themselves in homes and churches and did not refute publicly (apologetics) the propaganda of the counter culture, then you will be surprised (really shouldn't be) that I agree with you. If you really want to read some great works on a Christian who did square off with the counter culture I recommend some of the works of Francis Schaeffer. He is the "father" of modern Christian apologetics and philosophy. He also put his works to film and most are on YouTube now. He dedicated his ministry to engaging both leaders and youth in the counter culture movement. If you are interested let me know. Probably the best tome he wrote on the subject at hand is "How should we then live." Schaffer takes us back to the beginning of Christianity and how Christians interacted with the various Western forms of government, society and secular philosophical movements. It's a fascinating walk through Western history from the time of the Apostles up to the mid 1980s. He passed away around that time. Before he died he detailed what would come after the counter culture. So far he was on the money with regards to our current post modern era. "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”"---Isaiah 40:8
Do I look like God to you? Not really. I've never seen God to make a comparison of resemblance. Neither have you. Your God is what is known as a hypothetical construct. To be considered valid a hypothetical construct must be anchored in both antecedent and consequent conditions not just in someone's infantile fantasy.
This construct is anchored in many millions of people, both past and present. If you want to talk infantile, imagine millions of people believing the Universe just came into being without an original source.
Psalm 37
What people believe is of no interest to me. Nor should it be to you. In the immortal words of Dr. Isaac Asimov, "People are Stupid." They believe what the want to believe and frequently what brings them comfort is supporting their prejudices and desires. The fact that they do so does not qualify their belief as a valid constructural anticedent to a well developed mind. Reality is not determined by popular vote or the content of soothing TV commercials. Whiy is it that a group of nincompoops can arbitrarily assign eternal existence if one element that the have never seen, but want to believe in, while assigning a necessary cause to the unlimited vastness of a universe they can see?
Christians believe in God because of what He has told us about Himself and supported by what they see in the Universe. We are smart enough to know what He has exhibited about Himself in what we see around us. Athiests can see the same things yet they believe that it isn't necessary for things like the existing world and the rest of the Universe to have a cause or an originating source.
Psalm 37
Oh, you hear voices? I don't hear anything.
Such as constant wars, disease, and natural disasters?
Remember the story about the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were cast out because they committed sin against God. The entire Universe fell from a state of Grace. That is, sin entered the Universe which was corrupted but sin. Things went from being perfect to a state of corruption. That falls on the backs of Adam and Eve. Man's nature is now corrupted. As is all of creation.
Psalm 37
That's funny. Way to go. He told us in the Holy Bible. You knew that, right?
Psalm 37
I remember the myth well. Where did Adam and Eve go to school in order to keep a record of all their activities?
So somebody else who heard voices in their head wrote down what the voices told them.
Threes Company
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#118. To: redleghunter (#111)
Pete are you a good person?
#119. To: redleghunter, Liberator (#61)
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#120. To: Liberator (#103)
WE The People didn't elect judges to enact "Gay Marriage -- we elected LEGISLATORS and CONGRESS to do so.
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#121. To: redleghunter (#71)
Maybe Vic can tell us a bit more about those shipboard musicals when he gets a chance:)
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#122. To: Liberator, Deckard, redleghunter, A K A Stone, sneakypete, Fred Mertz, hondo68 (#79)
You've walked away from your 10 year old boy to find a water fountain at a park...and lost track of Junior ITMT. You espy some big man aggressively cornering your 10 year old boy behind a not-so distant tree while hearing muffled screams. Since you've just been playing baseball, you've got a Louisville Slugger. Please advise us as to your immediate course of action.
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#123. To: sneakypete (#116)
I suspect some are. My best guess is it is mostly the nuns since they are the only ones that don't profit from it.
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#124. To: Liberator, redleghunter, A K A Stone (#74)
especially with the bad wig. Yeah, the reeeealy bad wig and sloppy lipstick. Remember that scene from Stalag 17?
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#125. To: CZ82 (#119)
#126. To: CZ82 (#117)
I hated that show, wasn't he a homo in real life???
#127. To: Stoner (#85)
Just curious Fred, but who is " Pebbles "?
#128. To: redleghunter (#126)
Homo on the show and one in the movie "Slingblade."
#129. To: Liberator (#83)
Jesus wouldn't kill anyone...
#130. To: rlk (#129)
There are people in this world who need killing as a sane corrective measure.
#131. To: CZ82, Liberator, Deckard, redleghunter, A K A Stone, sneakypete, Fred Mertz (#122)
Please advise us as to your immediate course of action.
2008............................................... 2016 
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
#132. To: Fred Mertz (#130)
#133. To: Fred Mertz (#128)
#134. To: redleghunter (#133)
#135. To: rlk (#129)
#136. To: Deckard (#13)
I don't recall Jesus ever preaching that we should "cut the dicks off faggots"
#137. To: A K A Stone (#136)
Where did I say I was interpreting scripture? Are you stupid or something?
#138. To: Don (#135)
(Edited)
Christ has the keys to Heaven and Hell. When you meet Him, you won't think He is a wimp.
#139. To: redleghunter (#126)
Don't know about IRL. If then I guess it was not acting.
“Let me see which pig "DON'T" I want to vote for, the one with or without lipstick??" Hmmmmm...
#140. To: rlk (#138)
#141. To: Don (#140)
I'm not worried about that. The blame for this "mess" has been assigned.
#142. To: rlk, Don (#138)
On the other hand, you may get an unwelcome surprise if you do meet him and he holds you responsible for the mess you have created on Earth in his name.
#143. To: rlk, Don (#141)
Based upon your hysterical conception of mythology as a desperate substitute for rigorous and disciplined thought?
#144. To: rlk (#141)
(Edited)
#145. To: redleghunter (#142)
(Edited)
So let's have it. How did Christians destroy our society?
#146. To: rlk, tomder55, liberator (#145)
By failing to give a rational refutation to the counterculture.
#147. To: Don (#144)
To: rlk (#141)
#148. To: rlk (#147)
#149. To: Don (#148)
(Edited)
This construct is anchored in many millions of people, both past and present. If you want to talk infantile, imagine millions of people believing the Universe just came into being without an original source.
#150. To: rlk (#149)
#151. To: Don (#150)
Christians believe in God because of what He has told us about Himself
#152. To: Don (#150)
We are smart enough to know what He has exhibited about Himself in what we see around us.
#153. To: rlk (#152)
#154. To: rlk (#151)
#155. To: Don (#153)
Remember the story about the Garden of Eden.
#156. To: Don (#154)
That's funny. Way to go. He told us in the Holy Bible. You knew that, right?
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