The West Linn-Wilsonville School Board is holding a listening session on Tuesday, November 17 at 6pm about gender-neutral restrooms in new school construction and design. Click on the links at the bottom of this page to learn more.
Please take a minute to email the school board with your comments in favor of safe, inclusive spaces in our schools.
Meeting information:
Tuesday, November 17 at 6pm
Passcode: 645380
To join by phone, dial: +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 971 0057 6578
Sample letter
Dear members of the West Linn Wilsonville School Board,
In building upon the various state laws, surveys about student wellness, and the West Linn Wilsonville community's dedication to making our spaces inclusive for all, I am strongly in favor of including gender-neutral bathrooms in new school design and construction.
These bathrooms would be in addition to same-sex bathrooms, thus there would be no impact on people who prefer to use same-sex bathrooms. No one is being forced to use gender-neutral bathrooms.
The idea that gender-neutral bathrooms would lead to increased violence is fictional. The opposite is true. The safety issue we should be worried about is when gender non-conforming students are bullied or beaten for using bathrooms in the gender that they are most "different" from.
The argument that this would lead to more sex between heterosexual students may be correct because it is a room with walls, similar to classrooms, offices, closets, and same-sex bathrooms. As long as there have been teenagers, there have been teenagers having sex in rooms.
Most importantly, this is an issue of human decency. This is a minimal sacrifice of public dollars and space to accommodate the needs of not only gender non-conforming students, but it could serve students who feel uncomfortable because of their physical or mental ability, or they could be pregnant and need a safe space to use the restroom away from the judgment of others.
If we want the inclusive community of the future we talk about, it starts with the details.
Thank you for your time and service to our community.