ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — An informational meeting was held Thursday night at the Pine-Richland High School to help students and parents learn about the transgender community as a debate continues in regard to the district’s bathroom practice.
A panel of three doctors from Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, specializing in psychology and pediatrics, presented to about 75 people in attendance. They took questions from school board members and then written questions from the audience.
“Being transgender means we just want to be ourselves,” transgender student Juliet Evancho told Channel 11 News.%
%
Evancho came out as a transgender, identifying as a woman, about a year ago.
“(I’m) very frustrated because I am part of this community, and it's very hard for me to see that we are being discriminated against,” she said.
Her family was at Thursday night’s meeting to support her, including her famous sister, singer Jackie Evancho, as well as other transgender students.
“I think this is a good step we're taking because it's really good to educate and have people be informed,” transgender student Erika Ridenour said.
The meeting Thursday was in response to some parents’ concerns over transgender students’ use of bathrooms at the high school. The Pine-Richland School District does not have an actual policy, but rather follows a practice in which the district says is in line with federal and state laws.
Students have the option of using bathrooms of the sex they identify with or they can use private facilities. The district said the practice currently does not extend to the locker room, athletic teams or overnight trips and only includes the high school.
District officials said they’ve never had an issue, but some parents expressed privacy and safety concern to the school board at a meeting on Monday.
The issue is expected to be discussed at the next staff services committee meeting, which will be held on May 2, but no decision or policy changes have taken place.