Arizona Voters to Decide on Transgender Student Policies in Schools
Arizona’s public school policies regarding transgender students may soon be determined by the state’s voters. A newly proposed referendum aims to regulate the way schools handle students’ preferred pronouns and access to facilities.
Under the proposed measure, school staff would be restricted from using a student’s chosen pronoun unless there is explicit parental consent. Additionally, schools would be mandated to offer a single occupancy bathroom or changing room for students who do not use facilities corresponding to their gender assigned at birth.
Republican Sen. John Kavanagh, who is spearheading this initiative, expressed confidence in the measure’s passage, stating, “Will it pass by 70% or 80% of the vote? Because we all know it will pass. Because our society has not gotten to that point where a sizable number of people think that you can will yourself to a different biological gender.”
However, the proposal has met with opposition from critics who argue it could lead to the policing of student gender identities, increase the risk of lawsuits against public schools, and place undue burdens on educators. If the initiative garners approval from the legislative body, it will be presented to voters in the upcoming November elections.
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