Last week, the Clark County School District held five public-input meetings to discuss the implementation of gender diverse policies. The passing of Senate Bill 225 in 2017 required CCSD’s anti-bullying policy to include the rights and needs of gender-diverse persons—a widely divisive issue as evidenced by the December 1-7 meetings. An official policy has yet to be made, though suggestions for policy were given at a Department of Education meeting on November 28.

Throughout the public meetings, CCSD heard from nearly 300 people, and there were more than 1,000 check-ins, according to Kirsten Searer, communications chief for CCSD. The next step, she says, is presenting the analysis of public input to the Board of School Trustees at a January 10 meeting.

Jane Heenan, director of Gender Justice Nevada, says drafting and implementing a gender diverse policy is necessary for students’ civil rights, but also for “principals and others responsible for caring for young persons,” ensuring staff members “have adequate guidance when a student requests accommodations.”

Tension was palpable during the final public meeting at Cimarron-Memorial High School on December 7. Many of those against implementing guidelines for gender diverse students cited moral values and religious rights, stating that adding such policy would be giving privileges and favoritism to a “small group” of people. Meanwhile, those supporting a gender diverse policy argued that the implementation of such policy would cut down on bullying and protect one of CCSD’s most marginalized and harassed student groups.

Heenan says the meetings were evidence of “further division” between the two opposing sides. “We need to learn how to talk with fearful others and hold space with them so that they don’t feel attacked by our presence in the world,” Heenan added. “We need to talk together so we can support healthy and safe schools for all students.”