A parents group called P.A.S.S. is planning to protest the Baltimore County school system’s policies for transgender students outside the county school board’s monthly meeting on Tuesday night.
P.A.S.S., which stands for “Parental Alliance for Safer Schools in Baltimore County,” says on their Facebook page that they are “concerned parents/grandparents/caretakers to create a strong front in defending the safety of our children while they are in school.”
The group wants the county’s school board to change its policy, which currently allows transgender students to use the bathrooms and compete on sports teams that align with their identities rather than their gender assigned at birth. On the event page for the protest, the group describes these policies as “dangerous” and potentially “harmful.”
The event page, entitled “Save Female Sports and Protect Female/Male Private Spaces at School” also describes the group as a “non-partisan group of concerned parents/guardians.” The organizer invites protesters to bring signs, spouses, and children, and claims some Board of Education members already support their goals.
Judy Deese, the protest’s organizer, told Baltimore Fishbowl on Monday that P.A.S.S. does not have any affiliation or connection with the national group Moms for Liberty.
As early as May 2016, Maryland schools began examining how to comply with then-new federal mandates from the Obama administration that “directed schools across the nation to provide transgender students with access to suitable facilities — including bathrooms and locker rooms — that match their chosen gender identity.” Baltimore County put out a statement indicating it would immediately comply, and to follow the guidelines put forth by Maryland State Department of Education.
Regarding participation in sports, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association recommends that each student be allowed to participate in accordance with their gender identity. Concerns should be “reviewed on a case-by-case basis by establishing an appeal review committee.” The athletic association’s guidance can be found by here.
Maryland does not have any laws that prohibit transgender students from participating in sports on teams that align with their identity.
The agenda for Tuesday evening’s BOE meeting has yet not been posted, but when it is, it can be viewed at this link, as can a video to a livestream of the meeting.
Fishbowl has reached out to the Baltimore County Board of Education and the Baltimore County Student Council for comment. This story will be updated with any responses.
You can’t stop them from being who they are!
You are the problem not these beautiful children.
You should be ashamed of yourselves!