Tracey Wilson, an 11 year old trans girl from Ladner, has caused The Catholic Independent Schools of the Vancouver Archdiocese to create a policy to cover trans* children in Catholic schools.
When Tracey's Catholic school refused to accommodate the recommendations of her psychologist and psychiatrist to be treated as a girl, she filed a human rights complaint.
The Catholic School Board initially resisted the complaint, but later invited the Wilsons to be involved in a collaborative process to develop a policy for Catholic schools.
Catholic teachings say that the Church does not believe that a person can change their gender. So it was a challenge to work within that constraint. But we developed a policy which leaves the Catholic theology intact, and implements a policy to accommodate the gender presentation of all trans* children, including children with gender dysphoria. That policy , which has already been passed by the Catholic School Board, means among other things that the next child in Tracey's situation will be able to request different pronouns, uniforms, and privacy in changing; and the school board will reduce gender-segregated activities. It also means that gender-variant children - for whom neither or both M and F fit - will have their gender presentation accommodated.
As far as we are aware, there is no Catholic school district in the world which has adopted a trans-inclusive policy. So the importance of 11 year old Tracey's actions will be felt around the world.
We offer our respect and congratulations to the CISVA in their development of this policy with us. It shows true leadership.
Vancouver is now, after the VSB policy and the Parks Board policy and now this one, the leader in trans* inclusiveness around the world.
When Tracey's Catholic school refused to accommodate the recommendations of her psychologist and psychiatrist to be treated as a girl, she filed a human rights complaint.
The Catholic School Board initially resisted the complaint, but later invited the Wilsons to be involved in a collaborative process to develop a policy for Catholic schools.
Catholic teachings say that the Church does not believe that a person can change their gender. So it was a challenge to work within that constraint. But we developed a policy which leaves the Catholic theology intact, and implements a policy to accommodate the gender presentation of all trans* children, including children with gender dysphoria. That policy , which has already been passed by the Catholic School Board, means among other things that the next child in Tracey's situation will be able to request different pronouns, uniforms, and privacy in changing; and the school board will reduce gender-segregated activities. It also means that gender-variant children - for whom neither or both M and F fit - will have their gender presentation accommodated.
As far as we are aware, there is no Catholic school district in the world which has adopted a trans-inclusive policy. So the importance of 11 year old Tracey's actions will be felt around the world.
We offer our respect and congratulations to the CISVA in their development of this policy with us. It shows true leadership.
Vancouver is now, after the VSB policy and the Parks Board policy and now this one, the leader in trans* inclusiveness around the world.
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