Parents are sounding off on the Fort Worth Independent School District's transgender bathroom policy.
On Tuesday the school district held the first in a series of six public forums about the policy, which allows transgender students to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity. That same day, they released a FAQ on the policy, which can be read here.
Superintendent Dr. Kent Scribner spoke briefly at Tuesday's meeting, defending the policy.
"I am confident we are following the law," said Scribner.
Twenty-two people spoke at the forum, and 21 of them were against the district's policy. Many parents said they were angry they had no say before the policy was announced.
"We didn't get a chance to vote on this. It was pushed down our throat," said one parent.
The specific policy concerned one grandfather.
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"I am here tonight to speak on behalf of the 99.5 percent that is not transgender," he said
The only person who spoke up in favor of the policy was a University of North Texas student, who was there for an assignment.
"I think the big thing about this is there are not any transgender people here to speak that I know of, and it's pretty heartbreaking," he said.
Earlier Tuesday, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick held a news conference in Austin addressing the policy, and he called the school district's series of public meetings a sham.
Texas and 10 other states sued the federal government last week over the federal directive handed down to U.S. public schools earlier this month.
Patrick, who has previously said Texas is willing to forfeit $10 billion in federal education funding rather than comply, said he was sending a letter to all school district this week emphasizing that the state will support schools that defy the directive.
"Transgender students deserve the rights of anyone else. It does not mean they get to use the girls' room if they're a boy," Patrick said.
Patrick's announcement was immediately followed by several of parents of transgender students rebuking his comments.
