This post is in response to a recent Attic thread about " Activism in Our Public Schools."
Which I happened to have a vested interest in... Since it has now become front and center in my local area public school system.
Note: I have no concern or problems with an individuals freedom of choosing their "Gender Identity" however I have serious trepidation about allowing Biological Male Trans Students into girls "personal spaces" i.e. bathrooms, locker rooms etc. in Public Schools.
I'm a Fashion Editorial photographer and as such work with numerous minors, many of which are seeking career opportunities as signed agency models. Having worked with many of the aforementioned in my market I'm keenly aware of how sensitive and vulnerable this group of very young Teens & Tweens actually are
Note: Tweens describes the ages of older children who are not yet Teens.
Our studio requires a parent always be present for a photo-shoot involving a minor (unless their are an emancipated minor by law or court order.)
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title16.1/chapter11/article15/Yes I have worked with agency represented 16 year old emancipated minors.
To cut to the chase the reason for this post:
"Loudoun County Students Stage Walk-Outs to Protest Sexual Assault in Schools
After a Virginia juvenile court judge concluded Tuesday that a transgender teenager sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl at a Loudoun County high school, students orchestrated walk-outs to protest the district and demand better safety measures.
In the court decision Tuesday, Chief Judge Pamela L. Brooks found sufficient evidence that a gender fluid individual committed sexual assault at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Va., in May 2021.
In an interview with the Daily Wire, the victim’s father said the male student forcibly sodomized his ninth-grade daughter in a school bathroom while wearing a skirt.
When the father attempted to share his child’s story at a local school-board meeting in June a month later, he was arrested for disorderly conduct, allowing the sexual abuse to stay underground for months. The perpetrator was then transferred to Broad Run High School in Ashburn where he engaged in sexual misconduct with another female student in early October.
On Tuesday, students walked out of Broad Run High School, where the attacker was relocated and is still technically enrolled. The teenage defendant will receive sentencing after the second set of charges dealing with the Broad Run accusations are adjudicated, the judge said Tuesday.
Outside the school, a group of students chanted “Loudoun County protects rapists,” Drew Wilder of NBC Washington reported. “Why was a rapist allowed in our school?” another student shouted. “This isn’t a political issue, this is a human issue. Listen to the students,” a third student exclaimed."
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/loudoun-county-students-stage-walk-outs-to-protest-sexual-assault-in-schools/ Sadly this affects a member of my team, our professional hair stylist's daughter is attending a Loudoun County Public School. Oft been said "All politics are local"
My only request is that this post be viewed as a (Human Rights) issue not a political issue.
I hope and trust that this is food for thought and leaves you with at least some concern about how aberrant recent social issues have become. These children deserve to be heard, please listen to their concerns.
I feel strongly that if you have a penis you do not belong in a young girl's bathroom or locker room. No exceptions!
Wish all here much joy and happiness on your photographic journey.