My name is Skye Tooley and my pronouns are they/them. I have been an elementary educator with the district for seven years. During this time, I came out as transgender and nonbinary. I changed my name and began my gender affirming journey while employed with LAUSD. I wish I could say that I felt supported in this journey, but the reality is that, although the district verbally shows support, there is a lack of awareness and true action to ensure that transgender employees and students are valued and protected. 

For myself, as an out transgender educator in the classroom and a vocal proponent for LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion in the classroom online, I experienced harassment and doxxing early on in my transition. Upon coming out in 2019, I immediately had two complaints and a parent leave our school due to ‘not wanting their child influenced’. My admin at the time was supportive. Unfortunately, when she passed during the closures for COVID, our new administration did not protect me like he should have. I experienced my new admin asking me personal questions about my transition such as “Will I be getting all the surgeries done?”. They refused to use my name multiple times or pronouns and even with corrections, would not use them in the office with other staff or families. I was deadnamed and misgendered constantly at my workplace.

In Article 1.0, the task force we are wanting to create speaks directly to the transphobic actions of administration and the acceptance of some of our community using their transphobia as a weapon against educators especially at an elementary level. There is little protection for us and due to there being no mandatory training for administration, many of the issues we experience comes from administration being complacent, causing the harm themselves, or writing off the harm as a non issue. 

Administration continued to create an unsafe environment for me to exist as my authentic self and the district, by taking no action, showed that they agreed with this behavior. When someone deadnames you over and over and misgenders you, it wears you down. It picks at you over and over. It is not something easily shoved aside. My name is mine yet to intentionally ensure my deadname was used and said spoke to the lack of care and humanity my admin held. Additionally when our administration acts and behaves in a transphobic way, that reflects back on the district. I wish I could say I was the only queer educator that has experienced harassment, silencing, misgendering and deadnaming but I am not. It is widespread because our society has normalized it. With the current Presidential administration demanding the removal of trans people from society completely, the hateful, violent rhetoric will continue to be normalized. 

The Task force can help curb the rampant homophobia and transphobia that is occurring in our district. Even when you don’t hear about it, it is happening. Even when you don’t see it, it is happening. The queer community is constantly under scrutiny and our existence is constantly under attack. We see it with how quickly, effortlessly, our rights our being stripped. 

These attacks effect our queer educators and our queer students. The Trevor Projects 2024 survey of our queer youth found that 39% of LGBTQ+ youth considered attempting suicide. 90% have indicated that their mental health has been negatively effected by the political climate against their existence. WE know our identity is political but it is the rest of society that doesn’t understand. This isn’t the only fact we need to be aware of, though. 23% of LGBTQ+ youth reported being physically threatened or harmed due to their identity. 28% of trans and nonbinary youth reported threats being made or being physically harmed. This number will go up as the violent rhetoric continues to dehumanize us. I can’t help but think about Nex Benedict and how they should be here today, but are not. I can’t help but think of Sam Nordquist, a Black trans man who was brutally murdered after being tortured for a month. I can’t help but think who will be next. 

The district has the ability to prevent this harm. We have the resources, the ability, and the drive. There is no excuse to throw trans people to the side in this moment. When we uplift the most marginalzied, everyone is uplifted. 

In Article 2.0, the protections listed are in desperately needed. As a transgender educator in this district, I had to fight to be gendered correctly and not deadnamed. I had to fight to be recognized as the person I am in the workplace. No one from district offered support in name changes or made me aware. No one came to ensure that my coworkers and administration respected my humanity. I had to teach, reteach, correct and fight for that recognition daily at my workplace. Being a teacher is already exhausting. Being an out queer educator is even more so. The protections listed must be addressed to not only make our spaces safe but ensure queer and trans educators are protected and feel safe in their spaces to teach. We don’t feel safe right now. The policies are just words on paper that can be easily rescinded. The policies are rarely followed. I’ve seen queer books challenged, protests against us, and pushback on our existence already. I know the current presidential administration wants me to not exist. The executive orders speak to that, the policies speak to that, the erasure of us is clear. They want trans people to not exist. But we have always been here. The fact that we are recreating a place in society for us challenges people. Don’t fall for the fear, the misinformation. Our district has a chance to be a leader, a champion for the humanity of us. To say to all that trans people are not a political pawn but human beings that have the right to life, jobs and access to society. 

This leads to the following policies in Article 3.0 and 4.0. The district must recognize and acknowledge the science that humanity is diverse and the history that we have always been here. The district must be quick to address attacks against any queer employee or student in our district. It cannot be a once in awhile but must be a constant reminder to our community that the district stands with the LGBTQIA+ community. That the district understands that gender identity and sex assigned at birth are not the same and never have been the same. 

In Article 5.0, we need more then some links for curriculum once in awhile from district. We need inclusive curriculum that aligns with the FAIR education Act. We need representation of queer people in all our curriculum and the district providing inclusive texts to ALL classrooms across district. When queer people are not seen or represented, the stories and misinformation continue to be spread. When we are not included in elementary, the idea that we are only for ‘older kids’ is reinforced. When the district does not push for all teachers to include us inline with the FAIR education act, it is complicit in erasing us. You know we will not be erased. The federal government may say the T can’t exist but we fought for Stonewall and you cannot remove our history. 

I end by reminding you that I exist in this job not because of the district but in spite of it. I exist here in honor of my ancestors who fought for me to have these basic human rights that are currently being stripped. I exist here because they couldn’t get a job in society but I can now. I am able to stand in front of my students each day and show them that queer people can exist and trans people exist as fully ourselves.