DW Trantham is a 13-year-old trans girl, a junior high school student at South Junior High School in Boise.
DW has fought for her rights as a transgender girl...including using a bathroom. When her school relented, citing a communication from the US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, parents Pauline Adams and Jacob Smith withdrew their child from South.
We would not allow our child to share a restroom simultaneously at home so why would we be OK with it at school.
--Smith
Adams says she worries that DW will be allowed to use locker rooms as well.
When does it go to the locker rooms are you going to be OK with this? Are we going to allow our school district to make these decisions without asking (or) informing us? It's not OK.
--Adams
Smith and Adams said they believe the student truly is a girl besides her anatomy.
During their interview both cited privacy and safety as their main concerns.
A reporter asked them why they think this is such a big issue when other people obviously don't.
I've heard a lot of that same response but this isn't just setting a rule for this one kid. This is also allowing, if a female chose to go to school who thought she should be a boy. This is also allowing her to choose to use the mens room. There is not as much privacy in the mens room.
--Smith
Smith and Adams said they plan to keep their daughter out of school until something is changed, or even possibly even switch schools.
They suggested that the school have the option of unisex bathrooms.
I'm sure the school would accommodate them and let their child use the nurse's bathroom, but I'm positive they think DW should use it rather than their kid.
DW has responded:
She and her father appeared on radio as well.
Here is a longer segment with DW and her father:
According to DW's Facebook page, she found mounds of support when she returned to school on Friday after the dust-up.
So... when I get to school today.. to my amazement.. I was greeted by a pack of so many students from my school... wearing stickers that say "I AM DW" I burst out in tears... I also saw that many students signed a petition that states they do not mind if I use the girls bathroom...kids ive never seen before.. kids I thought hated me.. kids I was to scared to ever even aproach .. came up to me and said stay strong..your beautiful... even.a few if my teachers were wearing those stickers.. I cant even explain the emmense feeling of love and acceptance I received and felt today..