by Steve Phan, staff writer
Two years into Assembly Bill 1266, Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) still remains divided upon the rights of transgender youth to be able to use restrooms and participate in sports they believe is consistent to their gender identity.
Assembly Bill 1266 (AB-1266), signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, was put in effect at the beginning of 2014. It stated that transgender students had the right to participate in sports and use school facilities, including restrooms and locker rooms, that they felt matched their respective gender identity.
While many students do not know about this specific new law, others have taken sides with or against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movement happening around the United States.
Some students are acceptable with the idea of having transgenders go into the same facilities as they are.
“I can see why it’s uncomfortable, but if they’re trying to become transgender, you got to help them out,” said James Phan (‘17).
Other students are highly against the fact that new laws are made just to protect the LGBT students.
“They shouldn’t go off the whims of people stating off farce saying, ‘Oh, I’m a girl. I’m a guy. Love me for who I am.’ That kind of political correctness is [expletive],” said a student who asked not to be identified.
Phan believes that he has pinpointed why the issue with AB-1266 has arisen in California.
“I think I can see why it’s controversial, if it is at all controversial, to let someone that wasn’t born a girl into a place where there’s majority of girls,” said Phan.
Students also bring up the fact that it may attract sexual predators and other dangerous activities into opposite gender restrooms. However, according to Huntington Beach Union High School District’s Director of Student Services Dan Bryan, EdD, in the two years that AB-1266 has been in effect, no incidents or problems have arisen.
From the viewpoint of a person who has to deal with the anti-LGBT movement, Ash Diep (‘17) believes that AB-1266 will create more freedom for the LGBT students.
“I think [AB-1266] is really good because it makes us feel more comfortable and not as afraid to go to the restroom. Before, I trained myself to not go [to the restroom] until I went home,” said Diep.
While AB-1266 helps students like Diep, Diep still chooses to go to the nurse office’s unisex restroom to avoid conflict.
“My freshman year, I remember random people calling me names like [expletive] and [expletive],” said Diep.
For the students who are against AB-1266, Diep believes they aren’t in a position to judge other students.
“I know some people aren’t open to the idea [of the LGBT movement] because that was how they were raised but…if that person isn’t really affecting you, why would you be so closed off to the idea of people being different from you,” said Diep.
While there are disagreements to this two year old law, students believe that the community will adapt.
“The Fountain Valley community is pretty accepting so I’m pretty sure it’ll fan out fine,” said Phan.
