Parents push for gender-neutral washrooms denied at packed school board meeting

Around 80 people attended the Hanover School Board meeting Tuesday night to hear the board’s response to a parent delegation from the April 2nd meeting. 

That parent had requested schools to have separate washrooms and change rooms for transgender and gender diverse students. 

While denying the request, Board Chair Brad Unger listed the various options already provided in schools like the Steinbach Regional Secondary School which allow students to choose a washroom and changing space where they feel most comfortable. 

“At the SRSS, we have sex segregated change rooms with both public changing areas and private stalls as well as gender-neutral washrooms available, and universal single-stall washrooms. Any student who is uncomfortable in the public change area for any reason can use a private stall or individual washroom.” 

Unger pointed out that these options correspond with requirements in the Public School’s Act. 

“As a public school division, the Hanover School Division is legally obligated to adhere to the Public School’s Act, the Education Administration Act, Provincial Legislation, the Manitoba Human Rights Code, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” Unger added.

A QR code is made available on screens in the Hanover School Division's board room on Tuesday, May 7th during a public meeting of the school board for easy access to their policy on Respect for Human Diversity.

While acknowledging the large crowd of people who filled the board room, Unger said it was important to the board that everyone looks for common ground. 

“There are a lot of people passionate about this topic and we feel that is very, very encouraging, because that's a lot of people who care. And what we want to do is to look for points of common ground, everybody again in this room tonight and again people in our community. So, one point of common ground is that people care. Second point of common ground, we all agree that kids in school need to know they are loved and have value. So those are two points of common ground that everybody can agree on. And the Third Point of common ground is that we all believe that every kid should feel safe at school.” 

He also encourages people to visit their website at hsd.ca to review Hanover’s policy on Respect for Human Diversity. 

When the meeting adjourned, the crowd erupted into applause.