The Winnipeg School Division voted unanimously to create a policy for transgender and gender nonconforming students on Monday night.
The motion was brought forward by school board trustee Lisa Naylor.
Naylor said it will be the first of its kind in Manitoba.
“Having a policy that specifically focuses on the needs of transgender and gender creative students means that staff will know the best way to support those students,” said Naylor.
WSD already has anti-bullying and non-discrimination policies that encompass transgender students.
Naylor said her policy will offer guidelines on what to do in specific situations, which the current policies don’t address.
“How do we help a child if the parents aren’t supportive? How do we manage things like school field trips?” said Naylor.
The policy will lay out procedure for language use, participation in sports teams and bathroom and change room use.
Naylor said that about 0.5% of the population is transgender, which translates to about 165 students in the WSD at any given time.
She said a clear policy will make life easier for everyone in the school division.
The policy will be developed by WSD staff before going to the policy program committee for final review.
Naylor said the community is invited to speak about the policy at an upcoming Special Board Meeting on November 9th.
She said all input will be taken into consideration, but ultimately will not change the outcome of the board’s decision.
