Latest news with #GardenStateEquality
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NJ school board to vote on trans rights vs. parents rights
MIDDLETOWN, N.J. (NewsNation) — Transgender rights activists say it's a policy meant to protect a vulnerable population, while some New Jersey parents say it's about parents rights and safeguarding children. It's a debate that began in Middletown when the city disagreed with the state's guidelines. 'There is no affirmative duty for any school district personnel to notify a student's parent or guardian of the student's gender identity or expression,' according to the policy. Trump's buyout offer accepted by about 77,000 federal workers That policy meant schools would not notify a parent if their child is in the process of transitioning. At the time, NewsNation's Rich McHugh spoke with Caterina Skalaski, who has kids in the district. 'For the state to tell teachers to keep this a secret from their parents is just crossing a line,' she said. 'I don't want my parental rights taken away. It's my parental right to defend my children, my parental rights to raise my children as how I see fit.' Now, a New Jersey appellate court has sided with Middletown. Middletown Board of Education Vice President Jacqueline Tobacco told NewsNation she's in favor of abolishing the policy. 'At this point, I think it's important for us to abolish the policy,' she said. 'We have been under a court order to maintain it for 18 months, whereas other districts were allowed to repeal it because we initially tried to include parents in that conversation just to amend the policy. At this point, abolishing the policy will allow us to continue to treat every child with the utmost care and consideration that we've always treated children and respect the parents who want to be involved in their children's lives and their decisions.' What does January's inflation report mean for me? The board has called a meeting for Thursday when they will try and abolish the rule. The meeting is expected to get heated. The group Garden State Equality sent a letter to the board asking them to reconsider this vote. 'We ask that you reconsider your decision to prioritize the removal of this policy, as removing this policy has only the effect of signaling to LGBTQ students and their parents in your district that this Board of Education would rather not stand by a data-driven policy that helps keep LGBTQ kids safe,' it said. Psychologist Dr. Erica Anderson, who is transgender and advised Middletown's school board on their policy and has been consulted in nearly a dozen state battles, disagrees. 'The rightful authority for the health and wellbeing of children resides with parents,' said Anderson. 'So to cut parents out of something so significant that's happening at school is a grave mistake.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
USA Today
29-01-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
'Exercise caution': Travel alert sounded for nonbinary, transgender New Jerseyans
Garden State Equality issued a travel alert for transgender and nonbinary New Jerseyans in response to actions taken by the Trump Administration. "Nonbinary and trans New Jersey residents must exercise caution when traveling internationally and are at risk when re-entering the United States, particularly when using a passport with an X gender marker," the LGBTQ+ advocacy group said in a news release on Tuesday. More:How Jersey Shore LGBTQ+ activists will battle Trump transgender orders GSE says that the state of federal identification documents like passports, visas and Global Entry cards has been rapidly changing since President Donald Trump took office. Among Trump's executive orders were those that "recognize only two sexes, male and female," and declaring that "these sexes are not changeable." In response, the State Department has suspended processing and issuing of all applications "seeking a different sex marker than that defined by the terms in the Executive Order," including those requesting a binary gender change or the "X" gender marker, according to USA Today. GSE says that currently U.S. passports with an X gender marker that were issued prior to the executive order are valid, however it says the situation "continues to evolve quickly." For instance, 'guidance on existing passports containing an X sex marker will come via other channels," said Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 'The executive order regarding the definition of sex and its implication for federal identity documents is needlessly cruel and is causing undue stress and anxiety to already marginalized people. The order stands against basic facts: trans, nonbinary, intersex, and gender diverse people have always existed and will continue to exist no matter what any government says,' said Aisling MacDonald, Trans Resiliency Project manager and trainer at Garden State Equality. GSE issued the following fact sheet along with the travel alert: State-issued forms of identification, such as birth certificates and driver's licenses, are not affected by the executive order. Garden State Equality says it will continue to assist with the New Jersey name and gender marker change process. Garden State Equality says it will continue to assist with the New Jersey name and gender marker change process. If you hold a passport with an amended gender marker, including an X gender marker: Your passport is currently valid. However, the situation is changing quickly and you should exercise caution when traveling internationally. Your passport is currently valid. However, the situation is changing quickly and you should exercise caution when traveling internationally. If you have a passport application in process: If you sent out a passport application prior to the executive order and it included a change in gender marker, your application is currently on hold. The State Department has not yet issued clear guidance to passport offices on what to do with these applications. If you sent out a passport application prior to the executive order and it included a change in gender marker, your application is currently on hold. The State Department has not yet issued clear guidance to passport offices on what to do with these applications. If you need to renew your passport: Applications for passport renewals with amended gender markers will be put on hold until the State Department issues further guidance, and we do not recommend such applications. This applies even if you are renewing a passport with an already changed gender marker, because passport offices have all previous applications on file. Applications for passport renewals with amended gender markers will be put on hold until the State Department issues further guidance, and we do not recommend such applications. This applies even if you are renewing a passport with an already changed gender marker, because passport offices have all previous applications on file. You can consider applying for a passport with only a name change and no gender marker change, but this may also carry risk. If you need to apply for a new passport: If all the materials you are submitting as part of your new passport application have consistent M or F gender markers, you are in a lower-risk situation and may be able to get your application processed without issue. We do not recommend applying for a new passport if any materials you submit contain a gender marker different from the passport you are applying for. If all the materials you are submitting as part of your new passport application have consistent M or F gender markers, you are in a lower-risk situation and may be able to get your application processed without issue. We do not recommend applying for a new passport if any materials you submit contain a gender marker different from the passport you are applying for. New Jersey residents with concerns about the status of the gender marker on their passports can contact the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation using a form found on the GSE website. 'It is the dream of this country that basic human rights are available to all, yet this executive order is another attempt to rob those rights from one group while other groups continue to enjoy them,' MacDonald said. 'Any person who would uphold compassion, human decency, and simple truth should wonder why gender minorities are being attacked when all Americans are facing a litany of pressing, sometimes even life-or-death issues. It calls into question whose rights will be under attack next.'
