GLOUSTER, Ohio — When Willow Grimm, 14, first revealed that she was transgender, her parents’ approval was the most important factor.
“Having a good home life was extremely important to me. My social life had no bearing on the situation. “I wanted a good home life before anything else,” Grimm stated.
Grimm attends Trimble Local Schools. She said her life is pretty good now that her parents are supporting her.
“There was some backlash when I first came out when I was 11, but other than that it’s mostly been fine,” she told me.
The “backlash” included one student attempting to attack her (Grimm stated that she knew how to defend herself through self-defense classes) and an uncomfortable incident in which a man in a car stopped her on the street to inquire if she was “that trans kid.” The man got out of his car and attempted to approach Grimm, but her father stopped him.
Grimm stated that having her parents’ approval has made all the difference for her. She’s met others whose parents reacted negatively to their child’s coming out. The outcome was not positive.
“Not only have I seen that break them, but I’ve seen how badly it plays into their life,” Grimm told the audience.
That’s why Grimm is concerned about House Bill 8, which passed the Ohio General Assembly in December and was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine in January.
The Parents’ Bill of Rights requires teachers to notify parents about any changes in a student’s “mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being.” This encompasses “any request by a student to identify as a gender that does not align with the student’s biological sex.”
In other words, the bill requires teachers to notify parents if their child identifies as transgender. The requirement will be effective on July 1.
Athens City Schools Associate Superintendent Chad Springer stated that his district has always informed parents of any changes in a student’s well-being. However, the district has a policy not to “out” transgender students “because there may be a fear of ramifications of physical abuse at home.”
Springer stated that the district has asked if teachers must continue to report in cases where they believe the student is likely to suffer physical harm as a result.
“The answer is undoubtedly ‘yes,'” Springer stated.
Springer stated that he is aware of specific students who are facing this situation. Beginning July 1, the district must notify their parents, which may result in violent repercussions.
Grimm raised similar concerns about the new law.
“I do not think that, in any way, shape or form, that a teacher should out a child to their parents,” she told me. “Some people aren’t out to their parents because it could hurt their home life, whether that be physically or mentally.”
According to Grimm, it is common for children to come out to teachers before their parents.
“Sometimes, it’s just hard to tell your parents about a certain thing,” Grimm told me. “Almost everyone, including me — I told teachers before I told my parents.”
In the days leading up to its passage, the public overwhelmingly opposed House Bill 8. Approximately 170 people testified in opposition during the final committee hearing on December 10.
Many people expressed concern that the bill would have the exact impact Springer claims it will have. Two days later, the bill passed through both the House and the Senate.
Springer stated that the bill raises additional questions for the district and its staff.
“If I’m an educator, and… I am aware that the child will be harmed. Number one, that’s a huge moral quandary, and number two, am I liable for intentionally putting a child in danger?” Springer said.
He’s also not sure if the bill requires teachers to notify parents about other forms of LGBTQ identity, such as when a student comes out as gay.
To obtain more information about the new law, WOUB contacted elected officials from southeast Ohio who voted in favor of House Bill 8. Senator Brian Chavez declined to comment. Senator Shane Wilkins, Representative Don Jones, and Representative Jason Stephens did not respond.
Another new law restricts bathroom use
Springer expressed concerns about how another new law will affect transgender students. Senate Bill 104, also known as the “bathroom bill,” requires students to use the bathroom appropriate to their gender at birth. Springer stated that this reverses the district’s guidance since the Obama administration.
“We have students who have always used the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity. And we take that away from them — for that child, it is concerning,” Springer said. “We’ve allowed them to do this, had no complaints, and now they’re being told they’re wrong.”
Grimm, whose birth certificate lists her as male, stated that she willingly continued to use the boys’ restroom after exiting. Ironically, she was forced to stop when the school received a complaint.
“A mother went and complained that a transgender child was using the men’s restroom. And she didn’t like it because I was too feminine, and her child was uncomfortable with it,” Grimm explained. “So then I moved to using the locker rooms, ’cause no one ever used them.”
Grimm was instructed to use the boys’ restroom once SB 104 passed. It did not take long for more complaints to arrive.
“So I had to move back to the locker room,” Grimm explained.
Grimm expressed her desire to see Trimble get a gender-neutral bathroom. Meanwhile, she says she encourages people to ask questions.
“It’s good to ask people about their gender,” she told me. “Just so they can not only talk about it with someone, but to explain it and try and get them to understand.”
