Thanks to celebrities like Laverne Cox and Caitlyn Jenner, many individuals are gaining acceptance for the idea of being transgender. This is also true in young children and teenagers more than ever before.

In District 211, a dilemma has appeared in which a high school student requested to use the female locker room, but was denied complete access. Instead, a private changing area would be made for the student to change. Many people don’t understand exactly what is going on with the student’s mind and decision so here is some information.

“Gender Dysphoria is an unease with one’s gender, which is defined as the awareness that one’s emotional and psychological identities do not match with one’s biological sex,” Diane Moore, a mental health professional, says. “Gender Dysphoria is not known to be genetic and is most certainly not a lifestyle choice.”

Due to many people’s lack of knowledge, the idea of being different than others is sometimes frightening. They fear that being different isn’t a good thing, and it can create disturbances between people that are portrayed as bad.

“We proposed a common sense compromise with which the OCR agreed,” District 211 states. “It was based on the fact that gender is not the same as anatomy — and that we are dealing with teenagers. The negotiated agreement stipulated that access to this student’s gender-identified locker room would be provided contingent upon the student’s assurance that privacy curtains would be used for changing.”

Along with working together with the Office of Civil Rights’, the decision was concluded at a Board of Education Meeting on Dec. 7 at James B. Conant High School.

“Its solution is to provide a private space this student must use to change clothes,” Steve Chapman, editorial writer for the Chicago Tribune, explains. “Several curtained areas were recently set up for the benefit of anyone who wants more privacy. The transgender girl, however, would have no choice.”

I believe that this compromise is the best possible choice in order to honor the needs and rights of all the students. It is good to see that the idea of transgender is becoming more accepted in society. Although the student is taking hormones, she hasn’t fully transitioned and for this reason, it’s best that she is allowed to change in the locker room as long as there are some guidelines.

“Although there is a long way to go, I am pleased to see that these historically mistreated individuals are becoming an accepted part of our wonderfully diverse country,” Moore says. “I look forward to a time when knowledge and understanding take the place of fear due to ignorance.”

I completely agree with Moore. It is great to see that we as humans are adapting to change and accepting ideas more and more. Hopefully one day we can accept everybody regardless of their differences.