As a new school year begins for Iowa students, a message sent out by the Sioux City Community School District concerned a local LGBTQ organization and advocate.
The Sioux City Community School District sent out this message by phone and text late last week:
"Iowa law requires parent/guardian permission if a student wants to be called another name or pronoun, related to gender, that is different from their legal name in our records. Please contact your student’s principal to request a name or pronoun change. Thank you,” said school district spokesperson Leslie Heying.
Karen Mackey, cofounder of the Siouxland Pride Alliance, says it appears the school district is trying to comply with the law, but not supporting students — particularly trans students, who the law targets.
"The problem is that this is only going to be beneficial to kids whose parents are supportive. And there are a lot of kids whose families are not supportive of them. Having met with students last Friday (after the message), they are terrified, absolutely terrified,” said Mackey.
The students tell Mackey the law makes them a target and they feel school administration should provide a lesson in understanding.
"They know that this is putting just another target on them. And they already feel targeted. They don't feel like the administration is supportive of them," she said.
Mackey says the legislature and governor have marginalized students, and people should voice their concerns at the ballot box.
“The legislature and our governor have done this to our students," she said. "And when people are voting, they need to think about these kinds of things. This is causing additional stress in children's lives, and they don't need that.”
The Sioux City Community School District did respond to a request by IPR News for comment. Spokesperson Leslie Heying sent a statement by email that says, “The Sioux City Community School District supports all students, including students in the LGBTQ+ community. We are committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment where all students feel welcome while, at the same time, complying with Iowa laws, including SF 496. We remain committed to our mission to help all students believe, achieve, and succeed.”
