The West Mifflin Area High School Gay-Straight Alliance wants to see a change in the school district’s nondiscrimination policies to include transgender students.

Students Cloe Loosz and Allyson Kowalczyk, members of the Gay-Straight Alliance at West Mifflin Area High School told the board at a Feb. 21 meeting that they want to make sure transgender students have the same protection against discrimination as any other student.

Cloe and Allyson want the board to make the policy change by the beginning of the next school year.

The board’s current policy, which was adopted in 1992 and revised in 1999, states that the board will “provide an equal opportunity for all students to achieve their maximum potential through the programs offered in the schools regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin or handicap/disability.”

Cloe and Allyson said they want gender identity and expression included in the board’s nondiscrimination policy.

Cloe said that it is particularly important to change the policy to include transgender students because there has been a rise in transgender discrimination nationally.

“I don’t want anyone to endure that kind of hate,” she said.

Allyson added transgender students deserve “to have an equal opportunity” in school and should not be afraid to use the restroom that coincides with their gender identity.

“We’re just trying to make a change,” Cloe said.

School Board president Dave Marshall said the board would have to work with the district’s attorney to update the policy.

He said that he has never heard of any issues with transgender students in the district, but added “nobody should be bullied.”

Deana Carpenter, freelance writer: suburbanliving@post-gazette.com.

First Published: February 28, 2019, 5:00 a.m.