Local News
August 23, 2021 / 10:18 PM / CBS Chicago
WHEATON, Ill. (CBS) -- A protest is planned for Tuesday outside a Catholic high school in west suburban Wheaton over the use of personal gender pronouns.
Organizers say the St. Francis High School is refusing to recognize the chosen pronouns of LGBTQ students.
One former student has started an online petition against the policy.
"It's supposed to be a peaceful protest. All we want to do is show love to the students that were harmed, hurt, and affected by this policy – to ensure that they know that they're loved, supported, accepted, welcomed" said protest organizer Mackenzie Missil.
We have reached out to St. Francis for reaction.
As of late Monday, we were still awaiting the school's statement.
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After the first week of school at St. Francis in Wheaton, some upperclassmen are speaking out about the high school's policy on pronoun use.
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St. Francis College Prepatory in Wheaton, IL has decided to take a transphobic stance on student pronouns.
ABC News reported that students were given a form to fill out at a back to school student orientation type gathering, that included a field for pronouns. They backpedaled upon receiving form entries from a student that uses he/they pronouns, claiming that preferred pronouns are not part of the Catholic School Teachings. This is unacceptable and transphobic.
Instead, they're going out of their way to refer to students by way of their biological sex, even when KNOWING a student doesn't use those pronouns.
"Preferred pronouns" also implies that this is a CHOICE for trans students. Using gender affirming language and pronouns for trans students is suicide prevention. The Trevor Project notes here that LGBTQ+ youth seriously contemplate suicide at 3 times the rate of heterosexual youth. 40% of transgender adults report having attempted suicide and of that 40%, 92% of those attempts were before age 25. 1 in 6 students in grades 9-12 seriously considered suicide in the last year.
This will have real, lasting impact on this school year's trans students and any more to come unless we take a stand to stop this discriminatory policy and demand that St. Francis respect their students, no matter what gender they are.
I grew up in this town. I was subject to relentless bullying over my sexual orientation and gender. I know what this is like first hand to experience and I refuse to let preventable harm come to trans students simply for existing as their best selves.
St. Francis College Preparatory owes it to their trans and gender nonconforming students to do better and respect their pronouns and gender identity.