First-grader Coy Mathis has been barred from using the girls' bathroom at her Colorado school because she is transgender. She has male genitalia but has identified as a girl since 18 months and living as a girl since age 4, Salon reports:
But the school doesn't see her that way. W. Kelly Dude, an attorney for the Fountain-Fort Carson School District, said the school's decision “took into account not only Coy but other students in the building, their parents, and the future impact a boy with male genitals using a girls' bathroom would have as Coy grew older.” Adding, “However, I'm certain you can appreciate that as Coy grows older and his male genitals develop along with the rest of his body, at least some parents and students are likely to become uncomfortable with his continued use of the girls' restroom.”
The letter goes on to allege that Mathis' presence in the women's bathroom would be “psychologically damaging” later in life, and so the school chose to address the matter now.
The Mathis family has filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, the first claim to test the state's Anti-Discrimination Act, which includes protections based on gender identity.
Watch several news reports and an interview with Coy's parents, AFTER THE JUMP…
