The District 219 School Board updated its Title IX and Equal Education and Extracurricular policies to incorporate LGBTQ+ inclusive language. Niles West’s Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) worked with school board members to push for gender identity to be classified as a protected class. District 219 School Board President Amber Wood hopes that the policy helps students feel more supported when in school. 

“We hope that people feel supported in being them, whoever that is,” Wood said. “We work hard so that students are able to show up as their full selves and we know that when they do, there is nothing they can’t achieve.”

The Title IX and Equal Education and Extracurricular Opportunities sections of the D219 policy handbook previously did not include the terms “gender identity” and “gender expression” until multiple students and staff proposed the change during public comment sessions at board meetings, which was approved at the March 10 board meeting. The adopted policies hold D219 accountable for halting student discrimination on the basis of equal protection from harassment, equal education and equal opportunities.  

“Equal educational and extracurricular opportunities shall be available for all students without regard to color, race, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, age, language barrier, physical or mental disability, gender, gender identity (whether or not traditionally associated with the student’s sex assigned at birth), gender expression, status of being homeless, immigration status, order of protection status, military status, unfavorable military discharge, reproductive health decisions or actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy,” the policy states.

In addition to adding these designations, Section 7 of the Equal Education and Extracurricular Opportunities policy indicates that students should use facilities that align with their gender identity.

“Students shall be supported in a manner consistent with their gender identity,” the policy states. “This will include, but not be limited to, use of restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities that correspond with the student’s gender identity.”

Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Sponsors Hailey Aichholzer and Dylan Tarver-Andersen, special education teachers at West, believe that if students and staff don’t advocate for themselves, nothing will happen. They try to highlight the importance of this to the students in their club so that they can make that change themselves.

“Last year…a couple of our students in GSA had articulated that they had concerns about their ability to express themselves without facing harassment or comments or being able to just sort of be themselves in school,” Aichholzer said.

Aichholzer wants LGBTQ+ students to feel safe at school and specific language in district policies will help achieve that. 

“I fundamentally believe that to protect people, you can’t hide them away,” Aichholzer said. “You have to say ‘you’re here, you deserve to be here, we want you here, we’re going to protect you and we don’t want to just accept it- we want to celebrate you. We want to show that you’re here and we’ll keep you safe.’ I think when you don’t have the policy to protect people, that’s when things can go wrong and that’s when they’re harmed.”

GSA members were inspired to share their perspectives on LGBTQ+ protection within the school district. Multiple students wrote statements that were set to be shared at board meetings, although they did not end up being read. One member, senior Gideon Aguilara, shared his statement with Niles West News, which describes his daily life as an LGBTQ+ student at Niles West.

“I feel Niles West has some good and some bad when it comes to representing the gender sexuality alliance,” Aguilara said. “I feel included with the help from Miss Aichholzer and Ms. Andersen, and people from the student service department, and generally haven’t experienced any hate from people, but I have heard homophobia, homophobic things in the halls, lunch classes and bathrooms. I feel that it affects me a bit because I feel that it hurts me.”

The goal of the policy change is to allow LGBTQ+ students to feel safer and more welcome when they are in school. Senior and GSA member Sophie Fu is glad this policy has been updated.

“As a member of GSA, I believe that this change in policy was very needed,” Fu said. “I do think this should’ve happened earlier, as we would’ve avoided so much heartache (current politics are especially part of it).”

The students in GSA also feel grateful to have Principal Steve Parnther’s support. He has gone to different events to support the community, such as the Night of Noise, which has been a recurring district event and was held this past April 11. West students also regularly participate in the annual Day of Silence, a national day of commemoration of members of the LGBTQIA+ community who have historically faced homophobia, transphobia or other bigotry.

“The students this year had mentioned that they feel…really lucky because our current principal helps the students feel confident,” Aichholzer said. “With this policy in place now, there will be action done to further support their expression and ability to feel that sense of belonging here.”

Freshman Sophia DuBois thinks that the policy was well needed. 

“As a school we should be inclusive to every type of person because we have a lot of diversity,” DuBois said. “There’s really no downside to this policy. All it’s doing is helping the people that are struggling with the problems being addressed in the policy.”