Two Episcopal priests are at the forefront of efforts to make Massachusetts schools safer for transgender youth, as you can read in this story from The Boston Globe.
The Rev. Noah Evans of Grace Episcopal Church in Medford said bullying can be difficult for transgender youths, and the new law helps protect them.
“It’s tough, it’s really tough, and I think that these guidelines are excellent . . . they are really thoughtful,” he told the City Council on Tuesday.
Last year, the Episcopal Church voted to allow transgender people to be ordained. The Rev. Cameron Partridge, a transgender man who is the Episcopal chaplain at Boston University, lives in Medford.
He also addressed the council Tuesday.
“To be an adult now, to be a dad, and to know that my kids are growing up in a world where they know that someone like their dad is truly a valued member of the community and has access to education . . . I’m really grateful we’re in a place where we can have a conversation,” he said.
Partridge said the directives in the state-issued memo to schools was comprehensive.
“I found [them] to be really amazing,” he said. “They give me a lot of hope.”