Chosen Name Policy Advocacy Guidelines

Hello! Thank you for your interest in advocating for District 11 (D11) youth to have their identity affirmed in schools with no strings attached. The D11 Board of Education is trying to pass a policy that makes it difficult for students to access rights they already have. Worse, if implemented, this policy will expose youth to potentially dangerous situations at home, may limit schools’ safety for students, and make it harder for school staff to become trusted adults in LGBTQIA2+ students’ lives. By sending an email, attending or speaking at the D11 board meeting, and rallying your community, you can help us protect LGBTQIA2+ youth in a meaningful way. There are templates for creating public comments and writing emails below, which you can reference when writing your communication.  

If you have questions, want someone to review your email or public comment, or want to sit next to someone at the school board meeting, reach out to [email protected]. He can connect you to resources now and in the future! Consider joining IOYS’s Advocate Network for more opportunities to get involved.  

 

Link to the Draft Policy (Before the January 29th Work Session): https://go.boarddocs.com/co/d11/Board.nsf/files/DD8M7B59D3E9/$file/ACA-Name%20Changes.pdf 

Where to find the Policy once it is posted for the February 5th Meeting: https://go.boarddocs.com/co/d11/Board.nsf/Public  

Problems with the ACA Policy Draft 

  • It requires parental consent (with no information on how that is obtained), which is not in line with the language of the law.  
  • Parental consent attempts to bar some students from their rights established in the Non-Legal Name Change law HB24-1039 
  • The policy is unclear. It states, “Once the district process for a chosen name request is complete…” with no clarification on what that process is or how students can find it.  
  • The policy limits a student to two name changes a year. That is not in line with the language of the law. 

Logistics 

Email Logistics  

Each of the emails of the seven members are listed here. We recommend emailing each person on the board together.  

Board President Parth Melpakam – [email protected]  

Vice President Jill Haffley – [email protected]  

Treasurer Lauren Nelson – [email protected]  

Secretary Jason Jorgenson – [email protected]  

Director Sandra Banks – [email protected]  

Director Thomas Carrey – [email protected]   

Director Julie Ott – [email protected]  

 

Meeting Logistics 

The School Board Meeting will be at 5:30 on February 5th, 2025.  It will be held at the District 11 Main Administration Building at 1115 N. El Paso St. You do not have to sign up to attend, but you DO need to sign up in advance to give public comments. 

To give public comment, you must sign up from 9am through 1pm the day of the meeting (Feb. 5th) The link will go live then, but it will be on this page https://www.d11.org/boe/meetings . When drafting your public comment, keep in mind you will have 3 minutes, so keep your comments concise. If you want support or a review, email [email protected]  

During public comment, the Board has strict rules around clapping, cheering, or otherwise showing support for the person speaking. If you attend the meeting but are not speaking (or when you are not speaking), you may stand to support the person who is giving comment to show you agree. If someone is speaking in support of the current draft of the policy, you can stand and turn your back to show you disagree.  

 

Email Template:  

An email is not subject to the same word limitation as a public comment, but make sure your email is neither too long nor too short.  

Subject: Community Concerns on Policy ACA Draft 

Dear Members of the District 11 School Board, 

My name is ____, and I am writing to you as a _____ (your role, e.g., concerned community member, parent of a student, educator, etc.). I appreciate the opportunity to share my concerns regarding your drafted Policy ACA. 

Why This Matters: (State a clear and concise statement of your position and why it is important.) Example: “Ensuring that all students, including LGBTQ youth, feel safe and supported in our schools is not just the right thing to do—it is essential for their well-being and academic success.” 

Key Points: Any of our talking points above can be used, and personal stories are always a powerful addition 

  1. [First Point] – Provide a fact, statistic, or personal experience that supports your position. 
  1. [Second Point] – Expand on another reason why this issue is important. This could include research, best practices from other districts, or legal considerations. 
  1. [Third Point]  – Address potential concerns and offer constructive solutions. 

Personal Story (if applicable): (Sharing a brief, relevant personal story can make your comment more compelling.) 

Call to Action: (Specifically state what action you want the board to take.) Example: “I urge the board to adopt clear policies that protect LGBTQ students from discrimination and bullying, including mandatory training for teachers and staff.” 

Closing Statement: (Thank the board for their time and reiterate the importance of your request.) Example: “Thank you for your time and for your commitment to ensuring that all students have a safe and supportive learning environment. I hope you will take action to make our schools more inclusive for every child.” 

Sincerely, (Your Name)
(Your Contact Information)
(Your Affiliation, if applicable) 

 

 

Public Comment Testimony Outline 

Hi, 

My name is ______, and I am a ____ (parent, teacher, student, community member etc.) I appreciate the opportunity to speak on your Policy ACA draft.  

Opening Statement:
(State a clear and concise statement of your position and why it matters.)
Example: “Ensuring that all students, including LGBTQ youth, feel safe and supported in our schools is not just the right thing to do—it is essential for their well-being and academic success.” 

Supporting Points (1-3 key arguments): Any of the talking points can be used here, and personal stories are very impactful additions 

  1. [First Point] – Provide a fact, statistic, or personal experience that supports your position. 
  1. [Second Point] – Expand on another reason why this issue is important. This could include research, best practices from other districts, or legal considerations. 
  1. [Third Point] (if applicable) – Address potential concerns and offer constructive solutions. 

Personal Story (if applicable):
(Sharing a brief, relevant personal story can make your comment more compelling.) 

Call to Action:
(In your own words, specifically state what action you want the board to take.)
Ex. I/We are asking you to remove the requirement for parental consent for students to use their correct, chosen name. If you must require contact with parents, please update the policy to notify the parents after a student comes forward, explicitly requiring that the student be informed before contacting parents or guardians.  

Closing Statement:
(Thank the board for their time and reiterate the importance of your request.)
Example: “Thank you for your time and for your commitment to ensuring that all students have a safe and supportive learning environment. I hope you will take action to make our schools more inclusive for every student.” 

End with:
“Thank you for your time.” 

 

 

Talking Points for Public Comment or Email Campaign  

You do not have to read this entire document word-for-word. Please use the talking points that resonate with you, while including personal anecdotes you think would be powerful to share. Given the attitude of the Board, we think the talking points listed first will be the most effective, but a wide variety of responses from the community would show diverse reasoning behind our ask.  

If you are interested in looking for other statistics to include in your communications, check out the Trevor Project or the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey.  

 

Our Ask 

  • I/We are asking you to remove the requirement for parental consent for students to use their correct, chosen name. If you must require contact with parents, please update the policy to notify the parents after a student comes forward, explicitly requiring that the student be informed before contacting parents or guardians.  

Privacy & Student Rights  

  • HB-1039 is law in Colorado. It says that schools must use a student’s chosen name, which is not conditional on parental consent. This policy is putting barriers in place for students to access rights they are already guaranteed.  
  • This policy could bring legal problems for the district that may take time and attention away from other district priorities, of which there are many. It sends a clear message that trans students are not respected for who they are by board members supporting this policy.   
  • Students have the right to share their identity with who they want when they want. Inserting the school or Board into those private conversations between families is not only unnecessary, but an overreach of schools into the home.  
  • “Students do not shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” 
    • Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969), was a landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court that recognized the First Amendment rights of students in U.S. public schools. The Tinker test, also known as the “substantial disruption” test, is still used by courts today to determine whether a school’s interest to prevent disruption infringes upon students’ First Amendment rights. The Court famously opined, “It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”[1][2] 
  • Self-representation is a form of free speech. Representing one’s gender identity and the name that aligns with it should be protected as that student’s free speech. In fact, this is the opposite of a “substantial disruption.” It allows students to focus on school while knowing they are supported by the school staff around them.  

Logistical Burden for Nicknames 

  • If this policy goes into effect, students will have to get consent from their parents any time they want to use a name other than their “legal name.” Depending on what steps teachers, administrators, students, and parents must go through, there may be hours of wasted time documenting and filing all of the nicknames, abbreviations, and shortened names (i.e. Mike for Micheal, Chrissy for Christina).  
  • If only transgender or gender non-conforming students are required to go through this process, they are being targeted due to their gender identity, which is an explicitly protected class in Colorado anti-discrimination law.  
  • If this implementation is intentional, it requires school personnel to determine themselves which names or nicknames are too different from their legal name to constitute a change. This process would be arbitrary and potentially discriminatory.  
  • Ultimately, HB24-1039 requires students’ chosen names be used in schools. That is not contingent on paperwork filed or parental consent. If a student requests a different name and it is not used, D11 will be in violation of Colorado law.  If students don’t fill out any paperwork, the district must still use their chosen name. 

Accessibility 

  • LGBTQIA2+ students sometimes struggle in school due to a lack of feeling safe or respected. If a student has to worry about being bullied or harassed in the hallway, is dealing with vandalism of their personal belongings, or is forced to be in a classroom with teachers and peers who degrade them, they cannot focus on what they are there for, school.  
  • Using chosen names is an accommodation that creates an environment where students know they are protected from discrimination and allows them to succeed in school instead of being afraid to participate or show up at all.  

Benefits of Affirming Environments  

  • 54% of transgender and nonbinary young people found their school to be gender-affirming, and those who did reported lower rates of attempting suicide. 
  • Schools with GSAs see students with better mental health and educational outcomes (whether they participate in the GSA, are LGBTQIA2+, or not) than schools without GSAs. Graduation rate, grades, and test scores can improve for all students when the expectation is that everyone is respected and protected.  
  • This speaks to the impact of inclusion on the well-being of everyone.  
  • LGBTQIA2+ students have reported significant stress and anxiety due to rhetoric like this from the national level down to their communities. Students pay attention to these conversations and know when they are not being respected by the adults making decisions about their lives.  
  • LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who reported living in very unaccepting communities. 

Risks associated with outing students 

  • Only 40% of LGBTQIA2+ feel like they can be open in their identity at home. That is less than half. Over 1 in 2 situations where home is contacted based on this policy could potentially expose a student to an unsafe situation.  
  • If a student is unaware that home has been contacted, they may be unable to take steps to prepare or protect themselves if needed.   
  • LGBTQIA2+ youth are at higher risk of homelessness due to unaccepting families. If students feel safe to explore their identity at school but not at home but are not given the agency to talk to their parents or guardians on their own timeline, this issue could potentially be exacerbated.  

Benefits of having trusted adults in youth lives 

  • The benefits of having ONE trusted adult in an LGBTQIA2+ student’s life include 
    • At least a 40% decrease in the likelihood they will attempt suicide  
  • Only 63% of LGBTQIA2+ students in CO have an adult they can go to for help with a serious problem.  
  • Only 35% of LGBTQIA2+ students in CO feel their stress level is manageable most days. 
  • Teachers are often trusted adults for students experiencing hardship at home, this policy might make it harder, if not impossible, for them to express that support.  
  • If school personnel are barred from respecting a student due to an administrative barrier, they are effectively being barred from becoming trusted adults.  
  • If a student disclosing their identity to school personnel becomes a potential source of danger in school or at home, they may not reach out in the first place. 

Negative Mental and Physical health outcomes that will be exacerbated by this policy.  

  • Transgender and gender non-conforming youth are at increased risk for many negative mental and physical health outcomes, including…  
    • Use substances as a coping mechanism, and develop an unhealthy relationship with substances 
    • Suffer sexual assault or harassment 
    • Experience bullying 
    • Experience homelessness or shelter insecurity 
    • Each of these are compounded by other systemic pressures, including racism and ableism.