MILFORD, New Hampshire: After the local district banned urinals in a compromise to a proposal blocking children from using facilities based on their gender identity, dozens of students walked out of their New Hampshire school in protest last week.
Several days before the February 10 walkout, the school board of the town of about 15,000 people located some 35 miles from the state capital, Concord, prohibited students at Milford Middle School and Milford High School from using urinals or shared spaces in locker rooms.
The ban was the outcome of a long debate on district rules covering bathroom use and gender identity.
District procedures say students can access the bathroom that “corresponds to their gender identity consistently asserted at school.”
However, a proposal was sent to the school board calling for not allowing students to use school bathrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity.
According to board member Noah Boudreault, he proposed new restrictions on bathroom use as part of a compromise.
“I want to be clear, it was a compromise to both sides of this issue. It was put into effect last week,” he said.
Under the new policy, the maximum occupancy for each bathroom and locker room will be capped at the number of stalls it contains. It also prevents students from using shared changing areas.
After the walkout, the students demonstrated for about 45 minutes.
Republicans have been pushing anti-transgender legislation throughout the US.
