With ever-increasing awareness of differing beliefs on self-identified gender, the self-appointed understanding of an individual’s gender rather than the biological sex assigned at birth, and sexual preferences, the idea of being “this or that” has evolved into a multi-faceted issue that deserves greater attention. Specifically, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students have been placed into a spotlight in recent years after greater awareness of being divergent from the long-held view of gender and sexuality being an either-or categorization.

Over the previous few years, an increasing number of students have embraced their self-identified gender and sexual preferences. Neshaminy School District has, in step, moved forward to acknowledge and respect the beliefs of these students, but implementation and physical manifestation of this acknowledgment and respect still remains a sought goal.

Accepting and embracing are two different actions, and in the case of Neshaminy High School, the former has been the first, and unfortunately the only, step in allowing students that do not fit the binary gender system or the heterosexual view towards sexuality to feel comfortable at school. One example is the current bathroom system; while most students take no notice to who enters which bathrooms, assigned male at birth students that identify as females may feel as if the male bathrooms are unfit for them. Again, most students are indifferent, and rightfully so, about bathroom use, but for a minority of students, being restricted from using the bathroom that feels comfortable is an unfortunate circumstance that holds no solution.

Accommodating for these students, those that conflict in biological gender and self-identified gender or those that feel no affinity for either, is not calling for a complete upheaval of the high school, but rather, an appropriate response to a minority of students that deserve to feel comfortable at school. Once again, it is iterated that these accommodations are not suggesting to replace the high school’s current system of bathrooms or gym locker rooms, but to allow this minority of students to have a place to feel comfortable.

Such accommodations may include a few gender neutral bathrooms and locker rooms. These facilities do not need to match the number of facilities for male and female bathrooms and locker rooms, but there ought to be at least some to accommodate for the minority of students uncomfortable with having to conform to the current binary system.
Dissenters of accommodations for these students cite the relative minuteness of this minority population and the cost versus reward of paying for such facilities to be added to or modified from the high school. However, the current lackluster effort to embrace the diminutive, yet diverse, minority of LGBT+ students reflects the unfinished battle for complete equality.

The American society has come to a general consensus, both by popular opinion and legal action, that marriage equality ought to be a guaranteed right for those interested in doing so, but a smaller portion of Americans are currently willing to fully embrace this history-changing Supreme Court decision.

Thus, the difference between accepting and embracing an idea is not in the motives, but in the varying degree of implementation.

The editors have agreed unanimously that accommodations are required for LGBT+ students, not only to provide equality for this minority group of students, but to also serve as an example of an enlightened school district that both recognizes and acts upon an issue that does, indeed, only affect a minute population of students, but contributes much to their long term success and happiness.

Ranging from student walkouts to physical violence, reactions to LGBT+ students have run the gamut of negative responses. Neshaminy High School’s continuous acknowledgment, sans appropriate accommodations, should not be one more statistic used to further demonstrate the lack of equality many LGBT+ students face everyday.

The Unsigned Editorial represents the majority view of the Editorial Board.