PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Olivia Blake, Member of the Board of Transformative Schools, on Comprehensive Sex Education
2:50:35
·
125 sec
Olivia Blake, a trans mother and board member of Transformative Schools, testified in support of Resolution 94, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive sex education in destigmatizing queer and trans identities in public schools. She shared her personal experience as a trans parent and presented a children's book to illustrate the need for inclusive sex education.
- Highlighted the role of comprehensive sex education in normalizing diverse family structures and identities
- Emphasized the importance of age-appropriate, medically accurate materials in educating children about gender identity and transition
- Stressed the need for mandated comprehensive sex education to ensure it is prioritized in schools
Olivia Blake
2:50:35
Hello, council members.
2:50:36
Thank you for having me today.
2:50:38
My name is Olivia Blake.
2:50:39
I use sheher pronouns, and I'm here, representing transformative schools.
2:50:44
I serve on the board of that organization.
2:50:46
We exist as a progressive education community centering trans joy and social justice.
2:50:51
Our mission is to support trans futures by uplifting the lives of trans children, trans educators, and families touched by transness.
2:51:00
Excuse me.
2:51:01
I'm here today to support resolution 94.
2:51:04
In addition to the myriad of benefits we've talked about today, I would also like to add to the comments, to the person to my left here, to say that we at transformative schools believe that comprehensive sex education for all k through 12 students is a vital part of destigmatizing queer and trans identities in our public schools.
2:51:22
And I speak about this not from, my experience as an educator, but my experience as a mother.
2:51:28
I'm a trans mother of 3 children, and I've had to seek out, over the years, age appropriate, medically accurate, sex education materials to inform my children about my journey and my transition.
2:51:41
And I thought I'd bring along a resource today for you.
2:51:44
This is my daughter's favorite book from our shelf.
2:51:46
It's called The Everybody Book.
2:51:48
It's geared towards children for ages 8 to 12.
2:51:51
And I wanna show you her favorite page because I think it underscores why, comprehensive sex education is so important.
2:51:59
This page, at the bottom of it has a variety of different folks with different bodies of different abilities from different races, who exist in a variety of different gender identities.
2:52:10
My daughter loves this page because she can see our family here.
2:52:14
And I think that, it normalizes her experience with queer people in her life and queer people in our circle.
2:52:20
And I think that all students, cis or trans, deserve the resources necessary to understand themselves, their peers, and the communities they live in in their full humanity.
2:52:30
And I believe that unless we have a requirement, that this won't be prioritized or given priority, in terms of, communicating to our students.
2:52:39
Thank you.
