There are so many difficulties with going to the bathroom for trans students. Figuring out where to go, being comfortable going to staff bathrooms even if teachers give you weird looks or just deciding to go to the student bathrooms.

“I just don’t like public bathrooms,” sophomore Kaitlyn Simpson said. ”But also, you know, (being) trans is a whole different thing and going into either one can cause its own range of issues with people.”

Since a Derby Board of Education decision in 2017, trans students must use bathrooms that match their gender assigned at birth or gender-neutral staff bathrooms.

Along with that decision, the Derby Board of Education also created a document called “Gender Transition Support Plan” for students who wish to be called by a preferred name and pronouns and have accommodations to use staff restrooms. 

Trans students who haven’t gone through this process continue to use the bathrooms that match their gender assigned at birth.

“Going into the men’s, you have the whole wide option of being made fun of,” Simpson said. “Go in women’s, it’s very possible someone gets offended or yells or something like that.” 

“I do think general announcements to students that there are individual restrooms available to students across the building could reduce some stigma associated with asking about access,” principal Tim Hamblin said.

The gender neutral staff bathrooms are in short supply. 

Senior Charli Campbell, who went through the transition support plan, believes the school should have more gender neutral bathrooms and for not only transgender students.

“It helps not only people who are trans, but people who just don’t feel comfortable around other people in the restroom,” Campbell said. 

The lack of gender neutral bathrooms not only causes issues for trans students but anyone who doesn’t identify as their gender assigned at birth. With that in mind there may not be enough support in the community for this issue to be resolved. 

“I do not believe that there is support within the community to spend tax dollars making renovation or adjustments to current bathrooms after renovations have been made in the recent bond issue,” Hamblin said.