In a win for some and a loss for others, the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts school board voted 4 – 2 to use biological sex as a determinant in joining either the Singing Girls of Texas choir or the Texas Boys Choir. LGBTQ activists were advocating for students’ right to join the choir that aligns with their gender identity, whereas opposing voices held that students should join the choir that matches the sex on their birth certificate.
Though the school board voted in favor of conservatives, it is notable that there was no way to make everyone happy. Families are bound to leave both choirs regardless of the outcome of the vote, which is truly unfortunate. There was no compromise or solution that could appease all stakeholders short of making one co-ed choir, and that does not appear to be a current option.
Now, when joining either choir in FWAFA, families must present the child’s original birth certificate to determine placement.
In other gender-related news in Texas, Keller ISD voted to ban boys from girls’ bathrooms and vice versa, stating that students must use the bathroom and locker room that matches their birth certificate. Furthermore, all teachers and district staff may not use pronouns inconsistent with the biological sex on a student’s birth certificate. Some in Keller ISD view these actions as protective of students and others view them as discriminatory and unsafe.
Regardless of one’s politics or personal beliefs, it is clear that the real losers in these conflicts are kids. No matter how school boards vote or what changes are made to handbooks, there are students whose daily lives are impacted in a negative way, no matter what side they and their family are on. The only winners are the adults who saw their agenda adopted by the board, and the casualties of the culture wars remain to be seen as our kids navigate the battle lines.
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