NEW HAMPSHIRE parents never dreamed their kids would face this in school: biological boys in girls’ private spaces and biological girls in boys’ private spaces. In Weare, a 13-year-old biological boy repeatedly used the girls’ restroom at Weare Middle School. Young girls grew anxious, upset and afraid to use the bathroom, a place meant to be safe. This isn’t rare as similar stories echoed in New Boston and beyond.
Politics aside, one truth stands: Boys and girls deserve privacy. They deserve peace of mind. They deserve to change or use the toilet without the opposite sex present. That’s not hate or discrimination. It’s common sense grounded in biology and decades of child-protection norms. Bodies differ and puberty hits hard. A 12-year-old girl shouldn’t worry about a boy seeing her undress. A 12-year-old boy shouldn’t fear a girl walking in while he’s vulnerable. Both deserve the same shield.