Indiana School Reverses Decision to Deadname Trans Teen at Graduation
The Advocate reported two weeks ago, Bradley Curry was facing the prospect of going across the Boonville High School graduation stage after the principal addressed him by a name he no longer recognized or skipping the day and maintaining his dignity instead.Curry had recently announced on his Facebook page that he was considering not attending his high school graduation because the school principal was enforcing his anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans beliefs on the local community.He explained that Boonville High School principal Michael Whitten warned the teen and his parents that he would not call Bradley by the name his family, teachers, and friends have called him since he was 12 years old.
People from all over the country were outraged by Curry's post and expressed their support and shock, anger, and disgust on social media."This is so sad," one user on Facebook wrote. "Keep fighting the good fight, and know that there are so many people who support you and all trans kids!"Some people sided with the school principal, arguing that it was the responsibility of the schools to refer to students by their legal names.That's not the case.According to an informal survey conducted by IndyStar in 2018, many Indiana school districts acknowledge that they consider the needs of LGBTQ+ students on an individual basis rather than establishing a policy that applies to all.Bradley Curry and his father, Jeremy Curry, had submitted an appeal to Todd Lambert, the Warrick County School Corporation superintendent, asking for him to overrule the principal.In a previous interview with The Advocate, the elder Curry hoped that Lambert would recognize that his son had suffered unnecessary mental distress and that Lambert would accept the family's.
