The public forum portion of Newport’s School Committee meeting this evening drew a large crowd as supporters and opponents of current LGBTQ+ student policies voiced their opinions. The debate centered around transgender rights, book banning, and potential legal challenges.
The public comment section of the meeting saw 15 speakers address the committee, including several members from local chapters of Moms for Liberty, an American conservative political organization that advocates against school curricula that mention LGBT rights, race and ethnicity, critical race theory, and discrimination.
Quinten Foster, representing East Bay Community Action Program, thanked the district for its support of LGBTQIA students. He cited statistics showing that 4% of Rhode Island middle and high school students identify as transgender.
“What is often left out of policy conversations is the fact that gender expansive children are frequently isolated, mistreated and targeted both by youth and adults alike,” Foster said.
Robert Chiaradio from Westerly argued against the district’s transgender policy, claiming it discriminates against 99% of students, “especially our girls, by placing them in uncomfortable, unsafe and unfair situations.”
Chiaradio threatened legal action if the policy isn’t changed, stating, “There will be a line of families, I promise you, and I will be helping them should this policy not change, lining up to litigate against you.”
Jamie Bova and Paul Opperman expressed support for the school committee’s current policies.
“Education is crucial to promoting, excuse me, to producing well-rounded, thoughtful individuals,” Bova said. “And as all of you know, it is the job of the public schools to prepare our children for the real world.”
The debate also touched on the issue of book banning, with multiple speakers arguing against censorship in schools.
William Kimes said, “Books are portals to infinite universes. Books ignite imaginations, and they challenge beliefs, even those we disagree with.”
Gene Thompson Grove, newly approved member of the policy subcommittee, said, “I can see now that we’ve gone down a little bit of a different path, a hateful one, in which we not only talk about censoring books and ideas, but people and who they are.”
Following the publication of this story, Senator Dawn Euer (District 13 – Newport & Jamestown) shared the following on X.
Tonight was a sad reminder that RI is not immune from this hateful, divisive, harmful movement. Tonight was beautiful thx to everyone who showed up to support our schools & our children tonight in Newport. Hate has no home here. We will not go back. #Nobookbans #TransIsBeautiful https://t.co/rYMWblBD57
— Dawn Euer (@DawnEuer) August 14, 2024
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