Jennea Purcell, a transgender student from Hawaii, claims she was prohibited from wearing a white graduation robe (customary for girls in Hawaii) and altogether forbidden from attending the annual graduation dance.
Kahuku High’s principal, a Mormon, reportedly made the call.
“When I talked to [principal] Pauline Masaniai, she was telling me that my choice is the male’s choice and that’s the only option I have,” she tells KITV.
A year later, she shares he story with the help of the Kumu Hina Project in order to “make sure that no other child, even if they’re not transgender or part of the LGBT community, goes through something like this. It’s not okay.”
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A Change.org petition requests that the Hawaii Department of Education creates a cohesive policy for transgender students to “provide an environment in which students have the opportunity to learn, express themselves, and live authentically.”
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