A Message from Nicole DeCrette - TDOR
Hello. My name is Nicole DeCrette. I’ve been an employee of Steamboat Springs School District since 2006 and I am a parent of two teenagers. I believe the LGBTQ+ community, especially our youth need allyship now more than ever.
2024 marks the 25th anniversary of Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). It is a significant milestone in honoring and remembering the lives of transgender individuals lost to violence while continuing to raise awareness about the ongoing challenges the community faces. It is observed this Wednesday, November 20, and all are invited to a rally and vigil at 5:15 pm on the Routt County building lawn.
In 2016, I worked with my first “out” transgender student at Steamboat Springs High School. At the time, I received no guidance. I assumed our school was safe and inclusive because the student felt comfortable being themselves. I was quietly proud of this assumption, but I later realized I was naive and uninformed.
A year later, I attended a professional development workshop, “Talking Transgender,” led by Meghan Hanson-Peters. It challenged my thinking and broadened my understanding of human identity. I became more conscious of the role schools play in creating safe spaces. This learning was deeply personal when, shortly after, my own child, then a 7th grader, came out as non-binary.
Moments like these are filled with joy that your child trusts you and fears for how the world will treat them. Sadly, that fear is justified.
The U.S. is poised to see leadership that could severely limit LGBTQ+ rights, particularly for children. In 2024, Republicans spent $215 million on anti-trans ads, and 665 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced nationwide, with 199 directly about public education, school libraries, and teachers. Texas and Florida have been labeled “Do Not Travel” for transgender individuals. Odessa, Texas, passed a $10,000 bounty for reporting transgender people in bathrooms. Since 2023, over 20 states have restricted or banned gender-affirming care for minors, with Idaho criminalizing parents and physicians, and Florida threatening custody loss for supportive parents. Crisis calls to The Trevor Project rose by 700% after election day, and the CDC reports one in four trans youth attempted suicide last year.