NYC School Cancels Father-Daughter Dance to Comply With New Gender Guidelines

A Staten Island elementary school canceled its traditional father-daughter dance because of the Department of Education’s (DOE) new gender guidelines. PS 65 had the event scheduled for Friday, February 9, until the school’s parent-teacher association realized it would not comply with the Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Student Guidelines, which went into effect in March 2017.

The school’s PTA will reschedule a dance for kids and caregivers of any gender on March 2, according to the DOE. “Father-daughter dances inherently leave people out. Not just because of transgender status, just life in general,” said Jared Fox, the DOE’s LGBT community liaison. “These can be really uncomfortable and triggering events.” READ MORE