Pearland mom, outspoken transgender advocate, moves family to Austin

Kimberly Shappley holds a photo of her daughter, Kai Shappley, who is transgender, during a press conference at the Montrose Center where community leaders react to the news that Donald Trump is expected to roll back Obama era regulations that protect transgender people Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 in Houston. ( Michael Ciaglo / Houston Chronicle ) less Kimberly Shappley holds a photo of her daughter, Kai Shappley, who is transgender, during a press conference at the Montrose Center where community leaders react to the news that Donald Trump is expected to ... more Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff Photo: Michael Ciaglo, Staff Image 1 of / 54 Caption Close Pearland mom, outspoken transgender advocate, moves family to Austin 1 / 54 Back to Gallery

Kai Shappley lasted almost two academic years in Pearland's public schools before her mother decided that it just wasn't going to work.

"This year was just too much for her," said Kimberly Shappley, explaining her decision to move her family to Austin from Pearland in early March.

"We've just been having trouble with other students telling her she can't line up with girls because she's a boy. It's not the kids' fault, they don't understand," Shappley said. "And Pearland ISD doesn't want to educate them. It became too much."

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Shappley's Facebook page describes her as an "accidental advocate," a role that grew out of her appearance before the Pearland Independent School District board in August 2016. She pleaded with trustees to provide a more inclusive environment for Kai, who was then preparing to enter kindergarten, and for other transgender children in the district.

The district, however, has continued to follow a policy that does not permit Kai to use the girls' bathrooms. Kai has used a restroom in a nurse's office, although her mother says the child has sometimes had accidents because the office was locked when she needed it.

Shappley's efforts on her transgender daughter's behalf expanded to include statewide activism.

Last year, she traveled repeatedly to Austin to lobby against the "bathroom bill," which would have required transgender people to use restrooms in public schools, government buildings and public universities based on "biological sex."

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The bill, which was championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and became a top priority for social conservatives, died in the Legislature's special session last summer.

Throughout this time, Shappley said, she kept a close eye on Kai's emotional health, and she finally concluded that the girl needed a more welcoming atmosphere. Kai, 7, is now a first-grader.

"Consistently, people that I know who have LGBTQ students that are in any Austin ISD school recommended that if I didn't want to leave Texas, Austin was my best and only choice," Shappley said.

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In December 2014, the Austin school district updated its anti-discrimination and harassment policies to include "gender expression" in multiple references, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

The district, which has had transgender students as young as elementary school age, has never had a bathroom issue that required the school board to consider a policy, Jayme Mathias, the district's first openly gay trustee, told the newspaper.