“person who produces sperm” and “person who produces eggs” are the terms

Parents and community members who attended a school board meeting in Vermont’s largest district mostly supported a decision to use the gender-inclusive terms “person who produces sperm” and “person who produces eggs” in a 5th grade health class rather than the words male or female. In the first school board meeting since a letter about the policy was distributed, all but two of more than a dozen parents who spoke praised the Essex/Westford School District for its choice. During roughly 20-minutes allotted for public comment, all speakers kept within their 2-minute time limit and none raised their voices. The district drew criticism last month after the principal of one school in the district distributed a letter to parents and caregivers about the change in terminology. The district said the instruction will not associate puberty with any specific gender but rather be clear about the differences in bodies and how that changes the experiences of puberty.