Claire Luger holds many roles: lead singer for the punk rock band The Silent Treatment, trans rights advocate, former Wyoming City Council member and, most recently, the potential seventh member of the Forest Lake school board.
Currently, the “nonpartisan” school board is dominated by right- wing representatives. These include members of parents’ rights groups advocating against trans rights in Wyoming public schools.
However, elections are set for Tuesday, November 3, and Luger is determined to be a voice for trans students who are currently underrepresented.
“Public schools are for all students, regardless of who they are, their beliefs, or their backgrounds. Every single educator in our public schools has a responsibility to ensure that all kids, including trans kids, are welcome members of the learning community,” Luger says.
Three seats will be open in the next election, and Luger is determined to be part of the effort to change the board’s right-leaning mindset. Her fellow candidates, Jill Christenson and Andi Courneya, are also running for the three open seats. Christenson currently holds a seat on the board and is running for reelection, while Courneya and Luger are both newcomers to the race.
Luger understands the system and stands as a perfect candidate to advocate for trans students’ rights because of her history as a member of the Wyoming City Council. She served for over a decade, focusing on public safety, improving infrastructure, and preserving transparency and fiscal responsibility.
“Inclusion isn’t indoctrination or promotion; it’s basic ethical practice that increases academic achievement and decreases harm. Shouldn’t we want that for all students?” says Luger.
Without people like Luger advocating for them, students’ mental health and education suffer, despite the need for schools to make both a top priority. Luger is trying to prevent cases such as the Sarasota County School Board in Florida. Until recently, the board was led by Bridget Ziegler, who co-founded Moms for Liberty. Under her leadership, the school board removed anti-bullying protections based on race, sexuality, and disability and voted to reject federal protections for LGBTQ+ students.
“School boards are on the front lines of the fight to safeguard the rights and dignity of all students, especially our LGBTQ youth,” Krystin Schuette says. Schuette is the founder and director of the School Board Integrity Project. School board elections can have a significant impact on how LGBTQ+ students will be treated.
Luger hopes to change this, saying, “We’re kind of fighting a battle up in the Forest Lake area on their school board because it’s an awful, awful just s**tshow of a majority.”
If Luger and her fellow candidates win, they could be the voice LGBTQ+ students need to feel comfortable expressing themselves. In Wyoming alone, Gov. Mark Gordon has signed bills banning trans girls from participating in girls’ sports teams, banning gender-affirming care for trans youth, and barring trans people from using restrooms and other single-sex spaces consistent with their gender identity. Luger’s win could turn the tide for public school boards and help protect students in need.
Photo courtesy of social media
