I said what I said.

Recently the Canyon Independent School District's School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) made a recommendation regarding a suicide intervention program called Teen Mental Health First Aid or

TMHFA. In the community of Canyon, parents were very upset that Trans students were depicted in the training. There was some controversy within the SHAC recommendation because it failed in the in-person vote, but later through email people were confused about how the vote was worded. I get that, sometimes in a contentious vote, you're more hesitant to ask clarifying questions. During the SHAC meeting, there were a lot of very vocal folks who used the Bible and God as a weapon in my opinion. I wasn't willing to just let this issue go, so when it came time for the CISD school board meeting I knew I had to speak up. As a wise mentor once told me, speak your truth, even if your voice shakes.

The following is the statement I made that the CISD school board meeting:

Hello, my name is Broc Carter, and I'm a 1999 graduate of Canyon high school. All of the growth in this district is incredible, but one thing hasn't changed, and that's a very small but very vocal group of parents who refuse to accept that the school district has changed, and the student body is different than it was 20 years ago.

As a young gay man in Canyon ISD in the 90s, there was not one safe person in the district, in my opinion. Suicide became a real option for me, I had a plan and if it had not been for a friend I would not be here. No one wants to just be tolerated, that’s the lowest bar on the pole. Belonging is what LGBTQIA+ students want just like every one of us does.

Let’s start with the facts of what’s happening.

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among children aged 12-18. (Jason Foundation).

This debate is regarding a 45-second clip in a training video for a suicide prevention curriculum that depicts a trans student needing suicide intervention. This makes total sense, because Trans students are in this district, and they are four times more likely than their peers to need suicide intervention. LGBTQ youth are twice as likely to ideate, three times as likely to plan, and twice as likely to commit suicide. I will say that it has more to do with being told you're an abomination and a sin simply because you exist, than anything.

I have also heard from the faith community on this subject. I want to be VERY CLEAR, they don't simply wish to stop this curriculum; they have said trans students don't exist from their pulpits. I can identify with that because in fifth grade I was told no one had dyslexia in this district, But here I was existing. And here our Trans students are, existing. They live and breathe and have their being within this district. I see you; I hear you, you are beautiful, and made perfectly by God

So, in conclusion, in a community that loudly says they are "pro-life," "all lives matter", I find it to be interesting that we are having this debate. So much of the focus has been on the LGBTQIA+ community but this curriculum is for all students and is for them equitably. 34% of Texas high school students have depression symptoms as compared to 31% nationally. Also, in 2018-19, students aged 12-17 reported:

◦ 18.8% seriously considered attempting suicide.

◦ 15.7% made a suicide plan

◦ 8.9% attempted suicide

All of that pre-covid, so you can imagine that those stats are worse especially when the American Academy of Pediatrics and other entities declared a state of emergency in child and adolescent mental health

To the incredible schoolboard of Canyon ISD, I ask you to please approve using this evidence-based effective curriculum in question here today in a school district where suicide is all too often an occurrence. Please speak loudly for people who cannot speak for themselves because you were elected to do just that. The goal of the program is to SAVE LIVES, no matter why that life is troubled. Surely that’s a goal we ALL hold in common.

Thank you for your time and your service to our community.