It’s been two years since the Outpost first reported on Lark Doolan, superintendent/principal of Peninsula Union School District. At the time he had just come out publicly as transgender, making him the first openly trans public school administrator in the country.
“When I came out to the Peninsula staff, I was met with support,” he said at the time. “It felt incredible to have the news be so well-received.”
Two years later, Doolan is in the same position at the tiny school district, which consists of just one school attended by 41 students. And as shown in this report from the Association of California School Administrators, he’s still passionate about education and his job, which ranges from running the district to serving up breakfast, if the cook happens to call in sick.
And while Doolan’s public transition went smoother than he expected, there were signs that not everyone was open and accepting.
From the ACSA story:
The summer after Doolan’s transition, eight students left the school without any explanation, a big number given the small district. But 14 new students enrolled in the fall. Through it all, Doolan says he never regretted his decision to come out.
“I’m happy to be transgender,” he said. “The fact that I was raised and socialized to be a woman makes me a better man. I live my authentic truth and I celebrate other people living their authentic truth. For me, being transgender, that’s just part of who I am.”
The video above was produced by the ACSA.