User:Computer-ergonomics/sandbox/Steve Dain

Steve Dain (July 9, 1939 - October 10, 2007) was an American transgender educator and activist. He is best known for becoming the first visible spokesman for transmasculine issues, which occurred after he was arrested in his own classroom in 1976 for allegedly disturbing the peace and subsequently sued the school board for an undisclosed sum of money.

Early life

Steve Dain was born in Oakland, California to parents Frank and Doris Richards. He had two siblings growing up, a brother and a sister. Dain got both B.A. and a Master's degree in Physical Education and Child Development from University of California, Berkeley, completing his education in 1963.

Activism

Steve Dain was a speaker at the first F2M Conference of the Americas.

Legacy

Emeryville City Council debated naming a gym after Steve Dain in 2018. They decided against it due to the perception that choosing Steve Dain would be too political. Two years later, City Council unanimously voted to name the block of 47th Street close to the high school after Dain. In 2021, the Emeryville school board released an apology that read as follows:

"The Emery Unified School District Board of Trustees would like to apologize for the employment termination of teacher Steve Dain," the apology states, in part. "As a district, we understand the personal hardships, needless expense, and overarching injustice Mr. Dain incurred fighting the unjust decision preventing him from returning to Emery High. We regret the harmful actions taken by the district at that time. Mr. Dain was right to expect to return to his job. In no uncertain terms, the current school board would never support the termination of a person due to their gender and/or sexual orientation just as we would not support any negative action based on bias."

The vote to officially apologize to Dain was unanimous.