Defining your gender...

In School's No-Bias Wording Gets OK, we read about a school district in southern California that had come close to losing state funding because a majority of board members opposed the wording of the state's anti-discrimination policy. We read:

The three, who form a majority on the Westminster board, have cited their Christian beliefs in insisting that the district not adopt word-for-word a state policy that allows students and staff members to define their own gender... California Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell announced Monday that the modified policy the board adopted last week technically complies with state law that protects gays, as well as transsexuals and others who do not conform to traditional gender roles... For months, she and fellow trustees Helena Rutkowski and Blossie Marquez-Woodcock rejected the wording of the state law that allows students and teachers to define their own gender when making a discrimination complaint.

Where does it stop? If we, as individuals, have the ability to define our own gender, then why not define our own race? How about redefining our species? Maybe our phyla? Better yet, how about redefining who we are? Cross reference the concern expressed over these board members with the L.A. Times article, As Hate-Crime Concerns Rise, So Does the Threat of Hoaxes.