That Times article you refer to was very disappointing. They didn't print it in a vacuum. The background is that several state legislatures are considering laws right now that would require school staff to out transgender students to their parents, even if their parents would clearly be unsupportive.

The laws would, intentionally or not, also sometimes result in outing gay kids to their parents.

I remember my guidance counselor from when I was a senior in high school. I had a lot of respect and a great deal of affection for her, and she is the first adult I ever told I was gay. I told her in the context of telling her that I was feeling anxiety and depression and I wanted to talk about it.

She was very helpful, very non-judgmental, and exactly what I needed at that moment.

If some of these laws I'm talking about had been in effect then, she would have been required to report my "change in mental health services" to my parents and explain to them what the context was, meaning out me as gay. I don't know exactly how that would have gone, but it would not have gone well in a very conservative religious household.

I'm disappointed in the New York Times even more than I'm disappointed in the conservative legislatures that are considering these harsh laws.

We should take for granted that students have a right to privacy, especially around matters of gender identity and sexual orientation.