A draft policy to accommodate transgender students attending Catholic schools in Edmonton passed first reading before a packed room at the school board meeting Tuesday.

The reading passed by a vote of 6-1, with trustee Larry Kowalczyk voting against it. Second reading will take place in late November.

One of the speakers, Marni Panas began by saying, "I am not broken. I am not sick. I am transgender. Being transgender is not a mental health problem."

The issue began last spring when the mother of a transgender girl reported her child was asked to use the gender neutral washroom at her school.

Eventually, the girl was allowed to use the girl’s washroom, but since then school trustees have struggled to develop a policy on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The issue caused emotional outbursts at a meeting in September when a trustee told media that he considers being transgender a mental disorder. Education Minister David Eggen intervened in the issue and warned there could be consequences if board members couldn’t work together on the issue.

Last week, a document from the Council of Catholic School Superintendents of Alberta was leaked to the media. It indicated that Catholic schools should support inclusivity, but said gender transitioning goes against Catholic beliefs.