Reading "Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students" from RIDE, and listening to "Woke Read Alouds" by Woke Kindergarten, made me think about all of the people that I personally know that have grappled with their identity. As early as 6th grade, I have been a witness to classmates go through a transition from one gender to another, or alter their pronouns to reflect their connection to the binary of gender, typically requesting to now go by "they/them." I have always felt an admiration and an empathy for these peers, because it is a courageous act to defy gender norms and proclaim a new identity during one's emerging adolescence, as others can be very judgmental and even hateful about it, especially in a time and place where it is not very common, or praised. There would be many instances in middle and high school where a student would have to go up to the substitute teacher before they called attendance, to ensure that they'd yell out their preferred name, rather than their legal one listed on the attendance sheet. Additionally, I'd hear several teachers neglect to refer to these students using their preferred pronouns and gender, even if they had them in their class for a while. However, this may not always come from a place of malice. As both the text and the video express, there is often a lack of education on these concepts and terms, so, for some people, it may take a little longer to adjust to them, understand them, and even fully accept them, within a society where they are becoming more and more utilized. This topic can be a point of contention for people even in the same family, as older generations feel "against" the idea, while a lot of the younger generation want to simply do their best to respect how another person may identify or express themselves. Although all of this has become more normalized, there is still a stigma around it, as well as existing issues of harassment, bullying, discrimination.
Comment/Point of Discussion: I can recall two instances that occurred during my senior year of high school-- one involving hate speech being used on a social media post towards a gay classmate, and the other involving my classmate's car being vandalized with hurtful words about their change of name and pronouns. This is why I think installing and maintaining laws and policies in schools about sex and gender can help to create a safe and inclusive environment where both students and educators can show basic respect towards those who are already struggling internally with the way they view themselves, and how others view them, as well.
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