Transgender teens are still being treated as outcasts within school systems today. School is supposed to be one of the safest places we can be outside of being in our own homes, but this is not the case for transgender youth. There are ‘unsafe spaces’ for people who identify as transgender, spaces that cis-gender people take for granted, and high school is one of those ‘unsafe spaces’ for transgender youth. There was an unfortunate event on September 25, 2017 that occurred in Dieppe, New Brunswick which involved a transgender youth who had to be pulled from her high school due to the bullying that had been afflicted upon her. Sixteen-year-old Noemie LeBlanc claims she has been a victim of transphobia at her high school, and had to endure …show more content…
Although Canadians are stereotypically viewed as accepting people, there are still countless cases of bullying going on within Canadian schools, more specifically with members of the LGBTQ community. Most of the places within a school property are deemed as ‘unsafe spaces’ by LGBTQ students, and 79% of transgender youth felt that at least one area in their school was unsafe for them to be in (Antony, Antony, & Samuelson, 2017, p 314). The more unsupervised the space is within the school, it seems that there is more transphobic bullying taking place. Negative transphobic comments are common in Canadian society, such as when feminine males are told to “not be such a girl” or they are assumed to be gay for showing their feminine side (Antony, Antony, & Samuelson, 2017, p 324). 60% of transgender youth report lies being spread about their sexual orientation, 64% of transgender youth were verbally harassed about their sexual orientation, 75% of transgender youth were being verbally assaulted about their sexual orientation, and tragically, 37% of transgender youth had been physically assaulted due to their gender expression (Antony, Antony, & Samuelson, 2017, p 326). Furthermore, 67% of teachers report that they were aware of verbal harassment, and/ or lies about sexual orientation, and 33% of teachers were …show more content…
“[I don’t tell people I am transgender] because I am worried what most people will think or say to me—I already get teased enough and I don’t want to lost friends for being trans” (Antony, Antony, & Samuelson, 2017, p 327). There is a high level of victimization upon transgender youth within Canadian schools (Antony, Antony, & Samuelson, 2017). 55% of transgender teens felt as though they were not a “real” part of there school, compared to 25% non-LGBTQ students when confronted with the same statement (Antony, Antony, & Samuelson, 2017). These statistics are imperative because they show the level of fear that sexual- and gender-minority students face daily (Antony, Antony, & Samuelson, 2017). The experiences of all of the transgender students that contributed to the statistics in Power and Resistance imply that being anything other than cis-gendered while you are in a school setting that sexuality and gender norms are rigorously regulated makes it so much more difficult for LGBTQ students to play an active role in school life, whether it is academically or socially (Antony, Antony, & Samuelson,
It is a danger, both mentally and physically, to these transgender students attending an all women’s school. I believe Padawer does a fine job informing us as readers on a modern issue like transgender through stories of students at Wellesley College. They face problems such as bullying, humiliation, and sexual assault every day, and the problem is often neglected because they are
“Qualitative study that paints a picture of what life is like for transgender people, Wyss (2004) interviewed seven transgender high school students and asked them about their experiences at school. … Many report that not just other students harassed them but that people they even considered friends would either help or join with assailants during physical attacks. Two of the students were set on fire in school. There were also constant threats of sexual assault, or coercive sex, or physical assault, both verbal threats and notes left in lockers.”
Matt Zalaznick’s article, “Creating Inclusive Climates”, offers suggestions for how schools can support transgender students and improve school climate by educating classmates and faculty about the needs and experiences of transgender children. The need for such education starts at the elementary school level, with many students beginning to identify as being transgender as early as the age of the average kindergartener. Although the implications of Title IX protections state that schools must not discriminate against students on the basis of sex, many districts have strengthened the wording with amendments to include specific wording to include stronger protections for transgender students. Leaders need to ensure that there are adequate district policies in place to prohibit mistreatment of students based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Increased acceptance among the peers of transgender students.
The eye opening article utilized for this analysis is titled, “Trans Women at Smith: The Complexities of Checking ‘Female’” ,written by contributing writer, Sarah Fraas on August 24, 2014 (pg 683-685). Fraas starts off by introducing the audience with a school that accepts trans women, Mills College, and talks about how glorious this decision is. The author then begins to talk about other schools not as accepting as Mills, especially Smiths College. She spews many facts and analysis on the issues trans women face today throughout the article including how transgender women are not gaining enough support to succeed, most transgendered women are neglected in school, and the fact that many have been accused of being a woman for the “wrong” reason. She also mindfully includes the image of a woman of color holding up a sign saying, “Support your sisters, not just your CIS-ters!”. The author utilizes this image to show people that we are all one whether we
Those who become marginalized can lose control of their own lives and the available resources they can access; they can become nothing more than stigmas and often negatively treated in public. Because of this, their social contributions are sometimes hampered and this, consequently, causes them to become socially isolated and/or sufferers of low esteem. Approximately, in America, thirty percent of LGBTQ youth were often abused by their parents over their orientation or gender, with an estimated forty percent of homeless youths identifying as LGBTQ themselves. (Chatterjee) These statistics and stigmas can affect those who haven’t fully comprehend their feeling and those who stay closeted (keeping their sexual orientation or gender identity as a secret) because they fear the possible negative reactions from family and
According to a study by GLAAD, “…41% of transgender individuals attempt suicide, compared to 1.6 of the general population”. Potential causes are ignorance, lack of a friendly environment at school, and lack of non-discrimination laws and policies for transgender individuals. However, if schools and families would create a safe and discrimination free environment, that acknowledges transgender students and other children. The result would be a culture that teaches students and children to be mindful and respectful. If this happens, then there is potential that discrimination would decrease and social acceptance would increase.
Humans have established their own rights in society for many, many years now. However, because some humans differ from the norms that are built in society, they are shunned and denied their rights until they conform to society’s norms. There has been numerous groups of people who have been denied their rights in America. African Americans, immigrants, Native Americans, and gays have been isolated simply because that is the way that they were born into this world and others do not find them “normal”. There is another group that has also been mistreated though; people who identify themselves as transgendered. A good portion of society is unknowingly misinformed about these kinds of people.
There are many barriers that trans-people face daily such as discrimination, whether it is in the workplace, school, or just in public. Trans-people are denied when they try to serve in the military. There is a lot of debate whether or not trans-people are allowed to participle on sports teams, and which restroom/locker rooms to use. Trans-people have unequal access to health care, and the media shows a poor representation of them. People claim that being “transgender” is a “mental disorder” (GID). Forty-one percent of trans-people have reported that they have attempted suicide throughout their lives, compared to less than two percent of the general population (Cronn-Mills 52). How other people treat them, can greatly influence trans-individuals throughout
Kolbert, Crothers, Bundick, Wells, Buzgon, Berbary and Senko (2015) explore bullying of LBGTQ youth from teachers' perspectives. It is acknowledged that bullying is a concern for many children and teens, but as an LBGTQ youth, the odds increase dramatically. It is crucial to get educators' perspectives according to Kolbert et al. (2015) because school environments are shaped by adults. A multitude of LBGTQ students report bullying to educators and do not see action, which creates a fear of confiding. A shocking fact in the article is how uncomfortable most teachers are dealing with LBGTQ based bullying, due to the fear of losing their jobs or reactions of the parents. Teachers also feel unequipped to deal with LBGTQ subjects and lack training. This article will provide evidence for LBGTQ bullying in school systems within the theme of LBGTQ youth being viewed as other. It examines how teachers see conflict and how students feel approaching authority with
Bilodeau, B. (2003, October). Genderqueer: Understanding transgender student identities. Presented at the American Educational Research Association Research on Women in Education Annual Conference, Knoxville, TN.
One article faces the facts stating that, “Despite significant strides in safer environments for LGBT+ students, many still experience harassment and violence based on their sexual orientation or gender identity (“Hidden Crisis” 1).” Strides have been taken forward in the pursuit of LGBT+ rights but there have also been big strides backward. Laws set in place for the protection and equality of LGBT+ people are being opposed and fought against
From 1791, when James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights, one of our ten rights as citizens is the right to bear arms. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed”(Bill of Rights). When it comes to this topic (gun rights), Conservatives believe everyone in America has the right to own a gun to protect himself, his family and his property. They believe that infringing on firearm rights is unconstitutional and the law should not be changed by government mediation because of its value to the country and how the early Americans needed firearms to survive. On the other side, Democrats believe there’s a demand for stricter regulations on assault weapons.
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) notes, “Discrimination against an individual because that person is transgender is discrimination because of sex in violation of Title VII. This is also known as gender identity discrimination” ("EEOC - Sex," n.d., para. 3). According to Canas and Sondak (2014), many states have adopted legislation that supports transgender people as a protected class. Colorado passed legislation extending protection to transgender people in 2008 (Brinker & Maza, 2014). However, one of the biggest controversies surrounding transgender individuals is which bathroom should they use? Zanin (2009) notes, “bathrooms remain one of the most acceptable gender-segregated spaces in cities which can present problems to those who do not conform to gender norms…” (para. 1). The question, then, is should transgender people use the bathroom that most closely mirrors their biological gender or the gender they identify with? While individual beliefs may vary greatly, legally, there is less of a gray area. This paper will address the recently decided Colorado case involving a transgender six year old child, Coy Mathis, and her fight to use the girls’ bathroom at school. In addition to this, legal issues and implications employers should be aware of will also be discussed.
Williams, T., Connolly, J., Pepler, D., & Craig, W. (2003). Questioning and sexual minority adolescents: High school experiences of bullying, sexual harassment and physical abuse. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health. Special Issue: Disrupting Normalcy: Lesbian, Gay, Queer Issues and Mental Health, 22 (2), 47-58.
In the United States, more than 700,000 people have identified themselves as transgender. These statistics include people of all ages from the children to the elderly. In several surveys conducted in U.S. schools, several children were identified as transgender. For instance, in a 2015 survey in Dane County, 1.5% of the students were transgender (Hoffman). With the revelation, there is a call for unisex bathrooms to accommodate all these students. For example, a nine-year-old student was denied access to the female bathroom in Queensland (Hosking and Sun). This shows that transgender people sometimes go through a hard time; especially in societies where being a transgender has not been accepted. Statistics show that transgender people often become victims of bullying. For instance, 22 women were murdered in 2015 due to being transgender (Goodyear). Additionally, a report by The National Transgender Discrimination Survey shows that more than 40% of transgender people have attempted suicide because of the lack of acceptance in the society (Grant, Mottet, and Tanis 2). Although unisex bathrooms will not eliminate transphobia, it will be a start to ensuring their acceptance in the future. Stereotypes associated with transgender people will be crushed at an early age, giving an opportunity for their acceptance in the