{"id":1418,"date":"2016-12-14T14:25:39","date_gmt":"2016-12-14T19:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=1418"},"modified":"2016-12-14T14:25:39","modified_gmt":"2016-12-14T19:25:39","slug":"transgender-student-faces-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=1418","title":{"rendered":"Transgender student faces challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Imani Roberson
\n<\/strong>Scriptor
\nWylie E Groves HS
\n1st Place
\nDivision 3, News Writing
\nDiversity Coverage<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Senior Elle Callahan was sitting in the hallway, when she experienced something she never expected to happen in the hallways of Groves. Callahan was wearing more makeup than usual that day. A random student walking down the hallway came and sat next to Callahan. What seemed like the start of a conversation, quickly changed
\nwhen the boy pulled out his phone to take a selfie with Callahan. As he walked away, through laughs, he said, \u201cYou look disgusting.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is just one example of bullying Callahan has faced because of the way she identifies. Callahan is non-binary, but transfeminine, meaning that Callahan is not a trans woman but feels feminine at times.<\/p>\n

Many people are familiar with the term transgender, but transgender is the umbrella term for many different identities. Those who identify as non-binary do not feel exclusively feminine or masculine. Gender fluid individuals generally flow along the spectrum of gender. A gender fluid student might feel more masculine one day, more feminine the other, or somewhere in between. Trans women were assigned as a male at birth but identify as female. Trans men were assigned female at birth, but identify as male. This is a small portion of the variety of gender identities within our school.<\/p>\n

With little gender education, trans students must overcome challenges the average student does not face. One of the biggest challenge for trans students is having their identity disrespected and disregarded.<\/p>\n

Senior Zu Weinger is a demi boy, meaning that he identifies as male, but not wholly. Weinger is often called his birth name by his teachers, and this creates an uncomfortable situation for him in the classroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of teachers who still call me by my birthname. It\u2019s just kind of weird. I don\u2019t really know how to describe it, but it feels so much better when people use the right name and pronouns,\u201d Weinger said. \u201cWhen you talk with people who use the wrong name and pronouns, it just feels different; it doesn\u2019t necessarily feel awful, but it doesn\u2019t feel as good as it would if they did use the right name and pronouns.\u201d<\/p>\n

Often times, teachers use the wrong pronouns because they are unaware. Principal Cathy Hurley offers a solution to combat misunderstanding.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the student has gone through and officially changed their name, then we can change their name in our records and then it\u2019s easy for anyone to see the name change,\u201dHurley said. \u201cIf not, I think they just have to speak with their teacher, if they\u2019re uncomfortable speaking with a teacher themselves I think they should talk to their counselor, and then have the counselor interface with the teacher for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Callahan agrees that at many times, people are not aware of her pronouns, but she\u2019s found teachers in the school that are and respect them.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a couple teachers that I told my preferred name and my pronouns to. They\u2019re just like \u2018oh okay\u2019 and they use those from now on,\u201d Callahan said.<\/p>\n

Senior Mytae Wilds is gender fluid, but often presents as feminine. Her pronouns are she\/her or zay\/zear. Though Wilds goes by her birth name, she can sympathize with Weinger and Callahan.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy name is really hard to pronounce for most people for some reason. This happens to a lot of people with complicated names. I get my name mispronounced on a daily basis, so I can only imagine what it\u2019s like to have someone get your whole name wrong and entire identity wrong daily. It\u2019s painful, and it feels like they\u2019re erasing who you are,\u201d Wilds said.<\/p>\n

Freshman Luke Bagdon is gender fluid, similar to Wilds, but Bagdon leans towards the agender or boy side of the spectrum. Bagdon often struggles with misgendering as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnline, people say they\u2019re going to use the right pronoun for me, but suddenly we\u2019re in front of other people and they use she. \u2018Her flashdrive.\u2019 \u2018She\u2019s going to the bathroom.\u2019 \u2018Her phone,\u2019\u201d Bagdon said.<\/p>\n

To avoid misgendering, Bagdon has to come out to nearly everyone he meets, including parents of friends whom he recently met, and even the person bagging groceries at the grocery store.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery new person I meet, I think \u2018when am I going to tell them my pronouns? When am I going to tell them that I don\u2019t use feminine titling? When am I going to tell them that I do not identify as cis?\u2019 Because everyone takes you as cis until you say otherwise,\u201d Bagdon said.<\/p>\n

Bagdon received a mostly supportive response from his friends when he came out in the 8th grade, but when Bagdon came out to his parents, he didn\u2019t receive the response that he hoped for.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I came out, it was like I was taking the first step and then someone pushed me down a hill. I came out to my art teacher, and he told my assistant principal. My middle school principal called my parents. My mom called my dad, and then I\u2019m suddenly in a room, discussing what\u2019s going on with my life, which was terrifying,\u201d Bagdon said.<\/p>\n

Coming out to peers can also be difficult because many times, they simply do not understand. Callahan understands the hurt that accompanies not being accepted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes I\u2019ll tell people my pronouns and they\u2019ll just kind of blow it off. And they\u2019ll say \u2018Well I\u2019m going to make a lot of mistakes\u2019 or \u2018I\u2019ll mess it up a bunch of times\u201d which is not something you really want to hear,\u201d Callahan said.<\/p>\n

Hurley believes that the best way to deal with this, is to bring it to the attention of the office staff.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if they\u2019re really struggling with a peer group not respecting how they identify, they should bring in their peers and sit down with a counselor and have a facilitated discussion on why this is important,\u201d Hurley said.<\/p>\n

Trans students face bullying and misgendering, but they also face obstacles that other students don\u2019t have to worry about. For some trans students, going to the bathroom is the worst time of the day. Many trans students don\u2019t utilize the bathroom that is representative of how they identify; they use the bathroom where they know they will be safest and cause the least amount of discomfort for others.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really frustrating for trans people, especially trans people who haven\u2019t transitioned, to go into the bathroom where it would be most socially correct for them. They feel really awkward because that\u2019s not where they belong,\u201d Weinger said.<\/p>\n

Weinger has, at times, avoided using the women and men restrooms all together and to utilize the handicap restrooms. Many of the handicap bathrooms are locked, forcing him into making the decision to either hold it, or go into either the boys or the girls bathroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very frustrating, because I once knew a trans boy who went to Groves, and he actually got an infection because he couldn\u2019t go to the bathroom all day. So, it\u2019s frustrating, because I don\u2019t want to get an infection as well, but I also don\u2019t want to be uncomfortable and I don\u2019t want to make other people uncomfortable,\u201d Weinger said.<\/p>\n

The two handicap bathrooms near the science wing, athletics, and the auditorium are supposed to open for the use of students, but often times many of them are not. Hurley explains why this has become an issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have custodial staff changing, so it\u2019s a matter of reminding the custodial staff to keep these bathrooms unlocked,\u201d Hurley said.<\/p>\n

Weinger looks forward to more such accommodations for students needing this privacy, but did not look forward to what is usually an exciting time for most students: applying for college. The application can be more difficult for trans students who must answer questions about gender that don\u2019t cater to the trans community. Some colleges are taking steps to make their applications more user friendly for trans applicants. On September 17th, Weinger logged into the common app to complete his Columbia Chicago application. Suddenly, he stumbled upon the gender\/identity section of the app, and due to his past experience, immediately uttered, \u201cOh God, here we go.\u201d He gathered the courage to click on the section. Weinger was pleasantly surprised when the application asked for preferred names and pronouns, and the options for pronouns were limitless. Weinger was accepted to Columbia Chicago, and plans on attending there because of that section on the application.<\/p>\n

Caitlyn Jenner has contributed to more exposure for the transgender community, which in turn can cause change similar to that of the of Columbia Chicago application. Trans students recognize her bravery, but also her underlying privilege.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think she\u2019s unaware of what kids face daily because she has grown up in privilege. She\u2019s been an olympic gold medalist. She\u2019s rich, and she\u2019s been able to pay for the surgeries, the hormones, the transition, the clothes. A lot of trans kids don\u2019t have that ability, they don\u2019t have that stability,\u201d Bagdon said.<\/p>\n

Wilds believes that a better spokesperson for the trans community would be Laverne Cox, who is a trans women, but also an actress on the popular Netflix series Orange is the New Black.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaverne Cox talks about the trans community at any chance that she gets, but I think with Caitlyn Jenner, coming from the Kardashian family, that\u2019s more so what she\u2019s asked about, and not how she\u2019s helping the trans community. I don\u2019t think Caitlyn\u2019s doing much for us, except getting us mass media coverage,\u201d Wilds said.<\/p>\n

Some students in our community have realized the lack of awareness on a national level, and have decided to do what they can to bring attention to the trans community within our the school community. The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), also works together to create a safe environment for the trans students. They work to develop activities and camaraderie amongst the student body. One of their most popular activities is the Transgender Chain of Remembrance. All students and staff are welcome to sign a link in the chain and they hang it across the commons or the library. It\u2019s a visual reminder that all students and staff are welcome to be who they are at Groves. On a more personal level, GSA advisor Amy Voigt believes that respecting pronouns can be simple, yet powerful.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk people about their pronouns and speak to them as you yourself would want to be spoken to. As our leaders often say, \u2018Any pronoun used respectfully,\u2019 is appropriate,\u201d Voigt said.<\/p>\n

Weinger believes the community can make the environment more friendly to these students by following the Groves House Rule of respecting others.<\/p>\n

\u201c I just want to say, if someone changes the way that they label themselves, don\u2019t question it; just go with it because it\u2019s not really your business,\u201d Weinger said. \u201cPlease respect people\u2019s privacy, and don\u2019t say that they changed who they are because they just realized something about themselves. It\u2019s not that they\u2019ve changed.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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