{"id":5900,"date":"2022-06-20T15:19:06","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T19:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=5900"},"modified":"2022-06-20T15:19:07","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T19:19:07","slug":"trans-form-how-souths-trans-students-navigate-criticism-misgendering-and-hate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=5900","title":{"rendered":"Trans form: How South’s trans students navigate criticism, misgendering and hate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1st Place, Diversity Coverage<\/strong>
2021-22, Division 2, News Writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Katie Hamilton & Julia Kado<\/strong>
The Tower
Grosse Pointe South HS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many students at South, identity isn\u2019t simple. Questioning oneself and what gender one aligns with is monumental to take on, especially during adolescence. Having to deal with criticism, misgendering and hate from the general public while also balancing the life of a student creates immense pressure for trans students.

Alyx Bocci \u201923 started feeling a disconnect from his assigned pronouns during fifth grade. Throughout middle school, he tested different names, eventually settling on Alyx in December of last year.

\u201cAlyx means warrior,\u201d Bocci said. \u201cI\u2019ve always been super into the meanings of names, so when I was trying out names, I tried out names based on the meanings that I liked.\u201d

Bocci came out last year by changing his Instagram name to Alyx and included his pronouns in his bio. This allowed him a more casual coming out experience, without the pressure of a \u2018big reveal\u2019.

Recently, Bocci\u2019s counselor and mother teamed up to sur-prise him by changing his name to Alyx on platforms such as MISTAR and Schoology, and even on the attendance roster.

\u201cI just recently got my name changed on the roster,\u201d Bocci said. \u201cOf course I got excited because there are lots of students in my classes who don\u2019t know my deadname, so that\u2019ll help with substitutes.\u201d

Similar to Bocci, Trans Rights Club co-president Gabe Wagstaff \u201923 began to feel different early on.

\u201cI definitely didn\u2019t know what to call it for a long time,\u201d Wagstaff said. \u201cAs an eleven year old, it\u2019s not really something that you think, like, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m transgender.\u2019\u201d

According to a Behavioral Risk Study done at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) the majority of teens who identify as transgender in the United States are between thirteen and seventeen years old. Wagstaff said the internet is often a place where teens go first when searching for identity.

\u201cOnce I started noticing these feelings and having this disconnect,\u201d Wagstaff said. \u201cI was able to turn to YouTube because there were a lot of small trans YouTubers out there that I watched, and thought, \u2018Oh my God, they\u2019re describing these things that I\u2019m feeling.\u201d

For Wagstaff, watching somebody describe his experience word for word was relieving. It helped not only clear up his feelings but also cultivated hope.

\u201cBeforehand, there was just a lot of confusion (and) feel-ing like I was completely in the dark,\u201d Wagstaff said. \u201cSeeing someone else who had gone through the same thing, someone else who had been able to medically and socially transition and feel better about themselves, not only was it, \u2018Somebody else feels the same way,\u2019 it was, \u2018I don\u2019t have to feel like this forever.\u201d

According to the Center for Discovery, gender dysphoria occurs when there is a mismatch or a sense of disconnect to one\u2019s gender assigned at birth.

Reese Bartley* began to feel discomfort with their pronouns during quarantine. With all the time to spend alone with their thoughts, they began to explore who they were.

\u201cAt first it was kind of hard because I just didn\u2019t want to be anything else,\u201d Bartely* said. \u201cI\u2019ve been talking to my friends who are trans and stuff, so they\u2019ve helped a lot too.\u201d

Although Bocci and Wagstaff have had exterior support during their respective trans journeys, Bartley has not had the same level of solace.

\u201cMy mom was really weird about (me being transgender),\u201d Bartley said. \u201cNobody in my family really knows except for my mom and my aunt.\u201d

With the wide range of support at home, it is vital that South is a safe space for trans students, according to Bartley.

\u201cI definitely think the school should have a meeting about being more inclusive, because I know a lot of people who are still being misgendered, which is not cool,\u201d Bartley said. \u201c(The administration) doesn\u2019t even try (to support transgender students).\u201d

Trans students at South, such as Wagstaff, have worked to create safe spaces for themselves, like South\u2019s Trans Rights Club. As co-president, Wagstaff tries to create a structured but interactive space during club meetings.

\u201cUsually our meetings are pretty discussion-based,\u201d Wag-staff said. \u201cI always have a topic, or a slideshow, or questions I want to ask the group. I really try to make it so that everyone is involved.\u201d

Principal Moussa Hamka said he is planning to attend the club\u2019s next meeting, Wednesday, Nov. 10, in order to hear directly from transgender students.

\u201cI want to understand the experiences of our students,\u201d Hamka said \u201cI want to know how they feel. I want to know if they feel supported, (and) what we can do to better meet their needs. I want to hear directly from them about their experiences. So as we move forward as a district, I can keep their experience, the student experience, at the center of our conversations in decision making.\u201d

Administration is taking initiative regarding trans students. On November 2, during the district\u2019s annual professional development, educators could choose from a variety of offerings and one offered through The Family Center was called Breaking Down LGBTQIA+, pronouns and honoring adolescent identity.

Presenter and local family therapist Ellen Miller said she took courses in gender studies and often works with clients struggling with their sexual and gender identities.

\u201cI thoroughly enjoy getting out in the community and doing some of these (presentations),\u201d Miller said. \u201cWe can cast this wide net of having discussions to start changing some of the narratives, and providing really helpful and accurate information.\u201d

Miller said she was pleasantly surprised by the turnout during the professional development, even stating that some teachers hung around after the presentation in order to question her about specific students, and how to best support them.

\u201cI always want teachers to know that even just being a validating, listening, supportive adult in an LGBTQ+ student\u2019s life makes a world of difference,\u201d Miller said. \u201cSo even if it\u2019s them just sitting, listening and saying, \u2018I can\u2019t imagine how hard that is for you. Let me find ways that I can work to make this easier.\u2019 Validation can be really, really important.\u201d

Though South\u2019s student body, staff and administration are always working towards a safer space for any student who feels the effects of discrimination, it\u2019s a trial and error process, assistant principal Cynthia Parravano said.

\u201cIt\u2019s a very fine line to walk,\u201d Parravano said.\u201cYou need to make sure that all students feel safe, protected, (and) that they have a space that they\u2019re included and welcomed.\u201d

In light of this, Hamka said South is working to evolve with its students. Many trans students walked through South\u2019s doors before it was even remotely accepted. Now, however, the school is doing its best to protect all students, regardless of how they identify themselves.

\u201c(Change) comes about through open dialogue and continued conversations about difficult topics,\u201d Hamka said. \u201cThe more we talk about it, the easier it becomes. So when you have a hard conversation, you\u2019ve got to lean into it. Not run away from it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NW-16. Diversity Coverage<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This story tells about the lifestyles, challenges and potential of those from a diverse background. It will cover not just the plight of the subjects, but may also look at how subjects deal with their diverse backgrounds and how diverse backgrounds are dealt with by others. The term \u201cdiverse\u201d is not limited to ethnicity and may focus on a wide range of subjects, depending on the author\u2019s story angle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judging Criteria<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  • Topic relevant to the school or students and reflects lifestyles, challenges and potentials of those from a diverse background<\/li>
  • Sharp, attention-getting lead grabs reader and arouses curiosity<\/li>
  • Shows thorough reporting skills through research and interviewing<\/li>
  • Effective use of facts\/quotes from both primary and secondary sources<\/li>
  • Balanced, fair and sensitive presentation<\/li>
  • Sentences, paragraphs of varied length; written clearly, concisely and vividly<\/li>
  • Proper diction\/grammar; use of third person<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    1st Place, Diversity Coverage2021-22, Division 2, News Writing By Katie Hamilton & Julia KadoThe TowerGrosse Pointe South HS For many students at South, identity isn\u2019t simple. Questioning oneself and what gender one aligns with is monumental to take on, especially during adolescence. Having to deal with criticism, misgendering and hate from the general public while […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":5901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[64,4],"tags":[182,21],"class_list":["post-5900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-diversitycoverage","category-nw","tag-2021-22","tag-division2","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Diversity-coverage-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C400&ssl=1","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Diversity-coverage-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1","author_info":{"display_name":"Morgan Womack","author_link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?author=12"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Diversity-coverage-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6K0n6-1xa","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5900\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}