Myths about Transgender Students

I am sorry that due to this week’s winter storm we didn’t have Wednesday’s after-school meeting, which was slated to be a follow-up to Jeff and Brad’s presentation on gender inclusion. Our speaker was going to be Elinor Scully from Langley School in Washington, DC, who is a renowned presenter on this topic.

So in lieu of Elinor, this week’s article summary is Five Myths About Transgender Students Educators Need to Unlearn.

Transgenderism is still new to many of us. As with all diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) work, we are on both a personal and professional journey. Often exposure to new ideas in the professional realm can initially conflict with our personal feelings and opinions due to both confirmation bias (the tendency to resist information that is counter to our beliefs) and cognitive dissonance (most of us prefer not to go outside our comfort zone).

Yet DEI work asks us to remain open minded and keep moving along its continuum towards being more inclusive and equitable.

As educators, all of us care deeply about our students, their development, their happiness, and their safety.

As I read the article’s second paragraph, I was greatly saddened by the challenges transgender students encounter. I couldn’t help but think of students I taught through the years who may have been privately dealing with transgender or other LGBT issues and my oblivion to them and their needs. As a teacher, I feel for anyone’s internal pain, anguish, confusion, yet I also know I don’t always recognize that pain due to my own ignorance.

Many schools are providing PD around transgenderism, and this week’s article helps educators unlearn certain myths many of us may hold.

Just like other forms of prejudice and discrimination, transphobia’s effects are pernicious and far-reaching.

I liked the positivity of the article’s last two paragraphs urging us as teachers to support and guide all our students to not succumb to societal stereotypes and stereotyping.

In addition to helping all students embrace difference, be open minded, and be an ally to those who are marginalized, we also have the responsibility to support every single student on his/her identity journey, which includes gender identity.

Joe

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Transgender and gender-nonconforming youths have become the focus of conversations across the country. Despite the media attention, most schools have no formal rules around gender inclusion and do not address gender identity in curricula. Because of this, many K-12 educators have difficulty knowing how to begin talking with students about gender identity.

LGBT youths are victimized every day in America’s schools. In a 2015 survey by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), 75 percent of transgender students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their gender identity. Sixty-nine percent of transgender students avoided school bathrooms; 64 percent were verbally harassed; 25 percent physically harassed; and 12 percent physically assaulted because of their gender.

As a psychiatrist working with LGBT teens and adults, this discrimination is especially concerning. I have daily conversations about gender identity and sexuality with students, many of whom say they feel misunderstood. So many myths about LGBT people permeate our culture that students find themselves either constantly trying to educate others or turning inward and disengaging. Luckily, the first step toward ending discrimination is education. Active work by school staff to educate themselves and their students can decrease reliance on misinformation, leading to a more welcoming school culture.

To improve how they discuss gender with students, it’s important for educators to be aware of five common myths about transgender and gender-nonconforming people:

All transgender students want to look like Barbie or Ken: Some media outlets would have us believe that all transgender people want to transition from one end of the gender spectrum to the other. However, young people increasingly describe themselves as "genderqueer" or "gender fluid," terms used by those who feel they are both genders, neither, or somewhere in between. Though some transgender people are interested in taking hormones and having surgeries, others are not.

It’s rude to ask how you should address someone: It’s commonly thought that asking people questions about their gender is inadvertently going to offend them. When these questions are asked sincerely and politely, most transgender people are glad to be asked what pronouns they use—such as she, he, or they—rather than having someone assume and get it wrong.

Transgender students are trying to trick others: Transgender students who do not disclose their histories are not attempting to “deceive” others. In reality, most transgender people are simply trying to live healthy and safe lives. Coming out can be a difficult process and involves decisions about how and when it is safe to do so, since those who do are often targets of harassment.

Transgender students are mentally ill, and therapy can change them: LGBT youths have higher rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse than cisgender youths. However, this is not because they are LGBT, but because they live in a society in which they are discriminated against. The American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association have both come out in support of affirmative psychological, medical, and surgical treatment of transgender people. At least nine states now ban “reparative” or “conversion” therapy for minors, because it can be psychologically damaging and has been rejected by medical experts as an ineffective treatment.

Laws support transgender students: Although transgender identities are becoming a more visible and accepted part of American life, laws are not keeping pace. There are no federal laws protecting transgender people from discrimination in employment, education, or health care. Since taking office, Trump reversed Obama's executive order outlawing employment discrimination by federal contractors and signed a new executive order broadening "religious freedom," which will likely lead to more discrimination. Some gains have been made at municipal and state levels, but we still have far to go.

Though emphasis is often placed on the formal curriculum, much of the impact educators have on students can take place in more casual ways. When talking about history or current events, for instance, a teacher may mention a well-known transgender person or reference a cisgender person who defies gender stereotypes. Discussions like this can place discrimination and activism in a larger context, allowing students to see beyond their classrooms. Similarly, comments by students that demonstrate stereotyping are opportunities for interventions that help the class to explore the weight of gender bias in our society.

In the hallways, the cafeteria, and on sports fields, educators who address homophobia and transphobia can play a significant role in shaping students’ understandings of themselves and their world. Teachers who approach gender-related topics consciously and seek to create safe environments can help with the development of healthy gender identities for all youth.