Resistance To Acceptance and Accommodation of Gender Non-Conforming Students

Young children in elementary schools with gender non-conforming identities are entering elementary schools and some school administrators and educators are uncertain of how to meet the needs of these students. Even worse, some educators, and other school personnel unequivocally resist accepting and accommodating gender non-conforming students. Through conversations with my school principal, I learned, our school district is showing an increase of students with gender non-conforming identities and that there are essentially no plans on how to handle and solve the circumstances the issue brings.

The main issues being bathroom choices, how to answer student questions related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals and incorporating LGBT content in the classrooms. She also mentioned the lack of in-house training the district provides to staff to bring awareness to this topic.

Currently, there is a non-gender-conforming student in attendance at the elementary school where I teach. My school has responded to this issue by accommodating a space for the child to use the restroom, since the parent of the child would like them to use the restroom where they most feel comfortable.

Speaking with both the child’s previous teachers from 1st grade and kindergarten, I found that these teachers were uncomfortable having the child in their class. The main concern was how to respond to children’s questions. The teachers were unable to naturally respond to children’s questions for why the student was wearing a dress or why the student used a different bathroom. The 1st grade teacher mentioned the mom should “make” him wear clothes that correspond with his biological gender and should not allow him to where dresses.

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Both 1st grade and kindergarten teachers were concerned about the use of the bathroom and potential concerns from other parents.  Fortunately, the student’s current 2nd grade teacher is more open-minded, while speaking with her she stated she has no concerns about having this student in her class. She mentioned she is from Oregon and in Oregon it is common to have open lesbian, gay, bisexual, transitioning and questioning (LGBTQ) students and parents within their school community, so she is familiar and comfortable around these issues. She said to handle students’ questions, she often ensures the answer stress it is ok to be different and it is a personal choice that everyone has the right to make. She mentioned the student, himself, plays a big role in helping other children understand. One time the student brought in the book, Jacob’s New Dress, a story about a boy who likes to wear dresses and gets teased for doing so.

He read this to the entire class. The child also advocates for himself. He once asked the teacher if he could have a classroom “talk” with his peers to discuss his choices and answer his peers’ questions, which she allowed. The student made a statement and said, “Sometimes I feel like a boy but mostly I feel like a girl, I wear dresses because my body feels more comfortable wearing dress”. The teacher was unable to state ways she implements LGBT culture in the classroom. She mentioned that to implement a curriculum on LGBT culture you would have to talk about families and how families are different. She also added but before I mentioned anything about households with same-sex parents she would need to get parents’ permission first.

Because of personal biases, unfamiliarity on how to accommodate gender non-conforming youths due to lack of training and creative ways to implement LGBT culture into the curriculum and school environment, these issues have propelled me to start an advocacy group to bring awareness to this issue. The advocacy group would encompass the entire school community; parents, teacher, students, school leadership, and community leaders. The intention for this project is to bring about awareness to the issue and encourage understanding, acceptance, and tolerance from colleagues, students, and parents. The purpose for the advocacy group would also provide facts related to non-gender conforming and LGBTQ students, provide tips on how to answer student questions, inform of sexuality development in young children and stress importance for including curriculum about LGBTQ and non-gender-conforming students as well as promote teacher training.

This project will be valuable to my school culture for not only my previously stated intentions but also in hopes of starting an open discussion and dialogue about the issue and eventually bring about action to demand plans for change. Individuals who openly declare their LGBT status has been on the increase for decades. Society is showing acceptance for LGBT persons, albeit, slowly. With their will and support from advocacy groups and allies, LGBT individuals have gained the rights to marry and adopt children, privileges that were up until the past 5 years, only given to heterosexual individuals. When big social issues affect society, our schools tend to mirror events taking place in the social relm. Schools have seen growth in the number of students who are openly gay and just like society, advocates and support groups are demanding change for LGBT youths in our schools.

Sonia Nieto and Patty Bode, authors of the text, Affirming Diversity: The Sociopolitical Context of Mulitcultural Education, asserts, no education philosophy or program is worthwhile unless it focuses on: Tackling inequality and promoting access to an equal education, Raising the achievement of all students and providing them with an equitable and high-quality education and, Providing students with an apprenticeship in the opportunity to become critical and productive members of a democratic society. The issues involving non-gender conforming and LGBTQ students infringes on these major goals to achieve multicultural education in our schools. Students identifying as LGBTQ individuals experience some form of bullying and harassment throughout many schools across the United States.

A recent completed 2017 National School Climate Survey, through GLSEN, reported that 87 percent of LGBTQ students ages 13-21, experienced harassment or assault based on personal characteristics, including sexual orientation, gender expression, gender, religion, race and ethnicity, and disability. Seventy percent of these students experienced verbal harassment at school based on sexual orientation, and more than half experienced some form or bullying and harassment due to gender expression or gender. Students in elementary schools, though to a lesser extent, also experienced bullying and harassment, mainly due to physical appearance. Twenty-three percent of elementary school children, grades K-6th, reported they have witnessed bullying and name-calling towards students for being a boy who acts or looks “too much like a girl” or a girl who acts or looks “too much like a boy”. This is a concern because research evidence suggests students who identify as LGBT often face significant adjustment difficulties and academic problems in school.

According to GLSEN’s 2017 National School Climate Survey report, LGBTQ students who experienced high levels of anti-LGBTQ victimization and discrimination had lower GPAs, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of depression. Furthermore, LGBTQ students who experienced high levels of anti-LGBTQ victimization were nearly twice as likely to report they do not plan to pursue post-secondary education. Likewise, students in elementary school who do not conform to traditional gender norms (35% vs 15%) reported they sometimes do not want to go to school because they feel unsafe or afraid to go to school. Social justice plays a role in achieving multicultural education in our schools. Teachers have an obligation to ensure that all students are receiving a fair and just education. Nieto and Bode defines social justice this way: “Social justice is a philosophy, an approach, and actions that embody treating all people with fairness, respect, dignity, and generosity.

This means affording each person the real-not simply a stated or codified-opportunity to achieve her or his potential and full participation in a democratic society by giving each person access to the goods, services, and social and cultural capital of a society, while also affirming the culture and talents of each individual and the group or groups with which she or he identifies”. Teachers and educational leaders can struggle to accept cultures not considered the “norm”. Their acceptance or non-acceptance towards a specific group of people relate to a range of factors, such as, faith, upbringing, economic status, personal experiences and others. For example, a teacher interviewed for this research paper stated, “God created a man and woman for a reason”, this was the response when asked about same-sex couples with children. When asked about supporting non-gender-conforming students, the teacher stated, “people are born either male or female, parents should not allow their child to choose what gender they want to be, God has already assigned their gender for them.”

These ideologies to what is right and wrong is well established and difficult to change, therefore, teachers do not always possess the social justice mindset when it pertains to LGBT students. Due to these bias on the part of the teacher, LGBT students can struggle to establish a relationship with their teachers. Social justice and educational leadership research suggest there is a lack of pre-service programs and trainings specifically related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Which is unfortunate because it has been indicated that LGBT students who have positive relationships with their teacher can be the best predictors for school success in that they have higher rates of homework completion, higher school engagement, and more specific plans to attend college. Teachers who are viewed by LGBT youth as being supportive also tend to express facilitative attitudes and beliefs. Supportive teachers have a heightened awareness of the harmful effects of bullying and harassment on LGBT students; they report being highly committed to promoting social justice, and they acknowledge the importance of talking about sexual orientation.

I plan to start an advocacy group for gender non-conforming elementary students and LGBT youths K-12. The focus will be on non-gender-conforming elementary students and informing teachers and parents about this community. Currently within my district there is not an advocacy group or a support group for non-conforming elementary students nor a site dedicated specifically towards elementary students. There are however, several LGBT websites and advocacy groups geared towards K-12 students, most of the content places an emphasis on older youths in the middle and high school grade levels. A website will be created to inform the community, specifically parents and teachers, of sexuality in elementary school age children, educate teachers on the importance of demonstrating social justice for LGBT youths, and provide activities to incorporate LGBT culture in the schools’ curriculum.

Member of the advocacy group will include input from students, parents, teachers, educational leaders, and members of the community (e.g. librarians, social workers, counselors, etc.). The advocacy group members will attend educational conferences, staff professional development days, and community events to educate and discuss the issues of LGBT and gender non-conforming students and inform educators and parents of elementary school age sexuality. One major resource needed for this project is individuals who believe in the cause, one person will not be enough, therefore a diverse population of people who believe in supporting non-gender conforming and LGBT students will be needed for this project. These individuals can consist of board members needed to create bylaws and oversee organizational activities. Financial support from sponsors, grants, donors and fundraising will be in need to help with monetary cost.

A website dedicated to informing the public of the cause and to provide useful material to support teachers, parents and other individuals involved with the care and education of elementary age children. Specific activities conducted by the advocacy group will be to attend educational conferences, staff professional development days, and community events. Members of the advocacy group will attend educational conferences to inform educators of non-conforming and LGBT elementary student issues. These activities can be achieved through holding an information session and/or by presenting a booth to inform patrons of the advocacy group and provide resource materials. Members will also be asked to participate in staff professional development sessions where teachers can receive CEUs. Educators will be given a presentation on how to incorporate LGBT culture through their schools in the curriculum. Members will attend community events to bring awareness to the public to generate discussions, awareness and provide information.