Imagine being one of the nameless students represented in studies that document the disproportionate risks for assault, rejection and self-harm in schools that are not accepting of fluid gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.Ī significant barrier to creating fully inclusive schools is the presumption that sex, gender and sexual orientation fit neatly into a binary model. Imagine being a transgender student who dehydrates himself to avoid using the girls’ bathroom all day, or a student who is ready to drop out of school because she is bombarded with verbal or physical abuse about her perceived sexual orientation. In a recent blog post titled, “I’m An 18-Year-Old Boy Who Wears Blue Nail Polish-Get Over It,” blogger Nasir Fleming wrote: “Enforced gender roles do not only affect those who break them, but also those who give their blood, sweat and health just to fit in with them.”įleming’s choice of words is not an exaggeration. When adults don’t understand the complexity of these concepts, young people must navigate these and other challenging situations by themselves. One of them said, “He’s going to be gay for sure.”Īt the heart of these scenarios lies confusion about the nature of gender, sex and sexual orientation. Two colleagues in the teachers’ room discussed a boy who is sensitive and not into sports. I am supportive of him, but I don’t know what to do. My 7-year-old is tired of students constantly questioning why he plays with dolls. The student’s mother is adamant: “My daughter is a girl!”
One of my students wants to be referred to as a boy. Perhaps you can relate to situations like these: If you’re an educator, chances are you have struggled to support students who question their sexual identity or don’t fit neatly into social expectations of what it means to be a boy or a girl.
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