My goal is to help educators understand and find success with LGBTQI+ students.
About 1 in 20 people are gay, bi-sexual transgenders or other related. 1 in 200 are transgender. They've been a part of human existence since history has been recorded. Almost every aboriginal and native culture accepted and even revered them. The spread of white Europeans and Christianity changed all that. Today, LGBTQIA+ people are still widely accepted in many areas of the world outside of extreme Christian and Muslim regions.
*Newest Edit: By the way, in researching Christians, I found this most fascinating discovery about "homosexuals" and the Bible. The word homosexual was not added as a translated term until 1946 by an American company who likely supported Germany (Hmm, wasn't there a lot of white supremacy against pretty much anyone different then?), since they paid for it to be put in all German editions. Up until that point, for almost 2 millennia since its first printing, the text in question was translated as “boy molesters will not inherit the kingdom of God." This means that gay or lesbian folks being horrible sinners was never part of the teachings of Jesus or God...until 70 years ago. Sources: Forgeonline & Baptist News
Chances are, every single teacher has one or more trans students in their school. These kids need advocates. They need someone to care. That can and should be you. Physical education has a large lesbian population, and this makes us uniquely aware of how important it is to be on the front lines defending these kids. Not affirming these children's identities leads to a 90% (yes, that's right) suicide rate, whereas living with accepting families is more like 10-15%.
For those who say things like "My kid pretends to be a dinosaur, turtle, astronaut, but I'm not going to change their name to T-rex, buy them a shell, or send them to space camp at 4 years old," I want to share the difference. The saying goes that trans children are "persistent, insistent and consistent." There's no pretend, no breaks from the fantasy. They feel like the opposite sex stuck in the other's body, every single second. This is all easily proven via "implicit association test" research.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that people believe "gender dysphoria" (in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5)) is the same as being trans. The DSM states that gender dysphoria will likely go away at some point, so the anti-LGBTQIA+ folks believe this means trans and other identities are temporary. But in fact, gender dysphoria is "the distress a person experiences as a result of the sex and gender they were assigned at birth," not the actual gender issue itself. If a person is supported and affirmed by loving people, then this distress will likely go away. However, if they are not loved and affirmed through the opening process of revealing who they are, then the GD will likely continue and possibly (likely) lead to suicide. Once gender dysphoria passes, the person is often simply referred to as gender non-conforming. Also, gender dysphoria doesn't always happen to folks, especially those who have always been in a supportive situation since childhood.
And for those who only believe in males born with male anatomy, and females born with female anatomy, I ask you what to think of intersex folks, born with both anatomies simultaneously? Did God make a mistake? Or is there more to gender than body parts? I mean, we generally accept gay and lesbian sexual identity, so why would gender identity be any different?
*Newest Edit: By the way, in researching Christians, I found this most fascinating discovery about "homosexuals" and the Bible. The word homosexual was not added as a translated term until 1946 by an American company who likely supported Germany (Hmm, wasn't there a lot of white supremacy against pretty much anyone different then?), since they paid for it to be put in all German editions. Up until that point, for almost 2 millennia since its first printing, the text in question was translated as “boy molesters will not inherit the kingdom of God." This means that gay or lesbian folks being horrible sinners was never part of the teachings of Jesus or God...until 70 years ago. Sources: Forgeonline & Baptist News
Chances are, every single teacher has one or more trans students in their school. These kids need advocates. They need someone to care. That can and should be you. Physical education has a large lesbian population, and this makes us uniquely aware of how important it is to be on the front lines defending these kids. Not affirming these children's identities leads to a 90% (yes, that's right) suicide rate, whereas living with accepting families is more like 10-15%.
For those who say things like "My kid pretends to be a dinosaur, turtle, astronaut, but I'm not going to change their name to T-rex, buy them a shell, or send them to space camp at 4 years old," I want to share the difference. The saying goes that trans children are "persistent, insistent and consistent." There's no pretend, no breaks from the fantasy. They feel like the opposite sex stuck in the other's body, every single second. This is all easily proven via "implicit association test" research.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that people believe "gender dysphoria" (in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5)) is the same as being trans. The DSM states that gender dysphoria will likely go away at some point, so the anti-LGBTQIA+ folks believe this means trans and other identities are temporary. But in fact, gender dysphoria is "the distress a person experiences as a result of the sex and gender they were assigned at birth," not the actual gender issue itself. If a person is supported and affirmed by loving people, then this distress will likely go away. However, if they are not loved and affirmed through the opening process of revealing who they are, then the GD will likely continue and possibly (likely) lead to suicide. Once gender dysphoria passes, the person is often simply referred to as gender non-conforming. Also, gender dysphoria doesn't always happen to folks, especially those who have always been in a supportive situation since childhood.
And for those who only believe in males born with male anatomy, and females born with female anatomy, I ask you what to think of intersex folks, born with both anatomies simultaneously? Did God make a mistake? Or is there more to gender than body parts? I mean, we generally accept gay and lesbian sexual identity, so why would gender identity be any different?
Here's a glossary of terms to help understand anything thrown your way! Don't know what intersex is? Gender binary? Cisgender? All you ever wanted to know is right here! LINK
And as far are the common religious belief that it's all a choice, or these students are seeking attention, there's ENDLESS research showing that there's plenty of gender and affectional variance in the animal kingdom, so yes, people really ARE born that way: LINK
Here's a wonderful PDF guide that gives schools and teachers info on helping students who transition feel accepted: LINK
Here's a link to a map showing how each state protects (or doesn't) LGBTQI+ students with regards to bullying and hateful actions. How does your state rank in this human rights issue? LINK
Great resources for schools/educators can be found here: https://www.glaad.org
And as far are the common religious belief that it's all a choice, or these students are seeking attention, there's ENDLESS research showing that there's plenty of gender and affectional variance in the animal kingdom, so yes, people really ARE born that way: LINK
Here's a wonderful PDF guide that gives schools and teachers info on helping students who transition feel accepted: LINK
Here's a link to a map showing how each state protects (or doesn't) LGBTQI+ students with regards to bullying and hateful actions. How does your state rank in this human rights issue? LINK
Great resources for schools/educators can be found here: https://www.glaad.org
Gallup Special Report: 2013 Estimates of the LGBT Population in the United States
As you can see from the 2013 report, it's estimated that an average of 3-4% of any given student population is either lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or other gender/affectional identities. It's important to be aware of their existence and need for your support.
If you ever need an educational guide on Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in the LGBTQ+ community, please take a look:
https://www.bicyclehealth.com/blog/substance-use-disorder-lgbtq-community
Also, please get in touch if you ever need any help or support with students or a situation. My wife specializes in LGBTQI+ issues, is the president-elect of the national organization ALGBTIC (Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling). She has a Ph.D from Yale in Psychology and also a Counseling license for the state of CT. She graduated high school at 14, is a really smart cookie (and amazing person), and would be happy to help you out! Her personal business page is Walk in Balance Counseling.
If you ever need an educational guide on Substance Use Disorder (SUD) in the LGBTQ+ community, please take a look:
https://www.bicyclehealth.com/blog/substance-use-disorder-lgbtq-community
Also, please get in touch if you ever need any help or support with students or a situation. My wife specializes in LGBTQI+ issues, is the president-elect of the national organization ALGBTIC (Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling). She has a Ph.D from Yale in Psychology and also a Counseling license for the state of CT. She graduated high school at 14, is a really smart cookie (and amazing person), and would be happy to help you out! Her personal business page is Walk in Balance Counseling.
