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Gender Identity Curriculum

            While the idea of teaching gender identity in school curriculum hasn’t been overly popular with parents it is being voted in by schools. The Fairfax County Public school board recently approved lessons about homosexuality and gender identity in its family life education curriculum. The board approved this controversial lesson by a staggering 10-2 vote June 25, 2015. Parents did not seem to follow the board on the decision to teach their children gender identity. The parents who opposed protested that since its part of heath class they wouldn’t be able to opt their children out. These same parents feel that they are being forced to expose their children to issues that are not even part of state requirements. However, Fairfax County Public school has cleared that up since in a letter stating that parents will be able to opt their children out of being taught about homosexuality and gender identity if they feel that is the best for their children. While schools are trying to teach about gender identity and homosexuality ultimately it comes down to the parents if their children are allowed to learn this curriculum.

Why it is Necessary to Teach Gender Identity in Schools

            Teaching gender identity in schools is such an important issue especially in today’s society to be brought up to these children so they can form their own opinions on gender identity without influence from parents or family. In order for all students to feel safe and accepted at school it is important to discuss transgender and gender non-conforming identity and such issues in the classroom. A lot of gender non-conforming individuals and transgender individuals are bullied at school because schools aren’t teaching that it is normal to be transgender or gender non-conforming.

            Transgender or gender non-conforming students are more likely to be bullied than the average student. In the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network survey, playgrounds and prejudice: Elementary School Climate in the United States, they report that elementary students who do not conform to traditional gender norms are more likely to experience these feelings. Fifty-six percent vs. thirty-three percent were called names, made fun of or bullied in school. Forty-two percent vs. sixty-one percent were less likely to feel very safe at school. Thirty-five percent vs. fifteen percent were likely to report that they sometimes do not want to go to school because they feel unsafe or afraid there.

The Effects of Bullying

            Bullying is a horrible experience for anyone to endure but transgender individuals and gender non-conforming individuals have it the worst. Forty-one percent of all transgender and gender non-conforming people will try to commit suicide. This is because of bullying. For older students who are transgender, Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation’s Schools reported that ninety percent of transgender students heard derogatory remarks sometimes, often, or frequently in school.  Also, ninety percent of transgender students heard negative remarks about someone’s gender expression sometimes, often, or frequently. Eighty-nine percent of transgender students are verbally harassed in school. Fifty-five percent of transgender students have been physically harassed in school and almost half of all transgender students have skipped a class or a day of school in the past month due to feeling unsafe at school.  Bullying is happening everyday to these kids when is it going to be talked about openly?

Opposition to Transgender Curriculum

            Those who stand firmly opposed to children being taught transgender and gender non-conforming curriculum are traditionalists. Many believe that it is against the bible and against God to teach about homosexuals and transgender in school. These same parents also believe that passing this curriculum is a huge over reach by the school board. They do not want their children learning that gays, lesbians, and transgender families are the same as straight families. These parents fear that this will become a mandatory course for their children to take and they want the ability to opt their children out of learning about transgender and gender non-conforming individuals. Some of the parents, however, are only afraid that they will start teaching these concepts to children too young.

How Transgender Curriculum Would Actually Be Taught

            How schools would start to introduce transgender curriculum is in early elementary school focus on the importance of families, the distinction between good and bad touch and how to get help if they are being abused, the importance of friendship. Human sexuality wouldn’t even begin to be introduced until grade four. Once the child reaches middle school they will continue to build on the knowledge they learned in late elementary school. They will focus on the physical and psychological changes that their bodies are going through during this time. Then once the child is in high school will the schools introduce the definitions of homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender. They will teach that each person no matter their sexual orientation deserves to be treated with respect and kindness. They aren’t teaching children how to be gay or transgender, they are just making them aware of what they are and how to address people that are different than them. Learning how to address transgender people with the proper pronoun that they go by, and how to be sensitive to their feelings the way others are sensitive of their feelings. Teaching this in school makes it easier for kids to understand what these things are and determine their own feelings toward the subject, rather than having their parents force an opinion on them.

Conclusion

            I’ve seen transgender students struggle through school because of bullying, all this time that they are being bullied they are confused as to who they are gender-wise. If we just simply taught what these things are in school, it would make it easier for these kids to figure out who they are as they grow. It would also decrease bullying of transgender people because as it became more socially accepted people wouldn’t feel the need to pick on them due to being “different”. Social acceptance will come once the facts start being taught to our youth. Right now all most young people know about transgender and a gender non-conforming individual is the stereotypes that they hear around home, school, or wherever. I think its time that we rise up and start teaching facts instead of myths.