As I finished up the first part of my last article, “What Needs To Be Said About The Target Transgender Restroom Debacle” the transgender acceptance debate spread to the public school system, thanks to at least one school which made a similar statement to the one Target made. This was then followed by a directive from President Obama, declaring that all public schools should adopt a similar policy regarding restrooms and locker rooms, or risk losing their federal funds; funds which most public schools rely on just to keep their doors open.
We are talking about students who for
the most part, are under the age of 18, and unable to provide any
type of legal consent or make legal decisions without the input and
approval of their parent or guardian. Personally, I believe that
even if a child is questioning their gender in high school, it could
be for any number of reasons. It probably isn't going to be until
sometime after the age of 18 that they truly figure out whether it is
a real issue or simply an insecure phase when they were questioning
their identity due to other circumstances.
I did not attend a traditional high
school, so I missed out on most of the discrimination, bullying and
harassment that is directed toward students in public schools who
might be a little different. Although, by not attending a
traditional school, I did at times become the target of some of this
bullying in other settings when I was the outsider, surrounded by
teenagers who did attend traditional public schools. While this
discrimination had nothing to do with gender identity, I cannot
imagine how humiliating it would have been to suddenly let everyone
know that I identified as a different gender and would expect to be
treated as such going forward.
Schools can say that they have severe
penalties for discrimination and bullying, but the harsh truth is,
that most of it will never be witnessed or reported. So if a student
who truly feels they identify as a different gender chooses to take
advantage of this new policy at school, they are almost guaranteeing
they will be harassed. So which is worse, being bullied for being a
little different, or being bullied because you decided to come out as
being transgender? I think most students will take the stance that
they should just stick to what is expected as long as they are in
school, because that is the path of least resistance. Why? Because
teenagers are mean little fuckers!
So aside from the fact that many people
don't believe transgender is a real thing, what is the best way to
handle this issue in the schools? The way I see it, there are three
options.
Option one; we keep everything the way
it is. Students keep using the same restrooms and locker rooms as
they always have; dictated by the sex listed on their birth
certificate. Yes, there will be some harassment directed toward
students who are a little different, but this is not only for
students who identify as a different gender. Many students are
different in one way or another, and their schoolmates are sure to
point out these differences in order to make up for their own
insecurities. There might be students who would feel less out of
place in the restroom of the opposite sex, but this discomfort is
surely minor compared to the potential humiliation of having the
other students find out that you are choosing to take advantage of
the new policy and use that other restroom.
Option two; we allow students to
register with the school as a different gender, but only with the
approval of their parents. The directive from President Obama states
that a student or their parent/guardian may notify the school of this
change, but it does not require the parent/guardian to take part in
this process. It only allows them the ability to notify the school,
presumably in a situation where the student didn't want to be the one
to have the conversation with school administration. This option, if
the student's parent was required to take part due to their age,
would at least reduce the likelihood of a student claiming to be
transgender, just to get a free pass to scope out the scenery in the
restroom or locker room of the opposite sex. If a transgender
student chooses to take advantage of this option, the school should
make it clear to them that while they will do everything in their
power to avoid any bullying or discrimination from the other students
due to this decision, it is impossible for them to provide a safe and
protected environment for them at all times. It should be noted,
that while this addresses the needs and insecurities of the
transgender students, it does nothing for the other students who
might be uncomfortable sharing a restroom or locker room with someone
who was born with the physical characteristics of the opposite sex.
Option three; we get rid of group
restrooms and locker rooms in public schools and replace them with
single-person facilities, so no one is forced to choose a room for
one sex or the other. Personally, I believe that if we are truly
trying to make all students as comfortable as possible in order to
avoid bullying and discrimination, this is your best option. Of
course, it is also the most expensive option. It would require
potentially major remodeling and expansion of every public school in
the country. But if President Obama and other departments of the
federal government believe this is as important as they say it is,
I'm sure they can manage to find the money to make this happen.
But I will leave you with one question;
a rhetorical question to which I do not have the answer. Is this
whole ordeal really about making transgender individuals more
comfortable and less-susceptible to discrimination, or is there some
other hidden agenda that we aren't seeing, due to being so focused on
the topic at hand that we are missing the big picture?
I don't know, but I would love to hear
your thoughts!
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