Blog Post #11

 RI Laws and Policies, "Queering our Schools," and They, He, She, Easy as ABC

Reflection:

RI Laws and Policies:

    Most of the general policies about respecting students' privacy and identities, I was already familiar with. During my time in Rhode Island schools, I had some classmates who socially transitioned, so I saw some of these policies in action. What was new to me was the actual legislation behind these policies. I did not know how many of these protections were embedded in state law or how many came from federal law. Unfortunately, I was not surprised to see that some of the links to federal government websites are no longer functional, as the current administration has been removing references to transgender individuals from government resources. 

"Queering our Schools:"

These pieces, particularly the violence inflicted on Sasha and the consequences their attackers faced, reminded me of a storyline from the show The West Wing. On the show, after a gay teenager was beaten to death, there is a push for a federal hate crime law. The Bartlett administration (the presidential administration the show follows) struggles with whether or not to support legislation that polices thoughts, a sentiment Sasha's father alluded to in his letter. The arc culminates with the White House backing the bill and inviting the boy's parents to speak. The Press Secretary ends up having to tell the parents to leave, as it is thought the father's stoicism is homophobia. 

I, for one, am conflicted, as I want to see punishment for cruelty to others. At the same time, empathy is key to growth and a safer world. That includes empathy for kids who do something wrong, even if you vehemently disagree with them. My conflict over this is what led me to connect this piece to The West Wing, as the Press Secretary struggles with some of the same issues.

They, He, She, Easy as ABC:

If nothing else, I liked this piece because I learned about a pronoun I had never heard of before: "tree." I don't think I would use it for myself, but I like knowing it exists. That said, I know that some would disagree. I shared this new pronoun knowledge with someone I know, and their response was one of derision and an insistence that any teacher using it in the classroom would never again have the parental respect to teach anything else. I know I still find neopronouns (like "ze" and "tree") to be strange, but I didn't realize there was that kind of hatred. It's not for me, but if it makes people, especially my students, feel comfortable and respected, who am I to deny them that?

Question to Share:

In the policy sheet, it was mentioned that some students and staff may be uncomfortable around trans students. What specifically can we do to educate those students about their transgender peers? I fear that most conversations could feed into accusations of (liberal) teachers "indoctrinating" their students. Can you have the conversation in a "non-woke" way, or do you just have to go for it?