During the week of January 29, 2024, the class and I delved into the critical issues of gender diversity and sexual orientation in the classroom and our lives. I feel personally that gender diversity is a very important topic for everyone as we are in a world where self-expression is getting more and more apparent and fought for. This means that as future educators we must be equipped and understand the identities of the students around us, especially with pronouns. One video that I felt was beneficial in identifying and learning more about what pronouns mean to an individual is: [PRIDE MONTH: Here’s How the Navy Is Training Sailors on Proper Gender Pronouns]
This video explains that pronouns are a means of self-expression for
someone in the lgbtq+ community or not. Pro-nouns come in all forms like He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, and so on. It might be hard to remember pronouns so the video also gives perfect tactics for not just everyone but also for teachers such as thinking of 3 good qualities of that person and using their pronouns to stick them into your brain, I feel this is especially helpful when remembering the pronouns of the many students in your classroom and will be using it in the future!
A day worth mentioning is International Pronouns Day, which falls on the third Wednesday in October, to normalize the use, sharing, and respect of personal pronouns. Transgender and gender-expansive individuals are most affected when they are addressed with incorrect pronouns. Fundamental to human dignity is the ability to address others using the pronouns they choose for themselves, not ones that are chosen by our presumptions. Establishing a gender-affirming atmosphere on campus enables staff and students to concentrate properly on their work. (Binghamton University, n.d.)
Medium. (Sep 17th 2022) photo by Jess J Ustin: https://medium.com/@jesse32879austin/a-guide-to-understanding-gender-identity-and-pronouns-d2bc3489366c
There are also very useful documents in the lesson that taught me all sorts of information regarding LGBTQ+ and gender diversity in the classroom. Here are some points I found to be the most interesting:
- Gender-diverse students frequently report facing harassment at school, avoiding gender-specific areas like restrooms, and feeling unsafe there.
- Stressors connected to gender experienced by students at school are associated with higher rates of absenteeism, worse GPAs, higher levels of depression, substance usage, hazardous behaviors, and an increased risk of suicide and self-harm.
- Eighty percent of transgender adults claim to have known they were “different” since elementary school. 96 percent say they were transgender before reaching adulthood.
(Trevor Project, 2023)
There was also something that moved me in this lesson and that was the movie/documentary of [The Laramie Project]
This film is set in Wyoming following Matthew Shepard’s murder. The play they wrote, based on over 200 interviews they did in Laramie, is being adapted for the big screen. It recounts the events leading up to Shepard’s visit to a nearby bar, his kidnapping and beating, his discovery tied to a fence, the hospital vigil, his passing and burial, and the prosecution of his killers. In certain instances, it even reenacts these events. Actors playing friends, relatives, police officers, murderers, and other Laramie locals in their own words are mixed up with actual news items. A year after Shephard’s passing, “Angels in America” is staged in Laramie to bring the story to an end.
While watching the film I saw the many discriminatory actions and views that were against Gay individuals during the late 1990s. This made me realize that hate does not target just race and ethnicity as discussed in the past module about Anti Racism and Social Justice but also targets LGBTQ+ communities. One major point explained in the documentary about where most of this hate comes from is how parents raise their children, and what past religious media dictated as wrong at the time. This documentary also reminded me of strides that the LGBTQ community has made such as protection acts and laws. I feel as a future educator that watching this documentary has impacted me.
My Personal Thoughts:
Every day gender diversity becomes increasingly a topic in today’s world. We must keep an open mind and learn more about how we can fit the needs of this everchanging world and provide to these individuals to make them feel welcomed and belonging. As a gay individual myself this is a perfect way to do so!
References:
GLSEN (2020). Pronoun Resource Guide. GLSEN. https://www.glsen.org/activity/pronouns-guide-glsenLinks to an external site.
Kaufman, M. (Director). (2002). The Laramie Project [film]. Good Machine, HBO Films.
Students Exploring Gender Identity (2021, October). American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ed/schools/primer/gender-identity
The Trevor Project. (2023). 2023 National Survey on LGBTQ Mental Health. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/Links to an external site.
Washington Free Beacon (2022, June 20). PRIDE MONTH: Here’s How the Navy Is Training Sailors on Proper Gender Pronouns [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/kIQ9R25hXPo
Binghamton University. (n.d.). International Pronouns Day | LGBTQ Center. Binghamton University. Retrieved February 4, 2024, from https://www.binghamton.edu/centers/lgbtq/pronouns.html