Rhode Island, Gender Non-Conformity, & The Trevor Project

The Rhode Island Department of Education's (RIDE) Guidance on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students emphasizes the department's commitment to ensuring all Rhode Island youth experience a safe and supportive learning environment. Citing data from a Human Rights Campaign Foundation, in combination with guidance from several states, organizations, experts, administrators, advocacy groups, parents, and students, the guide serves as a framework for schools across the state to combat instances of discrimination within RI schools, aiming to "foster an educational environment that is safe and free from discrimination for all students, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, facilitate compliance with state and federal law concerning bullying, harassment, and discrimination, reduce the stigmatization of and improve the educational integration of transgender and gender nonconforming students, maintaining the privacy of all students, and fostering cultural competence and professional development for school staff, and support healthy communication between educators and parent(s)/guardian(s) to further the successful educational development and well-being of every student."

The Trevor Project is a leading crisis prevention and advocacy organization for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth. The organization's Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People acts as "an introductory educational resource that covers a wide range of topics and best practices on how to support transgender and nonbinary people." The guide explains the difference between sex and gender, breaking down the basics of gender and how it differs along the lines of identity, self-expression, and others' perceptions. 

Notable Quotes:

• "Every person experiences gender differently — and you cannot know someone's gender by simply looking at them." (The Trevor Project)
• "Respecting the language that young people use to identify themselves is not only polite — it can save lives." (The Trevor Project)
• "For many people, labels can be liberating, a way to express themselves and find others who relate to their experiences. Gender is complicated, and there shouldn't be a limit to the number of words people use to describe themselves." (The Trevor Project)
• "Gender is a personal experience. There is no right or wrong way to define your gender, and it's OK if you don't want to label yourself either." (The Trevor Project)

Feelings: Currently, I have a scholar in one of my two classes who has recently requested to go by a new name that is perceptively masculine in nature, replacing their current feminine name. The classroom community has been widely supportive of this student's request. Still, educators around the building continue to refer to the scholar by their dead name as there has been no formal conversation or communication between educators and the student, between parents and educators, or among educators within the building. Although this student has not expressed a desire to change their outward gender identity or alter others' perceptions of them, the name change, recent attempts to deepen their voice, and haircut suggest a potential identification with and recognition as a person of the opposite gender. Despite considering myself to be an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, there were still nuggets of information that were new to me, especially as it pertains to this instance and my desire to label/name what it is this student is attempting to identify as without any absolute clarity. I also think that my discomfort with approaching this student or reaching out to their parents is a significant issue; this change speaks volumes and points to the limitations we sometimes face as teachers in speaking truth to power. As a first-year teacher in an environment that does not outwardly discuss the issues that members of the LGBTQ+ community face, I feel uncomfortable engaging in a deeper exploration of what this student is feeling outside of honoring their request to be called by a new name and correcting others when they fail to recognize their request.