Supporting All Students

Last night I began reading Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen by Arin Andrews. I am struggling to put it down. I have been moved to tears, have laughed and cried alongside Arin, and though I cannot personally understand everything he suffered, I support him and those like him. I fully support human rights, including the right to choose who we are and who we love. However, I had not ever fully considered what it means to be transgendered. I knew what it was, but I did not understand how it felt on such a deep, unfiltered level. This is a great read for anyone who is curious about transgendered individuals and is a great way to start a conversation and create a deeper understanding. Because of sexual content, I would recommend this book for older students. With that being said, let's take a moment to consider how this might impact our classrooms.

Does gender or sexual identity really matter in relation to how a person should be treated? In my opinion, no. Every being on earth deserves love, respect, support, dignity, and compassion. Do I care whether an individual is a male, female, transgender, or other? Not a bit. Do I care who anyone else loves? Nope. I will welcome each and every individual into my classroom with a smile and open arms. In today's society, this is such a hot topic, but I still have not figured out why. Why, as a society, are we so hooked on classifying and labeling? While this question will more than likely never be answered, it's an important question. As educators, it is not our job to educate our students on sexuality, but it is our job to teach and support all students regardless of gender, sexuality, religion, ethnicity, disability, etc.

So, how do we support all students? Simple. By providing an atmosphere for all students that is loving. Caring. Supportive. Understanding. Empathetic. Safe. Equal. Inclusive. Safe. LGBT Best Practices has great resources on supporting students in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community. Some of the highlights include creating a safe and positive environment, knowing and following the anti-bullying policies, take training to deal with bullying, avoid religion/religious topics in the classroom (much easier in public schools than religious private schools), be present in areas that are known to be areas for bullying such as hallways and lunchrooms, and take confidentiality seriously. While I understand that many people feel strongly one way or the other, especially when religion is concerned, school should be a safe place for all students regardless if you agree with the way they live their lives. These are simple solutions to help all students, not just LGBT. Even providing literature that makes all students feel heard and included would be beneficial. Though Arin's book may be intended for older audiences, there are books for younger readers (A great list: LGBT Positive Children's Books). Resources are out there, we just need to care enough to find them.

While I understand that not every person will be an ally as I am for the LGBT community, I refuse to sit by and watch students like Arin suffer through life. I will fly my rainbow flag for as long as it takes for all to have equality and for all to feel safe in their skin wherever they may be. I urge you to do the same.