What Am I To You?
Just recently in Houston citizens voted against the passing of Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, a bill that expanded transgenders from discrimination acts. The main argument of this bill was that citizens did not want transender to share the same locker or bathroom with females in school system. It seems like the Jim Crow Laws have emerged again as transgender are not accepted in some areas. Officials argue that this is this bill does not apply to a transgender rights. For instance,the school board argued that they are treating these students the same but that they can not share the same restrooms as females. By not passing this bill, the district argued that they are protecting the privacy of each gender: male or female. LGBT and transgender theories have come a long way from being stereotyped as a illness to having an open curriculum on campuses for transgender studies. However not everything has changed, as these people still face harassment and discrimination on a daily basis. School systems are having more children come as transgender causing them to be more accommodating to their needs. Unfortunately there is no sign of change to accommodate these children due to lack of funding to make a separate restroom for transgender. It seems that school boards are discriminating against these group of people because lack of funding. With the lack of programs and accessibility to learn about these gender identity issues,it is going to be harder for them to accepted.
Students are coming out about their sexuality but there seems to be backlash as they are not given the same access to resources as other students.Stephen Whittle would argue that there has been a history of transgender being a victims of oppression due to hierarchy controlled gender and sex roles. He also mentions that sometimes transgender people are not able to express themselves around others because they don't to make others uncomfortable. I believe that although some might not accept these people into our social norms they still should not be limited to resources. Whittle later on states that a “transsexual person faces a problem with interpretation…they challenge the feminist thought of 2 sexes, 2 genders.”{Whittle 198} I believe that this is a national issue as people and institutions only recognize 2 genders.
Although the school board said they would try to accommodate their system for these students, I believe it will be a while before changes are implemented.For instance even if the school system would allow transgender to use the same bathroom as a female their would still be alot of backlash. I feel that is part of this problem is due to the lack of education on this subject. Until more citizens are educated on this topic then transgender students would continue to face prejudice acts.
