My Teachers Bully Trans Kids!

How YOU can fight back in YOUR school

Transphobic bullying is behaviour or language that makes a child or young person feel unwelcome or marginalized because of their perceived or actual gender identity. For more information, please read this article from UK-based End Bullying Now.

Dear Aunty Jimothy,

Transgender kids at my high school get bullied bad, even by teachers. To show support, my friend and I put up fliers about trans pride. But teachers keep taking them down. Can they do that? Nobody will do anything about the bullying. What can we do?

Desperate in the Deep South

Dear Desperate,

Child, I am so glad you wrote in! Bullying in school is a super serious problem, and doing something about it is super important. You’ve got this old aunty all in a tizzy, though. I usually throw a few jokes into my column and try to make it funny and enjoyable.

Here’s the problem: Bullying isn’t funny. It has serious consequences, and it can be deadly. LGBTQ youth are especially vulnerable to bullying, particularly in regions like the deep South where homophobia and transphobia are socially acceptable.

Hurray for you for being a hero!

But can I ask you something? How are you and your friend? How are y’all holding up to bullying? I know from your letter that you and your friend are lesbians. You’re putting up fliers that your teachers and fellow students don’t like. You didn’t say, but I bet you’re taking a lot of abuse for it. Are you OK?