Transgender Rights in Schools
BY JAYDEN KOEHLER — Staff Writer
As the years continue, the number of students who come out as transgender has increased. When I say transgender, I am talking about anyone who does not identify with their assigned sex at birth. This may fall under non-binary, gender fluid, agender, bigender, and more! The issue we see in schools now is the judgment and the lack of support of these transgender students by their peers. Even though school is supposed to be a judgment-free and safe space, many LGBTQ youths get bullied. Recent studies have shown that 32% of LGBTQ youth are bullied on campus and 26.6% are victims of cyberbullying. In comparison, only 17.1% of straight and cisgender(people who identify as the gender assigned at birth) students are bullied on campus, and 14.1% online. Studies have also found that 13.5% of LGBTQ youth haven’t gone to school for safety concerns compared to just 7.5% of straight/cisgender students.
As I spoke to students who identify as transgender, they revealed that they get bullied a lot. Also, that people don’t use their preferred names or pronouns. The use of their preferred name and pronouns is important, because they finally opened up to who they are, and they want to feel accepted in that identity.
One LHS student said that they aren’t accepted, and people on the daily bully them. This student believes that the bullies are transphobic because they don’t believe in the “whole gender thing.” Even if you disagree with someone’s life choices, it doesn’t give you the right to be mean. Also, a topic that is widely discussed is the bathrooms. A lot of transgender students feel uncomfortable using their assigned sex bathroom. They would prefer gender-neutral bathrooms. This is a problem in many schools because they only have male and female restrooms. A student I talked to said that they have to use a faculty bathroom or the bathroom in the office. They also have said it makes them uncomfortable having to go there each time they have to use the restroom. Now, I know many schools can’t change this.
Even though there are many laws making homophobic and sex discrimination at school illegal, we continue to see this problem. If you click the link below, you can see the rights you have as a transgender student in schools and how you can help your school. The number for the transgender lifeline is also below if you need it.
To view your rights: https://transequality.org/know-your-rights/schools
To call the Transgender Lifeline: (877) 565–8860
If you are experiencing any bullying or discrimination at school, online, or after school, make sure to tell someone. You should never have to deal with this because you are trying to be yourself. Remember you are loved and people will be there for you no matter what you choose. If they leave you because of this, they were never a real friend. Keep pushing forward; you’re strong and loved.