Seeing Queerly

 Rhode Island Laws and Policies & Woke Read Alouds: They, She, He Easy as ABC

Three Talking Points

1. Page 1: "The need for this guidance is clear. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s survey including more than 10,000 youth entitled, Growing UP LGBT in America, found that 42% of gender non-conforming youth report frequently or often being called names and 40% reported being frequently or often excluded. Further, over half of gender nonconforming youth reported that they did not participate in activities offered by the school out of fear of discrimination. Additionally, the Journal of Adolescent Health (2015) reported that transgender youth were more likely to report: being diagnosed with depression compared with students who were not transgender (50.6% vs. 20.6%); suffering from anxiety (26.7% vs. 10%); attempting suicide (17.2% vs. 6.1% ); and engaging in self-harm activities with lethal intentions (16.7% vs. 4.4%)." I think this quote just speaks volumes and truly gives a clear picture of the discrimination these children face when they try to live life in the way that feels the most appropriate for themselves. Honestly, the fact that the state had to give a guidance because people in power (school admin., teachers, other students) were creating this discrimination is really unsettling. I think many people are confused by the various terms which is understandable as there are a lot, but then they should take the time to learn what they really mean, accept and understand that this is what some students experience, and then make them feel safe and included because there is just simply no reason that they should not be. 
2. On pages 4 & 5 the definitions for various terms are provided to ensure that those who read through the document have a clear understanding of what each of them mean. I think this is so important and such a great thing that is added into the beginning of the document because I think so many people either don't now what all of the terms truly mean, they have skewed definitions, or they don't care to know. This ensures that the information is there and it makes the rest of the document more comprehensible with the same definition for each person who reads it.
3. In the Woke Read Alouds: They, She, He Easy as ABC video, they state that "all these kids have different pronouns, but they all like to do cool things!" meaning that just because kids want to be called by different pronouns, they can still like and do and be cool kids! Minute 10:35 -"Kelly likes to use the words he, his, him. Now if you look at Kelly you might not think that because you might be used to hearing people call people that look like Kelly she or her or refer to them as girls....just because people dress or might look a certain way on the outside, that doesn't necessarily mean that they feel that way on the inside." I think this quote just sums it all up perfectly, it is up to us to learn what people like to be called and then use them to show respect. 

Argument

The argument of the RI Policies along with the Woke Read Aloud is that as educators it is our job to learn about our students gender identities and then have conversations with them about it and enforce the use of the pronouns of their choice to make them feel safe and respected. "All students need a safe and supportive school environment to progress academically and developmentally" (p. 1) and that is what we can do by taking the time to educate ourselves on all the important terms as well as talking with our students to hear what sounds and feels good for them.