As many of you know, I teach in an urban community, and have spent the bulk of my career working with mostly African-American students. Traditionally the African-American community has not been a welcoming one to gay individuals. But I started to notice a change maybe a decade ago. I started to see openly gay parents. I noticed an increasing openness and acceptance of gay students among middle schoolers. One gay kid was very, very popular and had tons of girls as friends. I started to see gay couples hanging out together on the playground.

Like many teachers of elementary kids, I have mentally flagged a number of young students over the years as "maybe gay." They seem different, have certain mannerisms, and are often picked on at the elementary level. Now I know that none of this is telling, but as I said, it does tend to raise a flag in my mind (which doesn't matter in the slightest, just my own mental note.)

I have a student this year whom I flagged from the get-go. He's a very nice, very intelligent kid who has faced a lot of adversity in his young life. He is very effeminate in his mannerisms. Yes, it may or may not mean anything. I like him, I teach him, and that's all that matters.

But lately this very young child has been identifying as a girl. He calls himself a girl. He wants to walk in the girls line. He wants to use the girls' restroom. I tell him that I understand, but that he must outwardly conform as a boy "for now." Again, it could mean something, or it could mean nothing. Only the futue will tell.

He comes from a JW family. I see a tough road ahead for this great, but nonconforming kid.

I once taught a kindergarten student named Nicole who dressed as a boy and had a boy-type haircut. She wasn't trying to pass as male but was just complying with her mother's wishes. Mom thought all children should be treated as gender-less and that they should work out their issues or proclivities over time as they matured.

The other students referred to Nicole as he and him and tattled every day if they saw her enter or leave the little girls' restroom in our class.

No matter how often or clearly I explained to the kids that Nicole was a girl, they still thought I was wrong and didn't change their language or tattling habits.

The school psychologist observed her, then, called in the mom and dad. He advised them to start letting Nicole dress and do her hair in slightly more feminine ways to remind kids that she was a girl and needed to be referred to in that way.

Nicole eventually chose to wear girl clothes more and more as she advanced through the grades. I wonder how she's doing now as an adult as I wonder about many of my other former students.

The attitude of JWs towards gay people mirrors that of Mormonism and perhaps even goes beyond it. Gay people are not only expected to remain celibate but are also expected to refrain from homosexual thoughts. Gay marriages are forbidden.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_jeh.htm

The JWs recently released an anti-gay video aimed at their children. Criticism of the video has been gaining a lot of traction.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/05/03/jehovahs-witnesses-release-disturbing-anti-gay-video-aimed-at-children/

I appreciation the information.

Please don't tell this student SHE has to conform to the gender assigned at birth--affirm her choice to reveal her gender to you, protect her from physical harm when she's in spaces you control, and help get her access to competent counseling by someone who deals with LGBTQ people. Asking someone to be something they're not--especially if you are someone they trust--can be an irreparably soul-crushing experience.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/09/2016 10:59AM by Inverso.