Meeting the Needs of Transgender Students
Objectives
• Demonstrate the use of gender specific
applied pronouns
• Evaluate safety of schools for transgender
youth
• Analyze current policies addressing
transgender youth issues.
School Violence Prevention
SB 526 (passed 2009)
Bullying or harassing behavior includes, but is not
limited to, acts reasonably perceived as being
motivated by any actual or perceived
differentiating characteristic, such as race,
color, religion, ancestry, national origin,
gender, socioeconomic status, academic
status, gender identity, physical appearance,
sexual orientation, or mental, physical,
developmental, or sensory disability, or by
association with a person who has or is
perceived to have one or more of these
characteristics.
The content of these slides are for professional development for adults only
Names and Pronouns
Pronouns
What the Data Says
•
42.2% of transgender students had been prevented from
using their preferred name
•
59.2% of transgender students had been required to use a
bathroom or locker room of their legal sex
• 31.6% of transgender students had been
prevented from wearing clothes considered
inappropriate based on their legal sex
What the Data Says…
• 55.2% of LGBT students were verbally harassed
(e.g., called names or threatened) in the past year
because of their gender expression.
• 22.7% were physically harassed (e.g., pushed or
shoved) in the past year because of their gender
expression.
• 11.4% were physically assaulted (e.g., punched,
kicked, injured with a weapon) in the past year
because of their gender expression.
Data
LGBT students who experienced higher levels of
victimization because of their gender expression:
•
Were more than three times as likely to have missed
school in the past month
• Were twice as likely to report that they did not plan to
pursue any post-secondary education
• Had lower GPAs.
• Had higher levels of depression and
lower levels of self-esteem.
What’s Missing?
Suicide and Bullying in the US for LGBT Youth
• In 2005, 90% of LGBT youth ages 13-18
reported being verbally or physically
harassed or assaulted
• LGBT youth attempt suicide at a rate 2-4 times
higher then heterosexual peers
• LGB attempts are more serious:
– Higher intent to die
– More lethal means
www.youthprideri.org
The Relationship Between being
LGBTQ and Suicide is Complex
• I.H. Meyer Minority Stress Model
– Minority individuals suffer from
mental and physical health
disparities compared to their
majority peers.
The content of these slides are for professional development for adults only
YMSM of Color
• 70% of HIV/AIDS diagnosis among youth
13-24 were among black youth, yet they
only represented 17% of the age group
population.
• Among YMSM black MSM had the most
dramatic increase in diagnoses---from 938
in 2001 to 1,811 in 2006 an increase of
93%.
The content of these slides are for professional development for adults only
Terminology Activity
The content of these slides are for professional development for adults only
Genderbread Person
Terminology
Terminology is important but sometimes it
is not what you say but how you say it that
is most important.
The content of these slides are for professional development for adults only
Generation Z
But you must say something
Gen Z Expects…..FUN!!
Flexibility
Timely efficient information
Communication,
suggestions, and feedback
to flow in both directions
Praise, and will mistake
silence for disapproval
The content of these slides are for professional development for adults only
Trans-Positive
Official Records
Confidentiality
Restroom Accessibility
GENDER NEUTRAL
RESTROOM
Physical Education and Sports
The content of these slides are for professional development for adults only
Legal implications
What Does the Policy Say?
• Review the policies provided at your
table.
• Determine at least 3 components that all
have in common.
• Discuss what if any policies your schools
currently have in place.
Changing the Culture of the
School
Gay/Straight Alliance
Resources
www.gsanetwork.org/advisor -handbook
The content of these slides are for professional development for adults only
Sherry Lehman, M.Ed., LPC
HIV Consultant
Sherry.lehman@dpi.nc.gov
919-807-3867
Ellen Essick, Ph.D.
Section Chief, NC Healthy Schools
Ellen.essick@dpi.nc.gov
919-807-3859