Nicole Maine a fifth-grader transgender student together with the Maine Human Rights Commission sued the Oronos’s school district in 2009 after she was forced to use the staff restroom instead of the girl’s bathroom. According to the article, the Supreme Court of Maine ruled in favor of the student, due to the school violating the “Maine Humans Rights Act’s which bans discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity “(The Mercury News, 2016). The article also mentions a very important detail regarding the ruling of this case and that is that prior to this case no state high court had ever established that a transgender person has the right to use the bathroom which they feel identifies their gender (The Mercury News, 2016).…
Within the article, “Is It Time to Desegregate the Sexes?” by, Judith Shulevitz, there are many different methods used to convey the onion of the author which can be summarized as, in modern America there is a dramatic need for reform in the rights of transgender citizens, particularly for students.…
Because the Housing Services office offer a two-fold identity option to students now, it is as if they patted themselves on the back and never second questioned themselves about the inclusivity of the language. Although only two student staff members have questioned the use of other, it is nonetheless still problematic and should be addressed. To better understand why this organizations believe they are being inclusive can best described using Joan Acker’s article, Inequality Regimes: Gender, Class, Race, in Organizations (2006). They state, “Body differences provide clues to the appropriate assumptions, followed by appropriate behavior. What is “appropriate” varies, of course, in relation to the situation, the organizational culture and history, and the standpoints of the people judging appropriateness” (451). Acker also mentions the “visibility of inequalities” and how “dominant groups see inequality as existing somewhere else, not where they are” (Acker, 452). What can be taken away from Acker is that individuals within the dominant group, which would be cisgender individuals, do not see an issue with the incomprehensive language because of the organizational culture and their positionality. While the organization strives to be gender non-conforming friendly, for instance, it can only be as open-minded and aware as the employees that work there. If the employees are not exposed to diversity training about the issue and they are not receiving this information anywhere else outside of the organization, it makes it difficult for there to be organizational change. For example, members of the organization continuously use the wrong pronouns to describe the transgender student employee. While it might be new for individuals to use inclusive language, it does not mean that it should go without being…
I believe Mrs. Neris's actions have violated that goal. Here at Lyman, i have often heard the slogan "everyone matters" and i would have thought that included everyone's identity too, be it religious, racial, or sexual, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. Putting myself in the place of that student is hard, as I am not transgender, but i can imagine I (and anyone) would feel like they had their identity violated and ripped away from them. We take gender very seriously in this society, so that students gender identity probably means very much to them. Being punished for being who you feel you are inside and all the while not hurting anyone else in the process is a huge slap in the face saying "Your personal identity doesnt matter here." I would not like to attend a school where my personal identity doesnt matter, and i may be punished for expressing it. I dont…
Dean Spade outlines the difficulties trans-gendered individuals have in advocating for their rights to safe spaces and gender inclusive policies. As most trans-gendered people experience some form of abuse and/or trauma, and are unwelcome in many high schools and street outreach programs, their disenfranchisement often turns into a vicious cycle of poverty. Although trans-gendered individuals are part of the LGBT community, there is a strong bias of LGBT political movements towards the empowerment of the wealthy gay individuals, and in turn the oppression of lower class trans-gendered community.…
When infants are born, the first words uttered from the doctor is the sex of the child. As soon as the sex is announced, the baby is already perceived a certain way. By categorizing human beings into two different genders, male or female, you are limiting these people by gender roles and societal expectations. When doing this it causes harm to anyone who strays from their gender or sex assigned at birth. A term to describe these people is transgender. A transgender person is someone whose identity is not the same as their gender assigned at birth. Many other identifying people fall under this category.It is time to deconstruct society's views on gender and provide necessary rights to transgender individuals. Transgender people not being accepted into society is a significant problem in contemporary culture that challenges the traditional norms of the gender binary.…
Bornstein (1994) states that “But the need for a recognizable identity, and the need to belong to a group of people with a similar identity-these are driving forces in our culture, and nowhere is this more evident than in the areas of gender and sexuality” (3).Transgender people face discrimination because they are not being accepted in society because of their sexual orientation. Also, they are not classified as men or women. They are categorized as unknown .Borstein (1994) states that “In most cultures, were assigned a gender at birth .In our culture once you’ve been assigned a gender, that what you are” (22).The changes that should reduce and eliminate inequality is by accept transgender as a sex category. Therefore, unknown category should be elimininated.Trangendered should be treated equality by integrating them in workforce and providing them opportunities .Also, there should be no limitation based on their sexual…
In 2017 one year later under the Trump Administration, the guideline reversed and now leaves educations unsure about transgender student’s rights under the law (“Title IX,”2018). Though Title IX may have had some pros and cons throughout the years, overall it had made a great and positive impact on society as a…
Although in recent years great progress has been made for LGBT+ students, schools across America still have not eliminated transphobia, nor are they making strong enough efforts to be inclusive to transgender students. Discrimination within bureaucracy, faculty, and students still runs rampant. There is not good enough health education for trans students, there are not enough policies in place to make sure their identities are respected, and there is not enough support in terms of facilities or resources to make trans students comfortable. Trans children need a safe environment, and schools are not currently providing one. Transgender youths are at higher risk for both homicide and suicide, and making sure…
This professor of Psychology, Peterson, argued that he should not be required to do this, but he should do refer to them by their pronouns out of respect for them. In light of his statements, many trans students gathered to protest his position at the university. What is now seen is these individuals, many of which call themselves a social justice warriors, are fighting for their opinions to stand at the top of everything, rather than letting true equality and rights of the people reign. If they understood Peterson has the right to free speech, there would be no issues.…
Transgender people are some of the most ostracized people in our society. Many people claim that transgendered people have a mental disorder and they are constantly presented in media, not as actual people with real lives, but as punchlines to a joke. When we view people as jokes or freaks, we dehumanize them. This perpetuates a cycle of culturally validated violence against trans people, especially trans women. A national study discovered that 50% of transgendered people suffered sexual violence in their lifetime, which is a staggering amount. A large percent also suffer from non-sexual violence as well. Social scientist hypothesize that most of these rapes and attacks stem from transphobia, and these crimes are also overlooked. In many…
The challenges facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students on college and university campuses are many. For example, LGBT students face harassment and discrimination at significantly higher levels than their heterosexual peers, and are twice as likely to receive derogatory remarks. As the visibility of LGBT college students and the adversity they face has increased, there is ever more pressure on college and universities to evaluate whether LGBT students’ needs are being met.…
In New Hampshire 2012, the Nashua School District took a stand for a transgender student. A third grade child started the school year as a boy, but returned after winter break as a girl. She was initially accepted but a parent complained and the girl lost her right to use the girls’ bathrooms and staff and students went back to referring to her as a boy. Behavior issues began arising, so her mother enrolled her into a new school as a female. Her new school took…
The transgender student population of the United States is being neglected a simple service that everyone should enjoy. Feeling safe and fully accommodated when using the bathroom is not a privilege- it is a necessity. The transgender population grows more and more everyday with more students than ever before choosing to attend college. Let’s make sure that everyone has the tools they need to be successful even outside the classroom. In a country built upon freedom, the freedom to choose which bathroom to use becomes a simple liberty…
Like everyone else, transgenders also have freedom and they shouldn't be forced to use a restroom they don’t want to go to. On the internet, I came across at an article in a website and it shows how much transgenders have been attacked in a public restroom. The article says that about 70% of transgenders have received negative reactions from other people while using a restroom. It also says that 68% of them reported that they were told to leave the facility, others questioned about their gender, they were made fun of, verbally threatened, or got stared at. In the website, I saw comments of transgenders saying that they feel uncomfortable going to restrooms according to their birth gender. Everyone should be treated equally and no one should be forced to do something they feel uncomfortable doing.…