The Gender Inclusive School

1. The Gender Inclusive School Brian Juchems www.gsafewi.org (608) 661-4141

2. Developing the leadership of LGBTQ+ and allied youth Supporting Gay-Straight Alliances Training educational staff Advancing educational justice Deepening racial, trans*, gender, and social justice www.gsafewi.org

3. My Gender Journey • Growing up, did you think of yourself as a boy, a girl, both, neither or in some way? How did you come to that recognition? When? • What messages did you receive from those around you about gender? Did those messages make sense to you? • How were students who did not fit into expectations about gender treated in school by other students? By the adults around them? By you? • Have you ever been confused by someone’s gender? How did that feel for you? Why do you think you felt the way you did? • If you were to describe your gender without talking about how you look or what you do, what would you share? • How have issues of gender and gender diversity “shown up” in your work as an educator or in your role at school? Source: Gender Spectrum

4. Biological Sex Intersex Female Male Anatomy Chromosomes Hormones

5. http://tinyurl.com/intersexy

6. Gender Gender Roles (societal expectation of gender - racialized) male female GenderExpression (communication of gender) masculine androgynous feminine Gender Identity (psychological sense of self, “brain gender”) Agender man genderqueer woman

7. Gender Gender Roles (societal expectation of gender) male female

9. Gender impacts all students Gender inclusive Schools help all students

10. Gender Gender Roles (societal expectation of gender) male female GenderExpression (communication of gender) masculine androgynous feminine

11. Who is this?

12. "The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys, and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger color, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl." -- Ladies Home Journal 1918

13. Gender Gender Roles (societal expectation of gender) male female GenderExpression (communication of gender) masculine androgynous feminine Gender Identity (psychological sense of self, “brain gender”) Agender man genderqueer/two spirit woman

14. Cisgender: A person whose gender identity more or less aligns with the biological sex they were assigned at birth. (“cis-” is a Latin prefix meaning “on this side of”) Transgender: A person whose gender identity is different from the biological sex they were assigned at birth. (“trans-” is a Latin prefix meaning “across, on the far side of”) biological sex female male transgender cisgender cisgender gender identity man woman

15. Gender variance exists throughout history and across cultures • Evidence of gender diverse identities and behaviors exists throughout history and across cultures. • “Transgender” is a Western term used to describe an identity which people claim in the current cultural context. There are a number of words which have been and continue to be used to describe gender variance in other cultural contexts.

16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZDx9JQUGB0 (movie clip) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUtDME18X7k (movie trailer)

17. Gender and Culture Calalai/ Calabai (Sulawesi) Timtum(Judaism) Lakin on (Philippines) Tomboy (Philippines) Sworn virgins (Balkans) Mollies (England) Ashtime (Ethiopia) Mashoga (Kenya) Mangaiko (Congo) Travestis (Brazil) Muxe (Mexico) Waria (Indonesia) Xanith (Oman) Khanit (Oman) Fa'afafine (Samoa) Fakaleiti (Tonga) Mahuwahine (Hawaii) Mahuvahine (Tahiti) Whakawahine (New Zealand Māori) Ia (Te Reo Maori) Akava'ine (Cook Islands Māori) Bakla (Tagalog) Two Spirit (Native American) Guevedoche (Dominican Republic) Kwolu-aatmwol (Papua New Guinea)

19. 23:15

20. Developmental Stages & the Transgender Child Brill, S., & Pepper, R. (2008) The transgender child: a handbook for families and professionals. San Francisco, CA: Cleis Press Inc.

21. Sexuality Sexual Orientation (romantic/sexual attraction) Asexual same sex or gender bi/pansexual other sex or gender SexualExpression (sexual behavior) same sex or gender both/ other sex or gender more than one Sexual Identity (self-identification) gay/lesbian bisexual straight

22. Responding to Questions about Gender

23. Data on Trans Youth Experiences • 3x more likely to be in Special Ed. • 2x more likely to have skipped school • 5x more likely to have carried weapon to school • 4x more likely to have no adult support outside parents • 3x more likely to have been in physical fight • 15x more likely to have been in juvenile correction or prison • 3x more likely to have suicide ideation • 5x more likley to attempt suicide • 2.5x more likely to get aggressive, hit, yell, or scream Source: 2012 Dane County Youth Assessment

24. Learn more at www.gsafewi.org

25. The Role of Bias

26. PUSH OUT • “Push out” is used as opposed to “dropout” because there are active systems in place to push/force students to drop out. • School push out occurs when a student is encouraged or forced to leave school. • Push out includes punishments for students that deny them instruction time and their right to an education. Students suspended, expelled or arrested in school are more likely to drop out or graduate late. • Push out makes it more likely that a young person will end up in the prison system.

28. In regard to Discipline, Gender Nonconforming Youth are more likely to face… • Harsh Discipline and Biased Application of Policies • Blame for Victimization

29. The Law & Gender Inclusive Schools

30. State Laws WI Anti-Bullying Law • About behavior. Sample DPI policy includes “gender identity”. WI Pupil Non-Discrimination Law (State Stat. 118.13) • About behavior and inclusion. Public schools may not exclude students from school or school activities or programs on the basis of sexual orientation. Adding “gender identity,” “gender expression,” and “gender nonconformity” would be WI DPI Administrative Code PI 9.02 • Interprets 118.13 to include “harassment” under definition of “discrimination”

31. Federal Laws 1st Amendment • Right to be out at school, take same-sex date to prom, etc. Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment • Schools must protect all students equally (Nabozny vs. Podlesny) Equal Access Act • GSAs should be treated equally. Title IX • Prohibits discrimination based on an individuals inability to conform to standard notions of masculinity and femininity. This includes transgender and gender nonconforming people.

32. Recent Legal Developments • Arcadia and Downey (CA) School Districts – settlements with the federal government (DOE/OCR) over treatment of transgender students. Key actions: • policy development • staff training • treatment of student as their asserted gender in all aspects of school • Also, Maine (Nicole Maines) and Colorado (Coy Mathis) cases • DOJ (June 2015) – Virginia: Transstudents should be able to use restrooms that match their gender identity and can’t be forced to use the restroom that match their physical characteristics • DOE/OCR (Nov 2015) – Palatine, IL: District violated trans students Title IX rights by barring locker room use

33. AB 469 – Student “Privacy Protection” Bill • What it says • Questions it brings up • Current status

34. Practices of Gender Inclusive Schools

35. A Framework for Gender Inclusive Schools • Gender Inclusive Schools: • Recognize that gender impacts all students • Interrupt binary notions of gender • Normalize gender diversity • Question limited portrayals of gender • Support students’ self-reflection • Teach empathy and respect • Entry Points: • Personal • Structural • Interpersonal • Instrutional

36. What are the ways we enforce gender binary in schools? • Personal • Structural • Interpersonal • Instructional

37. Personal • - Focused on your own understanding of gender • - Developing your gender awareness lens • Includes • See Gender Spectrum’s complete “My Gender Journey”

38. Structural • - Institutional steps that acknowledge you recognize and honor gender diversity • Includes • Policies/admin regulations • Staff training • Flexible student information systems • Identified educator leaders • Gender neutral facilities • Easy access materials • Inclusive signage • Inclusive forms

39. Interpersonal • - Individual interactions that affirm structural gender inclusion • - Intentional day-to-day behaviors • Includes • Challenging gender binary • Differentiating btwn patterns and rules • Question limited portrayals of gender • Recognize gender is about identity • Support reflection • Teach empathy and respect • Normalize gender diversity

40. Instructional • - Stand alone or integrated approaches to instill greater awareness and understanding about gender • Includes • See handouts and samples

41. Checklist • In teams based on grade level and/or role… • What are we already doing well? • What could we do better? • What aren’t we doing at all but need to prioritize? • What should we stop doing?

42. Questions You Might Get Asked about Gender Inclusive Practices

46. Building Family Acceptance

47. Before Viewing the Film

48. After Viewing the Film

49. Helping your families journey towards acceptance…

50. Resources! • LOCAL • GSAFE • gsafewi.org • Madison TransParent Group • Search words for link • Teens Like Us • youthsos.org • Alianza Latina • Search Facebook • NATIONAL • Gender Spectrum • Genderspectrum.org • Welcoming Schools • Welcomingschools.org • Trans Lifeline • Translifeline.org • Teaching Tolerance • Tolerance.org