Understanding Gender Identity
This week, I looked into understanding gender identity and realized how intertwined it is with anti-racism which was discussed last week. As the gender unicorn image demonstrates, gender is not necessarily what one is assigned at birth, but how one sees themselves (Pan & Moore, 2022). Understanding gender means realizing that everyone from all races looks at their gender differently. Just because someone expresses themselves one way, does not mean that is what their birth assignment was. We are all designed differently, no matter race or gender, and we need to accept these unique attributes that define us. I read that “Gender diverse students indicate that they rarely report discriminatory incidents, and those who do feel unprotected” (American Psychological Association, 2021) and that is why I want to build a level of trust where my students know that I am not judging them for their decisions. Gender identity is not something everyone figures out at the same time and that can be a struggle for students growing up unsure of who they actually are. Mental health is something that is very important. The Trevor Project examines LGBTQ+ youth and has found that within the last three years, suicidal thoughts are increasing (The Trevor Project, 2022). Even in the documentary titled “The Laramie Project,” tolerance of gender identity was something that was lacking (Kaufman, 2002). It led to a hate crime being committed where a boy ended up dead. Educators are responsible for teaching about diversity. We are to teach acceptance so that people are not ignorant of others' differences. This is a major issue that does not get addressed enough. Students feel alone, but their struggles are actually shared experiences. In an article I recently read, a boy Bryce came out as a member of the LGBTQ+ community to his parents and was not accepted, but “Bryce said being able to be himself at school saved him” (Mauriello, 2022). As a future teacher, it is important to foster an environment where my students are comfortable. I want to teach them to love and accept themselves because once they can do that, loving and accepting others will come naturally.
References:
Kaufman, M. (Director). (2002). The Laramie Project [film]. Good Machine, HBO Films.
Students Exploring Gender Identity (2021, October). American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/ed/schools/primer/gender-identity
The Trevor Project. 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Mental Health. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/
Mauriello, T. (2022). LGBT training for Michigan teachers rankles Republicans. Retrieved 22 September 2022, from https://detroit.chalkbeat.org/2022/9/20/23364060/michigan-lgbtq-training-video-trans-michael-rice-dixon-whitmer
Pan, L., & Moore, A. (2022). The Gender Unicorn [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.pflagtemecula.org/genderbreadperson
Hello Jessica! I thought your blog entry was extremely concise and informational. That is something I need to refine in my own work so I am taking some pointers from you! First off, I really liked the gender unicorn image (Moore 2022) and I especially liked your description and breakdown of what it meant. It's representation of people's uniqueness was displayed in a very friendly and fun way yet it encapsulated the essence of gender identity quite well. I think you hit the nail on the head when you spoke about cultivating a safe environment especially since kids develop differently from one another. Giving them time and room to comfortably navigate who they really are is crucial to their development. One thing I would like to know more about was the situations that unfolded throughout "The Laramie Project." (Kaufman 2022) Like how exactly did this intolerance for gender identity lead to someone passing away? That's heartbreaking. Unfortunately, that particular instance hit close to home for me as I knew someone that took their life when I was in high school after being bullied about his own sexual orientation. Nobody really knew it was going on because he was scared to get into more trouble with the bully. Just like you said, these injustices are not reported as people in these situations are fearful. I will definitely be checking out this article because the more we know about these tragedies, the better we will be to help avoid future ones. Luckily, you did a great job citing each of your sources and I will have no issues finding which project you were talking about! Overall, really awesome blog, I definitely left with more knowledge surrounding this topic than before reading and that's all you can ask for!
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Hey Jessica! i loved your description on this weeks blog! i like how you connected the picture of the Gender Unicorn to the topic of Gender diversity. its so important for people who are struggling defining themselves that the gender that you are born with isn't necessarily who you really are. i totally agree on your point that says that everyone has their own unique attributes and people should be proud to express that. i also loved how you addressed mental health. i think that is an important topic to discuss because its a struggle that people live with daily. Great blog! i really enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessica! your blog post was great and I really appreciate your perspective. I really love your closing statement on this topic and agree completely. It is one thing to teach tolerance, but it is completely different to teach love and acceptance of your self. There is a statement that I have heard a lot that says hurt people hurt people. I think that goes hand in hand with your statement. When you love and accept yourself the way you are, you do not feel the need to judge other people for doing the same. I like the way you broke down gender identity and gender expression to make it easier to understand. I commend your desire to provide a safe space for student to be who they are. This is something I will strive for, and i hope other teachers do as well. The Trevor Project mentioned that students who felt they had a safe space to be themself(ie. home, school) reported lower rates of suicide (The Trevor Project, 2022). Providing this safe space can mean the world to someone struggling to find acceptance. You also would serve as a role model for your students to spread the same kind of acceptance. I really enjoyed your perspective!
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