Riley On Diversity

However, the latest development is the embarrassment at having to explain to people that equality cannot be cast aside for the so-called greater good. Separate laws and regulations are being considered, some by the well-meaning, and some by administrators and legislators who can’t quite figure out what the word equality really means. They are afraid or just don’t know. As a result, unwanted attention has caused some of us to grow alligator skin. Some no longer care to blend in. Others push normal barriers and do their best not to blend in. It would do us all a world of good to ignore anybody who uses shock as a teaching tool, transgendering or not. Go back to the word equality. Embrace it. Stacey and Arlen, too, may be forced to become activists because of a rising tide of subversive ridicule on both sides of the

In the late 1950’s to mid-1960’s, the transgender community faced discrimination such as physical and verbal harassment, denial of social spaces, and alienation in the media. This matters to us today because transgender individuals are still existing and are a part of our human population today. The community is also still struggling to find their representation in the media and in society. The transgender community is still facing a wide array of types of discrimination, from nasty looks to denied access of education. Gender identity should not be taken into consideration when determining another person’s worthiness of respect.

Did you know that more than 50% of transgender minors have admitted to attempting suicide? How about that 82% of transgender youth feel unsafe or scared at school? These statistics are high, too high. Transgender is defined as of, relating to, or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person's sex at birth, according to the Merriam Webster dictionary. Years ago it was considered bad to be transgender, but our society has become more open-minded, leading to the coming outs of many more transgender minors. However, while it seems as though we are more open-minded, transgender youth are still being mistreated, to a point where suicide sometimes seems like the only good

In the documentary, Noah, an 18 year old male to female transgender, many people in school ask question about her gender over and over again. Because of the harassment, many tend to drop out from school. “Harassment and bullying lead almost one-third of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning) students to drop out of high school” (T Salazar). For most of them dropping out from school means working at a lower wage. Or even worse they became homeless. Some people argue that we should create a separate school of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students. However critics say that it means of “segregation or shielding the youth from the real world.” Giving a class about LGBT people in schools might be the solution, since students then will be aware of it. Education about LGBT people teaches not only students, but also the whole generation. Therefore, schools should be the primary targets to teach the society about LGBT

There were kids in the school that would make fun of her because of how she was. The teachers did not do anything about it, they just ignored it.” (E. Landa, personal communications, March 1 2017) I believe that middle school is the time that teachers should reach out to their students and try to connect with them. It is hard for a student to reach out to a teacher for help if the teacher hasn’t made an effort to make themselves available for their students. Should a teacher foster a healthy and open relationship with a student they are then better able to help the student who is being bullied. It shouldn’t matter the gravity of the bullying, whether it is because of how they dress, the way they look or if they identify as LGBTQ because these negative experience causes a student to feel rejected and could lead to depression and thoughts of suicide. Munoz-Plaza, Quinn, and Rounds (2002) state “Research has consistently shown that LGBT youth particularly at risk for suicide, as well as verbal and physical harassment, substance abuse, sexually transmitted disease, homelessness and prostitution, and declining school performance.” (Munoz-Plaza et al 2002) This conveys that people that are bullied or left out because of who they are, are mostly likely to fall into depression. LGBTQ cases are ignored by teachers because they might

American society today is not any different from the past, except today people are apt to discuss everything publicly on various social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram just to name a few. Transgender persons happen to be one of those subjects that have become the hot topic of the new normal. Nowadays there are blogs, tweets, and pictures posted online of people’s transition “coming out.” Like the past, society is still tough when it comes to judging each other. Although transgender might not have had a recognized community in the past, it is prevalent that society is becoming more accepting of their community, and aware of issues their community faces. In this essay the names, nouns, or pronouns used will be in accordance to the individual’s preference.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Transgendered (LGBT) youth population is one of the most vulnerable groups in our community. Being gay does not lead to risky behaviors or bad decision making, rather, societal stigma and discrimination can lead LGBT youth to seek emotional outlets. Today’s society has improved immensely towards the LGBT community, although it has not always been this way. Society can affect a person in shocking ways, influencing one’s unhealthy and unsafe physical and mental behaviors. This current vulnerable population deserves a voice and the simplicity of someone listening to them in order for both sides, accepting and non-accepting, to find a common ground and settle the violence.

People often have an inaccurate picture of reality. Most people consider themselves friendly, forgiving, and welcoming human beings. They believe they have a sound sense of morality, adhere to their foolproof policies of right and wrong, and promote righteousness. Unfortunately, through the eyes of transgender students, this is rarely the case. Although The Title IX law is supposed to defend them from discrimination, sexual harassment, and bullying (Source A), the success of this vague list of rights is nonexistent.

" We came equals into this world, and equals we shall leave it, " - George Mason. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, the whites clearly discriminate the blacks. They are treated unfairly and unjust. Readers are able to realize how bad the discrimination is once Tom Robinson had lost his court case. Readers who pay attention are able to still see how other groups and people are being discriminated today in modern society.

Most LGBT youth become happy with who they are which gives them room to thrive during their adolescent years. Attending a school that has a safe and comfortable environment for every student is especially important. Positive environments can help all youth achieve good grades and maintain good mental and physical health. However, some youths are more likely than their straight peers to experience bad health and life outcomes. Experiences with violence, compared to other students, come easy to LGBT individuals that can cause increased risks for unfortunate circumstances.‘Violence’ includes behaviors such as teasing, harassment, and physical assault. It is important that students at risk have access to resources and support to deal with any questions or challenges they may have or face as they mature. Surveyed LGBT students reported 10% were threatened or injured, 34% were bullied, and 28% were bullied electronically.

In response to the despairing LGBT kids who get bullied and harrassed in high school, Dan and Terry share their personal experiences and harsh memories when coming out to their friends and family. The YouTube video intendeds to send a message of hope for teenagers struggling with their sexual identity and telling them that life will get better. Dan tells us about his Catholic family background and how there wasn’t any LGBT kids at his school who constantly bullied him for liking musicals. Terry shares a more negative childhood with ‘kids beating him up, throwing him against walls, lockers, windows, stuffing him into bathroom stalls, and scratching his car.” School administrators were not very supportive to address these issues either. But, thankfully, Terry gives a positive note that life got better for him after high school and Dan added that “however bad it is now, it gets better and it can get great, and awesome, but you have to tough this period out and live your life so your around for it to get better.”

“Who you are isn’t up for debate. You are who you say you are.” A line Ian Harvey referred to Tuesday night October 27 that I will forever remember. This simple statement reminded me that no matter if you weren’t born into the body, gender, or life that you want to live that doesn’t mean it’s the end, actually its only the beginning. We all have the God given right and privilege to be whomever you choose to be in this world. Whether you’re straight, gay, bisexual, transgender, or however you classify yourself isn’t everyone’s ultimate goal in this lifetime to find the person they were meant to be and be the happiest version of that person possible? Like he said, “we are who we say we are.” If we don’t define who we are and what we believe for ourselves how can we expect others to treat us that way. Ian’s passion for being your most authentic self reminded me of a quote from the movies The Curious Case of Benjamin Button that stated, “I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”

All over the world people are struggling to be themselves and simply be happy. A lot of young men and women are teased, isolated, abused, and some even murdered. With all of the controversy in this day and age people are bullied for being gay, not being white, being transgender, having been previously abused, and a lot of the time there isn’t a real reason at all. Nobody has the right to judge and punish another human being for expressing who they are. Everyone is who they are, and they shouldn’t be punished for it. In the world that we live in today those people who don’t fall into the “social norm” must either hide who they are, or face the humiliation and abuse. Neither of those alternatives are optimistic. Anybody should be able to be out in public and not have to worry about being tormented for who they truly

In a lot of places around the world more and more people are coming out as “Transgender.” The term transgender means that the person’s gender identity does not correspond with the gender they were assigned as having at birth. From personally having a transgender boyfriend I have since realized that these people experience a lot of discrimination in and from society. Many people simply just do not understand what the term transgender means and they see it as someone just “wants to be a man” or “wants to be a woman.” While there may be people who present it this way, it is more so that the individual just “feels” different, and “feels” as if they are “in the wrong body.” Some people experience this feeling at a young age as my boyfriend did in his elementary age. We live in a world who put these people down for being who they truly are, and no human being wants or needs that.

EJ Graff wrote in 2013 about gay marriage rights, even though this is becoming legal “it’s still nowhere close to being okay for a boy to like Barbies”. This statement shows that even though homosexuality is becoming accepted it’s not okay to perform out of your gender role. “Rejecting gender variation turns out to be constricting, just as constricting as being confined by one that doesn’t fit”(Graff). This thought provokes the curiosity that if we don’t expose our children to experiences opposite of what’s considered “normal” they’ll feel confined, and won’t be able to understand or express their feelings. In 2017, the NC School system pulled a book from the curriculum simply because it was about a boy who liked dresses. This book was supposed to “help students recognize harassment and bullying and teach them what to do if it happens” (Mele). The book provoked the thought “that a book can turn someone gay, or transgender, or anything else is bizarre,”. This is why teaching our children about what it means to be who you are is important. Defining femininity and masculinity can be difficult but it is necessary for a child’s full development This all just shows how adults are the ones confining children to a set of gender specific rules ,and making sure that they aren’t exposed to anything