Page 25 - 2018_Jour_85-1_Societal-Issues

Schools and Societal Issues 25

transgender students. Alvarez posited that schools or districts with inclusive policies make
the learning environment more positive for all students.
A resource guide called Schools in Transitions by lead authors Orr and Baum (2015)
offered excellent information for educators and many practical tips for school policy
makers. One major tip dealt with the handling of school records to protect the identity
of transgender students who are private: Official documents such as birth certificates
and records with the birth name and gender should be stored with limited access, while
attendance sheets and grade sheets should be in the name and gender identified by the
student. Orr and Baum also discussed working with unsupportive parents, bullying, dress
codes, and many other topics.
Harrington (2015) discussed ways an individual can be a trans ally, including ways
to provide support, to respect boundaries, and to be an advocate. He shared research
indicating only about 20% of persons know a transgender person beyond seeing them on
television or reading about them. He emphasized that each person’s story is unique. Many
other resources and agencies are listed below for those wanting to know more.

Conclusion
The gender revolution will continue to challenge individuals to examine their own
perspectives and will continue to be fought in schools, in the state legislatures, and in the
courts. O’Donnell (2018) wrote, “True equity, however, requires ongoing effort—and
educators are going to be crucial in implementing the necessary changes” (p. 36). She
shared that only California includes LGBTQ issues in history textbooks in primary schools
while states such as Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas still have laws prohibiting any
discussion. O’Donnell posited that “beyond reading and writing, literacy is a tool for social
awareness and critical reflection” (p. 37). She said that providing LGBTQ children’s books
is helpful, but she challenged teachers to use the books and other curriculum resources to
question perspectives toward discrimination critically.
More (2008) expressed a similar challenge in concluding her article against sex-
segregated bathrooms in which she shared the history and rationale for their development
since the 1800s:
In other words, the way society treats those on the periphery, the abject, in turn
defines how society values what counts as human. As Foucault observed, when we
become comfortable with the notion that certain individuals threaten the health
of the population, their subjugation and elimination can be rationalized by the
necessity of survival. Only by identifying with the abject, with those who society
does not count as normal, can we transform society itself, letting go of the violent
drive to kill in order to save, to oppress in order to protect. (n.p.)

Resources for Educators
Many resources are available that elaborate on topics mentioned in this article. Listed
below are a few that will enlighten those seeking to learn more. Most of these have extensive
resource lists of agencies, books, and research.
• GLSEN Trans Model Policy 2016 retrieved from http://www.transequality.org
As noted in the title, this resource provides a model school policy along with a
descriptive commentary on why such policies are needed. It includes several links to
other policies.