RE: Teaching While Trans/Transphobia in the Classroom

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Category:

Education

Tags:

• Teaching
• While
• Trans

[tobyr3]

Love your insights and suggestions of how to make things better. Glad to hear you didn't seem to encounter as much of the awkward phase as some others have.

[reesekelly]

@tobyr3 To be honest, I was really surprised that I didn't. I felt so inbetween, but I guess I wasn't appearing as such to my students. I was *relatively* young at the time so I think that helped as well.

[looied]

I would just LOVE to take one of your classes! You are such powerful speaker and are able to articulate thoughts in a way that is so clear...plus, you are a super cool guy whom I admire.

[reesekelly]

@looied Thanks buddy :)

[maestramars]

Hi, I'm a straight teacher and I wanted to thank you for your insight and openness. I love the idea of asking people how they'd like to be addressed and plan to use it when meeting people from now on... and I will explain why to those who are interested.

[noahwagoner]

I have a lecture at a high school tomorrow and I'm glad I came across your video. Many great points, one of which was the cisgender assumptions. I've been trying to think of appropriate ways to address friends/colleagues etc who might be upset that I didn't tell them I've transitioned - your response is spot on. Well said, and I hope we hear more thoughts on how we can create more trans inclusion in the classroom/life. Cheers

[starkeclipse]

It would be helpful for those of us who are not as up on the lingo, if you gave brief definitions. For example, cisgendered. I have a trans friend but have no idea what cisgender means. Anyhow, it would be more helpful for those of us trying to lovingly figure out how to negotiate the change of a friend/family member. Thanks!

[kabardinka1]

@kabardinka1 Oops, mistake... I meant to say the younger the students are the more crap you'll get.

[kabardinka1]

Thanks for the video! I just wanted to say that I think how you are treated also has to do with 1) Being FTM vs. MTF (in my experience people ascribe a sexual component to MTFs they generally don't to FTMs). 2) The age of the people you teach. The younger you are the more crap you'll get. I taught 2nd and 3rd graders and pretty much got blackballed from my (supposedly highly progressive) district. Teaching in college or even high school is a whole different kettle of fish.

[laMaicita]

i am actively working on bringing in the 'how do you like to be addressed' types of respectful questions into my daily life, and other stuff too. i have several trans friends and its likely someday i may be in a relationship with a trans person, and its really important for me either way to learn how to be respectful and loving towards everyone. thank you

[laMaicita]

thank you for this video, i am not trans but the trans community is really helping me to learn how to start working on how to further create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. i love trans people but sometimes i need help to learn how to get rid of conditioning ie in social interaction, thank you so much for sharing your ideas and feelings! 

[quietfern]

I hate the feeling of being some kind of anomaly, instead of just feeling seen as normal part of human sexuality and gender. I feel a really stark difference between spaces that have not incorporated transpeople into their world understanding, even if they are supportive (like my workplace), to spaces that being trans just feels like the most normal occurrence in the world (like the youth-run arts centre I participate in).

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[quietfern]

I like "how would you like to be addressed?". In your experience, do transgender and cisgender people get that you are referring to pronouns, or do they interpret it differently?

However we word it, I think exchanging pronoun preferences with everyone we meet is so essential to creating a transpositive world. Otherwise, it's up to us transfolk who aren't read as our correct gender to assert our pronoun preference, placing ourselves as an "exception" to the rule.

[MrChicael]

I find it interesting that you don't come out as trans specifically in your gender studies class which focuses on women and feminism. I see your reasoning and can also see other reasoning to definitely come out. For instance, many people think trans men transition to reject femininity or being a woman. A transman teaching feminism (with fact-based opinion) would debunk that myth. It might be equally important to prove that transmen can be feminists than cis-men.