The Big Freak Out: Educator Fear in Response to the Presence of Transgender Elementary School Students

Abstract

Increased visibility of transgender children requires elementary school professionals to take on issues of gender diversity, sex and sexuality, which are considered taboo in elementary school spaces. School professionals who have worked with transgender children were interviewed about their experience with these students, perceptions of their school's success in supporting them, and recommendations for information and resources needed by schools to provide support. Findings indicate that fear and anxiety are common educator responses to the presence of a transgender child and the disruption of the gender binary, and these emotions are limiting the possibilities for schools to affirm transgender identity.

Supporting Transgender Inclusion and Gender Diversity in Schools: A Critical Policy Analysis

“…Our purpose is to generate knowledge and understanding about how to best support trans and non-binary youth in schools by undertaking a critical policy analysis that addresses the limits of accommodation and the necessity of embracing gender democratization through pedagogical and curricular intervention (Youth Gender Action Project, 2009;Cumming-Potvin, 2016, 2019;Smith and Payne, 2016;Frohard-Dourlent, 2018;Luecke, 2018). Hence, our study contributes to an emerging body of trans-focused scholarship that is concerned to address gender diversity and transgender inclusion in the education system (Greytak et al, 2009;Ryan et al, 2013;Millei and Cliff, 2014;Payne and Smith, 2014;Frohard-Dourlent, 2016; Bartholomaeus and Riggs, 2017;Ullman, 2017;Goodrich and Barnard, 2018;Leonardi and Staley, 2018;Sinclair and Gilbert, 2018;Slater et al, 2018;Carlile, 2019;Kjaran, 2019;. Firstly, we outline our approach to critical policy analysis and explicate a trans-informed framework for understanding our approach to addressing gender diversity in the education system more broadly before examining the particular school board policies in question.…”

English Classrooms and Curricular Justice for the Recognition of LGBT Individuals: What Can Teachers Do?

“…The view that different school cultures can work in powerful ways to either empower or disempower students who are different also came through strongly in the interviews (see also Payne & Smith, 2014;Richard, 2015;Taylor et al, 2015;Ullman, 2015;Winans, 2006). All participants had experience of teaching same-sex attracted students, and some of teaching bisexual and transgender students, but the perception also emerged that some students may be reluctant to openly acknowledge an LGBT identity, due to stigmatization of same-sex attraction and gender creativity in schools (Robinson et al, 2014;Varjas et al, 2008).…”

Educação Escolar, Sexualidade e Adolescência: Uma Revisão Sistemática

“…No Brasil e em outros países [34][35][36][37][38][39] , a Educação em Sexualidade não se constitui de forma tranquila. A sexualidade está muito vinculada ao campo da saúde, o que é fator determinante para as inúmeras dificuldades que os profissionais da educação têm para tratar o tema.…”

“…No entanto, no que tange à identidade de gênero, uma das composições da sexualidade humana, os profissionais demonstram não estar preparados para lidar com crianças e jovens transexuais. O medo e a ansiedade frente aos alunos transgênicos são impeditivos para o acolhimento e limitam o trabalho pedagógico 39 .…”