Colorado School Accommodates 8-Year-old Transgender Student

[romantico]

I Think this is great. My brother is a teacher and I plan on sending this to him. He has no tolerance with stories like this and it pisses me off beyond words. He blames the parent's and teacher's for encouraging this from the kids. He feels its cruel. I just can't get through to people like him.

Here's an example of how schools should be treating diversity in their schools. Perhaps this kind of example can help prevent incidents like the murder that happened in Oxnard, California.

CNN interviews Kim Pearson of Trans Youth Family Advocates about an eight-year-old transgender-identified child who is returning to a school in Douglas County, Colorado that has adjusted its facilities and teaching environment to accommodate her.

According to CNN, two unisex bathrooms have been provided for the student, teachers will call the student by her name, parents and teachers will get info on transgender people, and officials will be made available for questions.

The school released this statement: "We continue to be focused on providing a positive learning environment for this student and all students in the class and school that is free from harassment. As with many other students, this particular student brings a diverse set of circumstances to the school setting."

(more)

http://www.towleroad.com/2008/02/colorado-school.html

[maddiejoan]

1. Great article

I can only imagine how much happier my own life would have been if I hadn't had to go through most of it shame-filled and desperate

I knew for certain I was a girl when I was as young as six yrs old. I also knew at that age that somehow that meant I was somehow sick and perverted.

A daily battle fought in my brain until I was 33 years old, and a totally unnecessary one.

I'm 47 now. A healthy happy woman --but it was a long hard fight just to be myself.

[dbackjon]

4. I heard about this on the radio the other day

Local knuckle-dragger show. You would not believe the comments on this. It made me very upset that people are very ignorant.


I did actually think about you, maddiejoan - and you answered the question I was going to ask you - at what age did you know that you were female.

[xchrom]

2. enthusiastically recommending.

:applause:

[hulklogan]

3. I'm so proud of this school for doing the right thing

which is no small thing in a place like Douglas County, which is in Tom Tancredo's congressional district.

[gaspee]

5. Wow

I am so upset about the story from Oxnard and then to see this. Until schools and parents step up like this and provide this type of leadership, I'm afraid the stories like the one out of Oxnard are going to be more common.

There is progress, however slow. It's too bad so many of us have to die before we're accepted as a legitimate part of the human condition.

[UncleSepp]

6. Outstanding! Good on this school.

If a kid knows at 8, they know. They can always change their mind later, but if they don't, they can skip so much of the hell that goes along with growing up trans.