Questioning Transphobia

Continuing on with thoughts about trans children and violence, just recently GLSEN, the gay lesbian and straight education network, has produced a report surveying trans students at American high schools.  They found, shockingly, that constant harassment is part of growing up trans.  No really?  This is a bit like filing a “sky is blue” report on the news, but I guess the more awareness there is about the realities of trans lives–as opposed to the descriptions from people who appear to have confused The Handmaid’s Tale for a documentary–the better.

Key findings of Harsh Realities include:

Biased language:

90% of transgender students heard derogatory remarks, such as “dyke” or “faggot,” sometimes, often or frequently in school in the past year.

90% of transgender students heard negative remarks about someone’s gender expression sometimes, often or frequently in school in the past year.

Less than a fifth of transgender students said that school staff intervened most of the time or always when hearing homophobic remarks (16%) or negative remarks about someone’s gender expression (11%).

School staff also contributed to the harassment. A third of transgender students heard school staff make homophobic remarks (32%), sexist remarks (39%) and negative comments about someone’s gender expression (39%) sometimes, often or frequently in the past year.

School Safety and Experiences of Harassment and Assault

Two-thirds of transgender students felt unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation (69%) and how they expressed their gender (65%).

Almost all transgender students had been verbally harassed (e.g., called names or threatened) in the past year at school because of their sexual orientation (89%) and gender expression (87%).

More than half of all transgender students had been physically harassed (e.g., pushed or shoved) in school in the past year because of their sexual orientation (55%) and gender expression (53%).

More than a quarter of transgender students had been physically assaulted (e.g., punched, kicked or injured with a weapon) in school in the past year because of their sexual orientation (28%) and gender expression (26%).

Most transgender students (54%) who were victimized in school did not report the events to school authorities. Among those who did report incidents to school personnel, few students (33%) believed that staff addressed the situation effectively.

Got that?  90% verbal abuse.  50% some violence.  25% serious violence.  Per year.  And somehow I doubt that this is often a one-off experience for a lot of kids.

Further, this confirms what bitter personal experience has taught a lot of us–that rather than be at all protected from the violence of their peers, staff actually allow and even add to the transphobic abuse that trans children and teens receive.

Given that level of complicity, I’m skeptical that any report can change such deeply ingrained personal and institutional biases, but I hope that at least some teachers and school administrators will read this and start thinking about the specific obstacles faced by trans youth and begin the very difficult task of making schools better.

via nexy

I’m a bit behind on this, largely because I’m still not in the “I have to post” mindset that I want to be in. I saw this via Black Amazon and Brownfemipower:

LGBT youth of color are pushed out of our homes, schools, and safe spaces every day as access to vital resources and opportunities decreases. FIERCE has been opposing the private development on Pier 40 [the pier next to Christopher Street] that will further displace LGBT youth, especially youth of color, from the West Village. It is simple: development can and should meet the needs of poor people, not corporations. Now is the time to take action to SAVE THE VILLAGE and put LGBT Youth Before Profit.

The Hudson River Park Trust will be voting on the future of Pier 40 ON JANUARY 31st. SIGN TODAY and PASS AROUND THE WORD!

Would you like to have a community center for LGBT youth on the pier?

THEN TAKE ACTION WITH US!!

Go to the link below (copy and paste if you can’t click on it) and sign the petition.
Let the Hudson River Park Trust know that LGBT youth will not be silenced!!

www.PetitionOnline.com/lgbtp40/petition/html

–
Rickke Mananzala
Executive Director
FIERCE
147 West 24th Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10011
(ph) 646.336.6789 ext. 202
(fax) 646.336.6788
http://www.fiercenyc.org

Read Brownfemipower’s entry for more information.