With the implementation of the SOGI curriculum into BC school systems, the way that we as both educators as well as members of society view and address sexual identity in the classroom and within the school has changed astronomically since even the time in which I was in elementary school.[1] The idea of diversity in the classroom is so different, not only in the proud presence of LGBTQI+ in the classroom but with the emergence of gender creative parenting and the absence of rigid gender identity norms. There have been many public social media platforms where parents have chosen not to assign their infant a gender identity, allowing them to choose who they want to be when they are ready to decide. My question moving forward is how to address these families, and how to make them feel welcomed and accepted in a community of people that are still transitioning into a more diverse lens. Though our society has come an exceedingly long way in open-mindedness, we still have a rough time adjusting to change. Though inclusivity is important in new teacher’s minds, the simple issues at hand are being open and willing to learn when new changes arise in the classroom.

In my travels through social media as a young adult, I encountered a movement that I had not been exposed to previously. In the United States, a Doctor of Sociology by the name of Kyl Myers, released a TedTalk back in 2016 describing her choice and her ideologies of gender creative parenting where she chose not to release the sex of her child and is raising them to be fluid in who they are.[2] Myer’s child Zoomer Coyote was entered into Pre-School this year in the state of Utah, a traditionally conservative Republican state. Myers began the year by creating and handing out a testimonial of who her family is and what they are doing regarding allowing Zoomer to have a gender creative childhood.[3] Myers was met with friendly responses and unceasing support by the Pre-School teacher, however, this is just one instance in our society, and who is to say every family and every gender creative child would be met with such support? I wonder, as a Canadian in a very accepting society, just how many people would agree with Myers’ way of parenting, and as Zoomer grew up and entered into elementary and then high school what the transition and reception would be? I fear they may be challenges with conflicting views, and willingness to respect the anonymity requested of gender-nonconforming children and their parents. From a physical education lens, the gender-nonconforming child may be met with ridicule in the instances of having to change in a separate space, or the large issue of no gender-free washroom facilities. I can imagine some schools have separate single-occupant handicapped washrooms, but those schools that are not as lucky, what happens to a gender nonconforming student then? Will there be money allocated for renovations for such students in the future? Many questions like this cannot be answered as the presence of such students in the school system is still so low. It is with these questions in my mind, moving forward with the BCTF and the provincial government’s choice of funding that I wonder how it will be physically possible to accommodate students such as Zoomer in lower economic status schools, or rural districts. I hope that as we as a society move toward a more liberal and accepting space that the provincial and federal government can come together and find s means of supporting students beyond the scope of what is already being done. The SOGI curriculum is an amazing start, and I wish that we would have had more exposure to this in our first year teaching however I know that there will be so many opportunities to learn and grow within the curriculum. I want to set myself up to be a support system for students of all backgrounds, and as much as we have learned with UDL and DI there is such a space of how to properly support students outside of the educational sphere. Supporting students’ growth and health both mentally and physically comes from a place of knowledge and understanding, and I pray that my breadth of knowledge can be improved before I enter the workforce so that I don’t find myself living in a space of ignorance. I will move forward in my education as an ally for students from all backgrounds and practices, I hope that my peers entering the field adopt a similar ideology of acceptance and love for all students. Until then, I will continue to educate myself and broaden the scope of my knowledge about gender non-conforming children and families so that I too can be an educator and support system for others.

 

 

[1] SOGI 1 2 3. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sogieducation.org/.

[2] Myers, K. (2019, November). TEDxSaltLakeCity. TEDxSaltLakeCity. Salt Lake City. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=12t7PYilNQQ

[3] Myers, K. (n.d.). Raising Zoomer. Retrieved from http://www.raisingzoomer.com/.

[4] Kuster, M. (2019, November). History of education.