Live Your L Dustin’s journey to In the News... Laverne Cox Laverne Cox is a critically acclaimed actress in the hit Netflix original series, “Orange is the New Black.” Cox plays the role of Sophia Burset, an incarcerated transgender woman. An advocate for transgender rights, Cox speaks at many different establishments and universities around the country on behalf of transgender equality. Information and photo courtesy of lavernecox.com
Bruce Jenner Gold-medal Olympian Bruce Jenner has made headlines recently with rumors of a gender change. While no certain reports have been made, as an Olympic athlete, Jenner’s potential sex change would be groundbreaking in the aspect of transgender awareness. Photo courtesy of nydailynews.com
Chaz Bono
Child of famed entertainers Sonny and Cher, Chaz Bono, also a threetime author, is a major advocate of LBGTQ rights. After coming out in 1995, Bono began working publicly for the awareness and equality of transgender Americans. He also starred in an Emmy-nominated documentary, “Becoming Chaz.” Information and photo courtesy of chazbono. net
Colleen Grablick Associate Editor
“I ’ll be right over when I’m done with him.” This simple phrase, said without much thought by an Emmaus High
School librarian, held so much weight for one student. Entering the library with the intentions of printing a paper, this student, who has chosen to go by Dustin in this story, asked for the help of a librarian. When another student raised his hand, the librarian addressed the student, saying “I’ll be right over when I’m done with him.” Him.
One Student’s Story
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very day, a sea of students travels the halls of Emmaus High School, each individual with his or her own story, problems, and experiences. Many teens walk through school oblivious to those outside of their group of friends. Little do they know that outside of their closed-in teenage world exist different and unique individuals. In EHS, a growing number of transgender students have begun to publicly accept their gender identity, despite the challenges that this experience poses. Dustin chose to share his transgender journey with The Stinger. Halfway through his freshman year of high school, Dustin noticed there was something different about him. Something that separated him from the rest of the approximately 2,700 students enrolled in Emmaus. Prior to halfway through his freshman year, Dustin identified as gender neutral, meaning he did not identify with the male or female gender. According to Dustin, he never felt comfortable being referred to with female pronouns. After three months of identifying as gender neutral, a friend opened up a new window to him. His friend, who is transgender, informed and exposed Dustin to the possibility that he may be transgender. He mulled over the idea for a few weeks, until an incident in the library of Emmaus solidified his thoughts: the librarian referred to him with a male pronoun. Suddenly, he felt as if everything finally fit. He first told the friend about being transgender, who according to Dustin said, “That’s about right.” “I guess my friends know me better than I do,” Dustin said with a smile. After he began telling more of his friends, his new identity felt more and more real. Once he realized that it was the right fit for him, he told his sister, and eventually his parents.
Cold Hard Facts
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hat many people do not recognize about the experience of transgender teens is the emotional and mental toll that such a journey takes on a person. Most high school students deal with the stresses of school work, jobs, and the ever-present cloud of college anxiety. Transgender teens deal with these issues...and much more. The process of accepting one’s identity can lead to falling-outs with friends, and even family. According to the Youth Suicide Prevention Program, more than 50 percent of transgender teens will have had at least one suicide attempt by his or her 20th birthday. In his interview with The Stinger, Dustin referenced the well-publicized suicide case of 17-year-old Leelah Alcorn. Alcorn’s story shook many Americans, especially those suffering from the discrimination faced by many transgender people. On Dec. 28, 2014, after fighting with the restraints of society and family, Alcorn stepped in front of a tractor trailer on Interstate 71 in Kings Mills, Ohio, according to published reports by NBC News. This case sparked an outreach on social media advocating the acceptance and support of transgender individuals. It also exemplified and brought to light the prominence of suicide in the issue of gender identity. Many other prominent figures in the media have brought a greater awareness for transgender people. Celebrities such as Emmy- award winning actress, Laverne Cox from “Orange is the New Black,” and Bruce
Jenner, who is reportedly moving toward changing his identity, provides trans people with a role model and sense of support. Cox, who now speaks around the country as an advocate of gender identity, was scheduled to speak at Muhlenberg College in March. However, after her recent signing with CBS for a show, Cox cancelled the visit due to her packed schedule. Unfortunately, not all people receive support that notable celebrities do. As in the case of Alcorn, the journey often ends in feelings of isolation and helplessness due to society’s judgmental tendencies. These societal barriers became a struggle f o r
Life: discover his true identity Dustin, inside and outside of school. Although his journey allowed him to make many new, supportive friends, it also influenced many relationships that existed prior to the student coming out. “I’ve lost a lot of friends along the way,” Dustin said, “but that’s to come obviously. It’s damaged a lot of relationships.” As seen in Alcorn’s story, many times a person’s family causes the stress and fear of acceptance. According to Amanda Porter, vice president of the Renaissance Transgender Association of the Lehigh Valley, the biggest struggle for a trans teen is actually knowing that they are transgender and having the maturity to deal with those who do not support them. “This especially true with non- accepting family members,” Porter said. “Family support is the single biggest problem for all trans people.” Dr. Katherine Richmond, assistant psychology professor at Muhlenberg College, agrees with Porter. “In the case of Leelah, social isolation and alienation were the factors that ultimately contributed to her decision to end her life,” Richmond said.
The Struggle Against Discrimination
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ven in school, the struggles of being a transgender teen present themselves in many ways. In sophomore year, all students must take and pass an aquatics class in order to graduate. This posed a challenge for Dustin, who made several attempts to drop the class. The only way to avoid taking the class would be to have a doctor’s note or extreme extenuating circumstance. Although his swim teacher provided him with the option to change in the boys’ locker room, Dustin used the girls’ locker room, feeling uncomfortable in his swim trunks and t-shirt. “That class was just terrible, honestly,” Dustin said. “I had to go through a couple months of looking like a girl dressed in guy clothes with guy hair.” Many transgender teens in EHS deal with similar locker room issues, according to guidance counselor Kristen Grim, who also advises the Gay-Straight Alliance at EHS. GSA works actively in making advancements and spreading awareness about the LGBTQ community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer.) GSA recently changed EHS’ nondiscrimination policy to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The club has also been working to create a gender-neutral bathroom, in order to eliminate awkward situations that many transgender students face in fit-
ness classes. Right now students have the option of changing in the nurse’s room, but even this can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, according to Grim. “Different things that we take for granted, for transgender kids, they can be difficult,” Grim said. Junior Colleen Livingston, a GSA member, observes the struggle that transgender teens undergo during a normal school day. According to Livingston, it’s regular inconveniences that pose a larger challenge as opposed to bullying. “Many people see the bullying side but fail to emphasize with the dayto-day struggle of things as simple as using the school bathrooms,” Livingston said. Richmond believes that violence is the biggest struggle that trans people face. “Reports have noted that verbal and physical harassment of transgender individuals occurs in public bathrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms,” Richmond said. “Bathrooms consequently become sources of stress for transgender people.” Currently, in Pennsylvania it is legal to discriminate against LBGTQ people, according to Porter. “A person can be evicted from an apartment, denied a mortgage or fired from their job just because they are gay or trans,” Porter said. A bill has been proposed in both the Senate and the House of Representatives that would ban this type of discrimination. However, as in any struggle for equality, there will always be legal obstacles. The purpose of LBGTQ support groups is to overcome these obstacles. “It is my hope that, if the public is informed, they will pressure the government to remedy this disgrace,” Porter said.
The Pronoun Problem
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SA also works to end the pronoun problem, an issue that Dustin often experiences. Many teachers, either accidentally or purposefully, use the wrong pronouns when addressing their transgender students. GSA officer Sydney Wilcoxin, believes that the pronoun issue is the biggest problem that transgender students face. “One of the biggest problems is blatant misgendering or refusal to recognize a student as their identified gender,” said Wilcoxin, a junior. “I see this most often in teachers, which is almost more disturbing than seeing it in peers.” One of Dustin’s teachers refused to use the correct pronoun. After calling him by his birth name, Dustin politely corrected the teacher; the teacher responded: “It doesn’t matter to me. You’re in the system as this, I’m gonna call you this.” “It’s like they refuse to even try, and I can tell teachers multiple times and they just don’t think anything of it,” said Dustin. “Even though you are telling them something, they just don’t listen.” Societal attitudes like this are what lead some transgender teens to suicide. According to Grim, the guidance office shares the information with the teachers when a student requests to be called something different. However, as Dustin’s story demonstrates, not all teachers are willing to respect the student’s wishes. “It’s a struggle,” Grim said when referring to the pronoun issue, “and one I hope we are working to fix it.” The presence of a GSA in EHS provides a safe place for students to be comfortable. Many times students do not feel as though they can be their true selves at home, which is where GSA assists. The club does not ask its members to identify as anything. It simply works to bring awareness and support for the LGBTQ community at EHS. According to Grim, even if transgender students do not actively participate in GSA, the fact that they know there is an organization spreading awareness about their struggle provides comfort and peace of mind. “It is statistically proven that schools with a GSA are safer,” Grim said. Wilcoxin hopes to spread awareness for the LGBTQ community through her efforts in GSA, and she believes the only way to spread this awareness is to start talking about it and bring the topic out of the dark. “The topic of transgender people and life makes many people uncomfortable, so they don’t talk about it,” said Wilcoxin. “But when nobody talks about it, nothing changes, discrimination continues to grow and innocent lives are either damaged or taken.” Livingston stresses the fact that transgender people are just like any other person. “Transgender people are still people. They laugh, love and cry just like the rest of us,” Livingston said. “As we’ve grown up, we were taught that it doesn’t matter what race, sex or social status you are, so why should it matter if someone doesn’t identify as their assigned sex?” Dustin, also an officer of GSA, hopes to spread awareness in EHS for transgender kids. He also encourages trans kids to push through the challenge of acceptance and be true to who they are. “It’s not really a choice to come out, it’s just something you have to do for yourself,” said Dustin, “to live your life.” Photo credit Lindsay Harner