Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/795366
Most people, gay and straight, are "cis- gender," meaning their gender assigned at birth, also called their biological sex, matches their gender identity. Gender identity is often confused with s e xu al or i ent ation , on e's rom anti c or sexual attraction to people of a certain gen- der. Along with gay, lesbian, bisexual and straight, sexual orientation now includes the terms "pansexual," where individuals are attracted to people regardless of gen- der identity or biology, and "asexual," where there is no attraction to people of any gen- der. Everyone has a gender identity and sexual orientation. For Davis, such flexibility feels like a fur- ther shattering of gender stereotypes that has been taking place over decades. " We grew up in a culture where boys wear blue and girls wear pink. But more people believe girls don't have to wear pink and girls can be scientists — or that boys can wear tutus. We are letting people express themselves in ways they want to, without putting them into little boxes. As teachers, we want kids to accept them- selves and love th emselves. I want my students to know that if they are transgen- der, I will help them feel safe, welcome and treat them with dignity." Transgender students and the law At a school in Southern California last year, a second-grader announced he would wear girls' clothes, use the girls' restroom a n d a s su m e a g i rl 's n a m e . S t a f f w e re flummoxed. A teacher blamed the parents and called Child Protective Services. An investigation ensued, and the family was traumatized. ey were eventually cleared of wrongdoing. " The other kids in the class were per- fectly fine and didn't have an issue with it, while the adults were freaking out," recalls a CTA member there. "Eventually teachers calmed down and got used to it." Students in California have been allowed t o w e a r c l o t h i n g , u s e re s t r o o m s a n d locker rooms, and participate on sports t eams matchin g th eir gend er i d entity since enactment of the School Success and Opportunity Act — th e s o-cal l ed restroom law — in 2014. is covers all students regardless of age. Not all educators are entirely com- fortable teaching transgender students, observes Schools in Transition : A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools, a publication developed by Gender Spectrum, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the ACLU, NEA, and the Human Rights Campaign. However, regardless of an educator's comfort level, it is their responsibility under law to pro- vide a supportive learning environment and protect every student from discrimi- nation and harassment. California's restroom law led the way for other states to follow. Opponents pre- dicted it would cause problems, such as students pretending to be transgender to sneak a peek, but this has not been an issue. A 2015 study by Media Matters in America of 12 states with restroom laws found none reported harassment or inap- propriate behavior as a result of allowing transgender students to access facilities they are comfortable with. According to AB 1732, signed into law in September, all single-stall public bath- rooms in California , including ones in businesses, government buildings and 22 cta.org Teachers Carleen and Mark Maselli don't want their son, in hoodie next to his brother Anthony, to stand out or be treated differently at school. " As teachers, we want kids to accept themselves and love themselves. I want my students to know that if they are transgender, i will help them feel safe, welcome and treat them with dignity." — DAWN DAVIS, CHICO UNIFIED TEACHERS ASSOCIATION FEATURE