Recently, Guam Department of Education has decided to follow federal guidelines and provide transgender students access to the bathroom of their gender identity. I saw the link to this article on Facebook last week and I was immediately overjoyed. Transgender students would be able to feel safer in schools and more comfortable being who they want to be. Reading the article made me somewhat upset. The author’s opening line was, “In fact, GDOE has to comply with this recent federal guideline in order to continue millions of dollars in federal grants.” The words, “has to comply” seemed a bit harsh.
And then I read the comments on the article.
You know how the U.S. said Guam couldn’t have citizenship, because we were basically too stupid to understand the elaborate rules and regulations set forth in federal documents despite our incessant requests for said citizenship? If you don’t, then you’re not from Guam. If you do, then you probably thought, “What the ____?” You probably got angry or upset. Well, that’s how I felt when I saw the comments on the post. People were upset about what GDOE was doing. They thought it was stupid. They thought it put other students at risk of being harmed. They thought it meant GDOE had no backbone.
Let me stop all those deplorable, disgusting comments right now. What GDOE is doing is freaking amazing and I am so happy Superintendent Fernandez has decided to green light this. Since so many people decided to make snide remarks and comments, I’m going to take this time, and article, which was not planned until I saw the news article about this delightful moment in Guam’s history, to address the concerns of the people.
You claim the following:
1. "GDOE is only doing it for the money." or "It's amazing to see that GDOE would so something like this for x amount of dollars."
Yes, you are spot on, my friends! It is for the money and it is amazing! Why, $25 million is a lot of money! Ever since I was a kid, even I knew that Guam Department of Education had to make do with what little it had. This money is needed. What for? For programs like Gender Sexuality Alliances for LGBTQ students, quality counselors (cause really, dealing with kids isn’t easy), after-school programs, and whatever else DOE needs. The money isn't going anywhere, although at times it seems like it. It’s to do some amazing things. Guam is underserved, in my opinion, and with more money students will be able to get a better education. If you don’t want that for your child, then what kind of parent are you?
2. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"
No. Smart! Smart! Smart! GDOE is hearing the needs of students, and not just the LGBTQ community. Even students who identify themselves as allies to the gay community have supported this movement of transgender bathrooms. Also, it’s not nice to call yourself stupid, people. Confidence is key, which brings me to my next point.
3. "It's not safe." or "A non-transgender student will pretend so that they can sexually assault those who are not transgender."
First of all, those who identify as LGBTQ are bullied more often than those who don’t identify as such. In 2013, sexual orientation was the second highest hate-crime in the U.S. The 2011 National School Climate Survey reported that, "44% felt unsafe at school due to gender identification." What's not safe, is not providing this option in the first place. Besides, the Superintendent stated that they would have a registry for this type of stuff. It is avoidable.
4. "You're supporting something that's a mental illness or bordering on it."
I read this and did two things: I laughed and only then did I become even more upset. Obviously, the LGBTQ community is not the one with the issues. The only way someone who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning is going to have a mental illness is if it is given to them by bullies. They are 3 times more likely to develop a mental illness.
Now, that I have addressed the comments, I’m going to add some more stuff. So, my first semester at Marquette, we had to write a paper on a social justice issue and argue about it. I wrote one on bullying and the LGBTQ community. Because it was an academic paper, I was required to do some extensive research, which I will now pull to further put to rest your objections. (Note: I got an AB on said paper). So get ready as I take you through the rhetorical triangle known as ethos, logos, and pathos.
In the article, “The Influence of Peer Victimization on Educational Outcomes for LGBTQ and Non-LGBTQ High School Students”, the authors state, “It is well documented that schools, particularly secondary schools, are frequently heterosexist and homophobic institutions…” Some of the articles like “Deconstructing Homophobia Through Performance: A Review of Ugly Ducklings: A National Campaign to Reduce Bullying and Harassment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth,” find that the numbers of bullying in schools are high and that there is just negative report after negative report. Author, Anna Wilson, claims, “…results from the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) 2011 National Climate Survey, schools remain “hostile environments for a distressing number of LGBT students.”" The articles even mention that classrooms feel “...the most homophobic of all social institutions…” Furthermore, consequences of such homophobic school environments on LGBT students include “…ostracism, physical violence, verbal harassment, a decline in academic performance, school failure, school dropout, and a decrease in involvement in school and extracurricular activities.”
Well call me stupid, but bullying of LGBTQ students sounds pretty darn serious. We all want to succeed, but with all this stigmatization about LGBTQ youth prevents them from even doing so. I'm also pretty sure calling someone mentally who identifies as an LGBTQ individual is bullying. The moment an adult stoops to bullying students, well, that adult should reevaluate what they're doing in their life.
I have to admit that incidents have declined about 70% in recent years. You can't ignore the good statistics. This is all do to gay-straight alliances, LGBTQ-related Internet resources through schools, supportive educators, and anti-bullying policies. As stated before, it's due to the support of the peers of the community. Various authors offer suggestions to bring the bullying incidents down. One suggestion made by an author implores “…educators to examine their curriculum for inclusiveness. In the same way that racial minorities and people with disabilities have had increased positive representation over the past several years in school curriculum, the same should happen for the LGBTQ segment of society.”
The U.S. Department of Education is doing just that with the transgender bathrooms. Once upon a time I am sure that Americans came to Guam and ostracized the Chamorro so we weren't given the same opportunities that they had. I recall reading that in the olden days, to get a decent job speaking English was a must. What if we told the manåmko' that they couldn't move to the front of the line even if they had to use a walker? That wouldn't be right. So, why is it wrong to allow transgender students to use the bathroom of the gender they identify with?
If you still disagree, then obviously you're either old or just a bitter person. But it's okay...
