Teachers and students grapple with fears and confusion about new laws restricting pronoun use

[sl8]

https://apnews.com/article/transgender-nonbinary-pronouns-lgbtq-schools-f4694f1e1503504a6cdf1aae4205a180

Teachers and students grapple with fears and confusion about new laws restricting pronoun use

BY ANDREW DEMILLO AND RICK CALLAHAN
Updated 9:57 AM EST, November 21, 2023

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis high school senior Caston Peters had used they and them or he and him pronouns at school for three years without a problem, but they came home a few days into this school year and told their mother that the situation had changed.

Peters, 18 and nonbinary, heard from a teacher that a new state law meant they wouldn’t be able to use those pronouns, or the first name they’ve used for years, without explicit permission from a parent because the pronouns and name don’t correspond with their sex assigned at birth.

[...]

“It makes me feel like there’s going to be a child out there who’s not going to feel safe at home to tell their parents and the school’s going to rat them out for wanting to be called a different name or different pronouns,” she said.

Indiana is among at least 10 states that have enacted laws prohibiting or restricting students from using pronouns or names that don’t match their sex assigned at birth, a restriction that opponents say further marginalizes transgender and nonbinary students. Most of the laws were enacted this year and are part of a historic wave of new restrictions on transgender youth approved by Republican states.

[...]

[Biophilic]

1. This is just disgusting.

Talk about crawling over the most vulnerable in an effort to appear tough and masterful.

[BootOutTheGoons]

5. That's what cowards and bullies do

[David__77]

3. I think teachers should then refrain from using gendered pronouns at all.

When referencing students, use proper names in all contexts that would otherwise use he, she, him, or her. I don’t think that even needs to come off as awkward.

[dsc]

6. While that helps to some extent

we still have to dead name since the dead name is what is in the official data base. By Jan 1 my district will have its policy the state is mandating them to have in this regard. I am awaiting to see what my district decides upon.

[David__77]

10. That's insane.

That is so challenging. I can only think that using nonverbal cues and gestures to get attention is the only way to minimize using any name at all, and letting the student know that they're supported and validated. I'm sorry you'll have to deal with that. Teachers deal with so much.

[BootOutTheGoons]

4. There's nothing to grapple with

It's not hard and it's not quantum physics. All they need to do is call people by what they want to be called. That applies to names and pronouns. Be kind. Be respectful. Do unto others as you'd want done unto you.

It's not for others to decide what a person's name or pronouns are. And it really is easier to be nice than to be an asshole

[dsc]

7. Teachers are being threatened with firing and losing their licences for doing that

if the parents haven't given specific permission for them to do so.

[BootOutTheGoons]

11. That's not my point

My point is all of it. These awful and hateful bills, a cult obsessed with attacking LGBTQs and too many people in general obsessed with names and pronouns. All of this is because assholes at a higher office decided to become the name and pronoun police.

[ck4829]

8. So glad I stayed away from teaching

Catering to the whims of far-right wackjobs, no thanks.

[NowISeetheLight]

9. So States....

So states are passing worthless and discriminatory anti-woke laws to impress their base. Meanwhile real problems, like healthcare, a living wage, putting food on the table are ignored.

[BootOutTheGoons]

12. Nothing is more important to them than cruelty

[meadowlander]

13. So are cis kids being told they can't use nicknames, middle names, shortened versions of their first name, etc?

What about foster kids using aliases to keep them hidden from abusive birth families?

If everyone isn't forced to go by the full legal name on their birth certificate then this is obviously not equal protection before the law.

[dsc]

14. in theory yes they are

NC is doing district by district policies and they have until 1 Jan to get that done. Wake just announced theirs. Students who were doing so prior to Aug will get to continue to go by names not in powerschool (our database) but after that any name change, no matter how trivial, will require parental permission.