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Minds On: Ask the class what is transphobia? Collectively create a workable definition, so that you have a starting point for the following activity.
Action: Teachers can say the following: Sometimes, we say or do things that are hurtful to other people, even when we don’t mean to hurt anyone. I’m going to read some statements of things that we might have said or done in the past that could be hurtful to people who are transgender or gender non-nonconforming. I want you to to help me explain why each statement or action could be hurtful. Who could it hurt, and how?
1. To be respected, girls should look and act like girls, and boys should look and act like boys.
Points to include in conversation:
This statement insists that respect is based on conforming to gender stereotypes, when respect should be afforded to all people, regardless of how people look or their gender.
This statement assumes that there are set ways to be a boy or a girl when there are many ways to look or act like a girl, and many ways to look or act like a boy, and both girls and boys get to make choices about how they express their gender. Also, different cultures have different understandings about how girls and boys “should” look and act - to insist upon one is to impose one culture’s views on others.
This is transphobic because it assumes that everyone is a girl or a boy. Non-binary people need to be respected and celebrated too!
2. Toys and clothing can be categorized as boys’ and girls’.
Points to include in conversation:
Insisting upon rigid gender roles is transphobic because it punishes people whose clothing, interests, or hobbies fall outside of those stereotypes. Many clothes and toys and even books are categorized as boys’ or girls’ by the people who sell them, but this has nothing to do with who might like them or want to wear them, play with them, use them, or read them.
3. If I see kids being picked on for being a “sissy” boy or “tomboy” girl, it’s okay for me to say nothing.
Points to include in conversation:
Allowing other people to engage in transphobic behaviour (in this case, shaming/harassing someone for not meeting someone’s specific beliefs about how to be a boy or a girl) signals that you support their transphobia
If we see someone being picked on for their gender expression, what can we do?
4. It’s okay to make fun of people who don’t conform to gender stereotypes.
Points to include in conversation:
Gender stereotypes limit everyone. Everyone should be able to express themselves, whether that is through what they do, what they like or how they dress, without having to worry about others making fun of them.
It is not funny when someone doesn’t conform to gender stereotypes - there are many different ways to express yourself and all of these ways are valuable and should be respected.
5. I wouldn’t have a trans friend.
Points to include in conversation:
Everyone deserves to have people in their life who care about them and want to spend time with them, including trans people.
It is transphobic not to want to be friends with someone because they are trans. We shouldn’t exclude people because of their identities.
6. There’s nothing I can do about transphobia.
Points to include in conversation:
There are many things we can do to reduce transphobia. We can ask for all-gender washrooms at our school, we can remember to use the names and pronouns that people ask us to use, we can speak out against transphobic things that we hear, and more! What are some other things we can do to fight transphobia?
7. The sight of a man in a dress is funny.
Points to include in conversation:
Actually, any kind of person can wear any kind of clothing. If a person is a man and wants to wear a dress that is totally okay.
We shouldn’t assume the gender identity of a person based on their clothes or appearance. How do we know the person in the dress is a man? Did they tell us that?
Maybe the person doesn’t mean to be funny by wearing a dress. It is disrespectful to make fun of people because of their clothing or appearance, and it is transphobic to make fun of people because of their gender expression.
8. It’s okay to tell jokes or laugh at jokes about trans people.
Points to include in conversation:
It’s not funny that some people are trans - that’s just a fact! Everyone deserves to be respected and taken seriously. When you tell jokes or laugh at jokes about trans people, you are being disrespectful.
9. I should challenge anyone I think might be in the wrong washroom for their sex.
Points to include in conversation:
We can’t tell other people’s genders just by looking at them. We might think someone looks like a boy or like a girl, but we could be wrong.
People go to the washroom to use the washroom, not to be bothered by other people.
10. Transgender people shouldn’t be teachers or work with children.
Points to include in conversation:
There is no reason why trans people shouldn’t be teachers or work with children - many trans people are parents and have children themselves!
It is actually great for children to meet and get to know transgender people - everyone should know that trans people exist and are valued. Children who may be trans or gender non-conforming deserve to see people like them reflected in their schools’ staff.
11. I have the right to judge other people.
Points to include in conversation:
It is not kind to be judgemental, nor does being judgemental benefit anyone.
If we feel inclined to judge someone, we should reflect: what rules are we using to judge this person? Who created these rules?
We may have a right to think and feel what whatever we want, but that doesn’t mean we have a right to be cruel to others
12. I don’t think that transgender women and transgender girls should be able to use a washroom with other women and girls.
Points to include in conversation:
Transgender women and girls are women and girls. If we don’t think transgender women and girls should be able to do things that other women and girls are allowed to do, that means we don’t think they are really the gender they say they are. It is transphobic to think we know better than others what their gender is.
This statement suggests that transgender people are more dangerous than other people, and that is not true
13. If you were born with a certain body, it’s wrong to change it.
Points to include in conversation:
Everyone owns their own body. We all should be able to make our own decisions about what we do or do not do with our own bodies. If trans people feel they need to change their bodies, they should be able to do that
14. Everyone should try to look like either a boy or a girl.
Points to include in conversation:
Actually, not everyone is a boy or a girl! Some people are non-binary, which means they don’t identify as either a man/boy or woman/girl. Non-binary people exist and should be celebrated.
Even if someone is either a boy or a girl, there is no right or wrong way for a boy or a girl to look
15. I don’t think we should be learning about gender in school.
Points to include in conversation:
Gender is an important part of our world, and it is important to learn about it
By learning about gender, we can challenge stereotypes and bullying and make the world better for everyone
We are learning about gender right now! What did we learn today?
Tips for Teachers and helpful reminders to frame activity for students:
Remember that this activity is not meant to be a debate, because we do not debate human rights. Instead, we want to help students identify why certain actions and beliefs can be hurtful.
If students say hurtful or transphobic things during the course of this activity, it is important to address that in the moment. Remember that you may have students in your class who are transgender or who have transgender people in their families.
It is important not to reinforce the idea that everyone is either a boy or a girl. People can exist outside of these categories and non-binary gender identities (neither male nor female) are important to acknowledge when we are talking about gender.
Adapted from: skelton, j wallace. (2016). Transphobia: Deal with it and be a gender transcender. Toronto, ON: James Lorimer & Company Ltd.