BLM at School: Transgender Day of Remembrance
/This month we highlighted Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20. Versión en Español
Loan T., Student Media Ambassador for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN),* articulates beautifully why this day is so important:
“Transgender Day of Remembrance is really all about remembering to never forget the history and presence of trans* people in our world. And with that, Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) stands as an even larger motivator to embrace the identities we ourselves have and the identities of others. It’s a day for action, for mobilization, for story telling, and for revitalization. But most importantly, TDOR is an opportunity to celebrate the diverse lives of trans* people everywhere. It’s crucial to recognize that trans* people have made great, beautiful strides to transform and challenge society… and what’s even more awesome and admirable is that we keep doing so every single day. We continue to come out, to speak out, to shout out loud that we have hurt and we have lost but that will never prevent us from shouting even louder that we are here and we will continue to exist in the most influential ways—that’s what matters most to me: having a community that I can stand with no matter what.” - GLSEN Student Media Ambassador Loan T.
*GLSEN champions LGBTQ issues in K-12 education. Founded in 1990, this national network of educators, students and local GLSEN Chapters work to ensure every student has a safe, supportive and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education. They work to ensure that LGBT students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Find out more about GLSEN here.
William Dorsey Swann
One relatively unknown person who challenged gender norms of the day was William Dorsey Swann. Born in Maryland in 1860, Swann endured slavery, the Civil War, racism, police surveillance, torture behind bars, and many other injustices. Beginning in the 1880s, he not only became the first American activist to lead a queer resistance group; he also became, the first known person to dub himself a “queen of drag.” It was revolutionaries like him that fought injustice paving the way for generations to follow.
Two Spirit
November is also Native American Heritage Month, and we would like to call attention to the historical and contemporary experience of non-binary and fluid gender identity of Native American people among various tribes across the continent. Though the term Two Spirit itself was adopted in Winnipeg, Canada in 1990 as a positive umbrella term for these identities in different tribes, the historical concept of non-binary and gender fluidity had different names and expressions among unique tribal nations. It traditionally referred to individuals with both feminine and masculine traits, and could be considered a third gender (some tribes recognized more than three genders). These individuals often held unique spiritual and/or societal roles and were respected, if not revered, in the tribe. The term Two Spirit is not necessarily synonymous with Western LGBTQ concepts, though there may be intersections between gender and sexual identity among these identities and terms.
What can you do and how can you learn more?
Talk to your students about the info presented above.
If you have three minutes, read one of the following articles (or all of them!):
Be an Ally - Support Trans Equality
IHS Two Spirit
Eight Things You Should Know About Two Spirit People
If you have five minutes, watch BBC Reel - William Dorsey Swann
If you have six minutes, watch What Does "Two Spirit" Mean?
If you have eleven minutes, listen to the podcast Two Spirit - Changing Our Stories
Dig deeper with these resources and books:
Dig deeper with these resources and books:
THE BASICS: BREAKING THE BINARY, EXPANDING GENDER EXPRESSIVENES
Gender Triangle Education Guide / Trevor Project
Beyond the Binary: A Tool Kit for Gender Identity Activism in Schools
GO DEEPER: Trans Agenda for Liberation via Transgender Law Center
WATCH THE POWERFUL INTRODUCTION
Check out some books from the Seattle Public Library
Social Justice Book lists:
Early Childhood: Learning about Gender Identity Booklist
LGBTQ+ Booklist (all ages!)