Imagine you’re a child in school and your teacher tells you to pick a book off the shelf about a kid like you. You look at the titles. There are books about athletes and orphans, stories of vampires and zombies and talking animals, but nothing about a kid who is transgender. So, you grab anything and sit back down.
But then, a classmate pulls a book out of their backpack about a transgender boy and asks your teacher to read it to the class. She says yes, and you listen as this boy in the book owns his identity, finds a community, and is lovingly accepted by his friends, family, and school.!
The next day, you find out your teacher is in trouble for having read that one book about you. That book doesn’t belong in our schools, they say. But if that book doesn’t belong in our schools, what does that say about you?
Students and teachers in the Murray School District were recently told that a picture book whose main character is a transgender boy is unsuitable for school, and the teacher was wrong for having read it to the class. The message to our children was clear: LGBTQ identities — their own identity or the identity of their friends or family members — are wrong and unacceptable in school.
That’s wrong.
Every child deserves to feel welcome in school and celebrated for who they are. That’s why we do “get to know you” activities on the first day each year, why teachers build lessons around what we learn about each student, and why we take bullying so seriously.
Recent attacks on LGBTQ students, particularly transgender students, have been devastating. When state leaders and Utah State School Board members attack teachers for supporting all students, those leaders don’t just harm the teachers — they harm every LGBTQ child we serve.
Our LGBTQ children are hurting right now. Data shows that LGBTQ students are more likely to get lower grades, miss school, and perform poorly on tests. These students are also four to ten times more likely to die by suicide. Each statistic is a student in class right now, and they are desperate for us to do something more to support them.
Imagine you’re that transgender child again, but now you’re in high school. Your science teacher is telling the whole class about Alan Hart, a transgender scientist who pioneered a tuberculosis screening program that saved thousands of lives. Suddenly, you’re seeing how someone like you fits into the bigger world. The student sitting next to you is also benefiting from knowing that trans people have contributed positively to our world in countless ways. Inclusion for one student improves the education for all students!
According to the 2019 GLSEN School Climate Survey, over 70% of LGBTQ students reported avoiding school functions and extracurricular activities because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable. Well, if they don’t feel comfortable coming to a school pep rally, we educators are going to bring the rally to them!
Please join us at the Utah State Capitol on May 18 for a rally in support of our LGBTQ students and educators. We’ll be joined by special guest Kyle Lukoff, who will read his book “Call Me Max” and speak about the power of representation. After a long, difficult year, it’s time to celebrate together and uplift our kids — every single one of them.
Alli Martin is an Assistant Principal at Horizonte Instruction and Training Center
Alli Martin is an assistant principal at Horizonte Instruction and Training Center. She earned her doctorate from the University of Utah in educational leadership and policy.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) John Arthur Utah's teacher of the year, says a few words before First Lady Jill Biden's speech at Glendale Middle School, on Wednesday, May 5, 2021.
John Arthur, Bluffdale, teaches sixth grade at Meadowlark Elementary in Salt Lake City, and is the 2021 Utah Teacher of the Year.
