I’ve officially popped my casket. (emphasis mine)
The Wisconsin lawsuit notes other problems with how the school treated Whitaker. He was repeatedly called by his birth name and referred to with female pronouns by school staff, wasn’t allowed to run for prom king (until the school received a petition and media scrutiny), and wasn’t allowed to lodge with boys during school trips. The district also requires staff to make Whitaker and other transgender students wear green bracelets identifying them as transgender to staff — which caused Whitaker to worry about stigmatization and harassment, according to his lawyers. The school eventually instructed security guards to ensure Whitaker didn’t use the boys restroom.
I have no words.
Sue this district into fucking oblivion, please.
-Shiv
George Santayana once said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
There is a corollary to it: “Those who ignore the past are trying to repeat it.”
What the actual fuck! That is outrageous.
It’s not enough that the students are disrespected by the staff. No, we have to make absolutely sure that they stand out as juicy targets for harassment. And given this treatment, what are the odds that the school will help a student that experiences harassment for being trans?
Finally, even if the lawsuit succeeds, it just means that the school district has wasted a lot of money on trying to defend bigotry, resulting in poorer education for all the students. It’s a lose-lose situation.
I don’t have a ‘green bracelet’.
But I can make one before I go out tomorrow.
and I will.
Jesus Christ, I was reading that last night and almost blogged it, but I thought ‘Shiv is probably going to do this one’. These people are supposed to be professional educators, people who understand and know how to deal with children. “Oh hey, put on this highly visible marker that you are a deviant, please.” As if there are just so many trans* students they couldn’t possibly figure it the fuck out.
And evil repubs and cons insist their hatred isn’t doing any harm. *spits*
Likewise. If the student body wanted to fuck with the administration, they’d all have green bracelets.