End Ignorance in Schools
512
people have signed this petition. Add your name now!
512
people have signed. Add your voice!
52%
Maxine K. signed
just now
Adam B. signed
just now
The year is 2011, bordering on 2012. Same sex marriage has been legalized in ten countries and seven states of the United States' fifty. LGBTQ people have been garnering more and more positive attention in the media. Bills that would truncate the rights of queer people have been stopped in motion by the united support of millions of people from across the world. The United States' Don't Ask Don't Tell policy was recently repealed, allowing openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve in the country's military.
However, in most schools, a hetero- and cisnormative "status quo" is upheld. In Sexual Education courses taught in middle and high schools, there is no (or very little) mention to safe sex practices for non-heterosexual people. Teachers stumble over pronouns and adopted names with non-binary students, sometimes unintentionally outing them to their classmates. Most egregious of all, some schools and school districts require a uniform: MAAB (Male Assigned At Birth) students wearing trousers and FAAB (Female Assigned At Birth) students wearing skirts. This does not just hearken back to a time when a woman could be attacked for wearing trousers, but it denies many transgendered and non-binary students from expressing themselves as they wish, at times risking their personal safety and mental stability. Beyond that, students are regularly split by gender: in sex ed classes, in gym classes, and sometimes in regular classrooms.
This should not be happening.
There should be better education for teachers and school administration, concerning respecting the sexual orientations and gender identities of students. Sexual Education courses should be changed to include non-heterosexual and non-cisgendered students. Gender segregation in schools should be ended. MAAB students should be allowed to wear skirts and FAAB students allowed trousers.
This petition asks for only 5,000 signatures. Once we reach our goal, we invite you to share this message with your local teachers, your school district--and anywhere else where you think this will help.
Thank you.
Sponsor
My name is James, I'm a non-binary teenager currently attending school in the United States.
Share on Facebook
Comment
See More 0