A Wonderful Day at SIUE

I had a unique opportunity this week. A friend of mine teaches a class at SIUE on interpersonal communication. She is currently teaching about the differences in social expectations and interactions based on gender and gender presentation. Since I have had experience from three distinct gender variations, she asked me to come talk to the class. One class in the morning and another on in the afternoon. The students were amazing. With each of the two classes I spent a few minutes talking about my own personal history, how we base our interactions on preconceived assumptions and why it is considered inappropriate and often rude to ask transgender individuals about their transition and birth gender. At this point I broke that rule and opened the class up for discussion. I told them that they could ask me any question they wanted and I would answer as well as I possibly could, no matter how personal.

The first class consisted mostly of eighteen year old students and I had developed my own preconceived assumptions. I expected some low brow comments and possibly a few rude questions. At the very least a few sidelong glances. But that didn't happen. The students were very professional, honestly wanting to learn and asking questions that were very on topic for the class. The second class was a bit older and the discussions were a bit more intense and personal, but once again, they were very professional and on topic.

Out of around 60 students every single one of them was openly supportive of the trans community. Two of them are doing everything they can to be supportive of their own preschool relatives that are showing signs of being trans. Sadly, the parents of both children are trying to force the kids into expressing their gender based on their birth sex. My advice to the two students was to be there for the kids. To be the aunt or cousin to come to for an understanding ear and shoulder. I advised them to not push the parents, but to gently nudge them. Show them professional research on transgender children and help them find 'good' counselors that are very experienced in the field that will help the child grow to be who they are and help the parents with their own issues in regard to gender dysphoria.

By the end of the day I had new hope. These are the people that will be changing our world in the next few years. They are our immediate future and they want the world to be a better place just as much as we do.

My thanks go out to the students in Mrs. Hahn's class. They welcomed me with open arms and showed me true kindness. That was more than I could have ever asked for.