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Navigating the Complexities: A Shop Teacher's Transition in Canada
Introduction:
The journey of a transgender individual is often fraught with challenges, and for those in professional roles, navigating societal expectations and workplace policies can be particularly complex. This post delves into the specific experiences of a transgender shop teacher in Canada, exploring the legal landscape, social implications, and practical considerations they face. We'll examine the support systems available, the potential hurdles, and the steps needed to create a more inclusive and accepting environment within Canadian schools. This in-depth exploration will provide valuable insights for transgender individuals, educators, school administrators, and anyone interested in promoting inclusivity within the education system. Understanding the unique position of a transgender shop teacher in Canada is crucial for fostering a truly supportive and equitable learning environment for all.
The Legal Framework for Transgender Rights in Canadian Schools
Canada has made significant strides in protecting the rights of transgender individuals. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees equality rights, prohibiting discrimination based on sex, which includes gender identity and expression. Provincial and territorial human rights codes further reinforce these protections, making discrimination against transgender individuals in the workplace, including schools, illegal. However, legal protection doesn't always translate to seamless integration. Practical challenges remain, including navigating bureaucratic processes for name and gender marker changes on official documents, accessing appropriate washrooms and changing facilities, and addressing potential misconceptions or hostility from colleagues and students. The legal framework provides a foundation, but its effective implementation requires proactive efforts from all stakeholders.
Social and Psychological Impacts on Transgender Shop Teachers
The transition process itself can be emotionally and psychologically demanding. Transgender shop teachers may face additional pressure to conform to gendered expectations within a traditionally masculine environment like a shop class. This can manifest as microaggressions, subtle forms of discrimination, or outright hostility from students or colleagues who struggle to understand or accept their identity. Building a supportive network is crucial, involving supportive colleagues, mentors, and potentially therapists specializing in gender identity issues. Open communication and education are vital to address misconceptions and foster a more accepting classroom atmosphere. The psychological well-being of the teacher is paramount, and access to mental health resources should be readily available.
Practical Considerations: Workplace Accommodations and Inclusive Practices
Beyond legal and psychological considerations, practical adjustments are often necessary to ensure a transgender shop teacher feels safe, respected, and able to perform their duties effectively. This might include adjustments to bathroom facilities, locker room access, and uniform policies. It’s important to remember that these accommodations are not special privileges but reasonable adjustments to ensure equal opportunity and a positive working environment. Schools need to adopt a proactive approach, engaging in open dialogue with the teacher to identify and implement appropriate accommodations. This process should be collaborative, respectful, and focus on creating an inclusive environment for all students.
The Role of School Administrators and Support Staff
School administrators play a crucial role in creating an inclusive environment for transgender teachers. Their leadership in implementing policies that protect and support transgender staff is essential. This involves providing mandatory training on gender identity and inclusivity for all staff, establishing clear reporting mechanisms for instances of discrimination or harassment, and ensuring that all policies and practices align with human rights legislation. Support staff, such as counselors and guidance advisors, can also play a vital role in providing emotional support and resources to both the transgender teacher and their students. A well-supported transgender teacher is better equipped to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment for all.
Student Perspectives and Education: Fostering Understanding and Acceptance
Students' understanding and acceptance are key factors in creating a positive learning environment for a transgender teacher. Open communication, age-appropriate education about gender identity, and promoting empathy are crucial strategies. Integrating discussions about diversity and inclusion into the curriculum can help create a more inclusive school culture. However, it's also essential to be mindful of the teacher's comfort level and to avoid unnecessarily exposing them to potential hostility or discomfort. A balance needs to be struck between education and the teacher’s personal boundaries.
Advocacy and Resources for Transgender Educators in Canada
Various organizations in Canada provide support and advocacy for transgender individuals, including educators. These organizations offer resources, training, and legal assistance. Connecting with these organizations can provide valuable support networks and access to information about rights, policies, and best practices. These resources can be invaluable for transgender teachers navigating the complexities of their professional lives. Collaboration between these advocacy groups and educational institutions is crucial for creating more inclusive and supportive environments.
Building a More Inclusive Future: Lessons and Best Practices
The experiences of transgender shop teachers in Canada highlight the need for ongoing work towards greater inclusivity in education. By implementing proactive strategies, providing adequate support, and fostering open communication, schools can create environments where transgender educators feel safe, respected, and valued. This benefits not only the transgender teachers themselves but also creates a more welcoming and enriching learning experience for all students. Continuous learning, self-reflection, and a commitment to equity are essential for creating truly inclusive educational spaces.
Article Outline:
Title: Navigating the Complexities: A Shop Teacher's Transition in Canada
Introduction: Hooking the reader and providing an overview of the article's content.
Chapter 1: The Legal Framework: Examining Canadian laws protecting transgender rights in schools.
Chapter 2: Social and Psychological Impacts: Discussing the emotional and psychological challenges faced by transgender shop teachers.
Chapter 3: Practical Considerations: Addressing workplace accommodations and inclusive practices.
Chapter 4: The Role of School Administrators: Highlighting the crucial role of school leaders in creating inclusive environments.
Chapter 5: Student Perspectives and Education: Exploring strategies for fostering understanding and acceptance among students.
Chapter 6: Advocacy and Resources: Providing information about support organizations and available resources.
Chapter 7: Building a More Inclusive Future: Offering lessons learned and best practices for creating inclusive schools.
Conclusion: Summarizing key takeaways and emphasizing the importance of ongoing efforts towards inclusivity.
(The content for each chapter is provided above in the main article body.)
FAQs:
1. What legal protections are in place for transgender teachers in Canada? Canadian law prohibits discrimination based on gender identity, and provincial human rights codes further reinforce these protections.
2. What kinds of workplace accommodations might be necessary for a transgender shop teacher? Accommodations could include adjusted bathroom access, locker room access, and uniform policies.
3. How can schools foster a more accepting environment for transgender teachers and students? Through education, open communication, inclusive policies, and training for staff.
4. What resources are available for transgender teachers in Canada? Several organizations provide support, advocacy, and legal assistance.
5. What is the role of school administrators in supporting transgender teachers? Administrators should implement inclusive policies, provide training, and ensure a safe and supportive environment.
6. How can students be educated about gender identity and inclusivity? Age-appropriate discussions and integration of diversity into the curriculum.
7. What are some common challenges faced by transgender shop teachers? Microaggressions, discomfort with traditional gender roles in shop class, and potential hostility from students or colleagues.
8. How can a school address instances of discrimination or harassment against a transgender teacher? Establish clear reporting mechanisms and take swift and decisive action.
9. What is the long-term goal for creating a more inclusive environment for transgender teachers? To ensure equal opportunity, safety, respect, and a sense of belonging for all teachers, regardless of gender identity.
Related Articles:
1. Transgender Rights in Canadian Education: A comprehensive overview of legal frameworks and policies.
2. Supporting Transgender Students in Canadian Schools: Best practices for creating inclusive classrooms.
3. Gender Identity and Expression in the Classroom: Educational resources for teachers and students.
4. The Mental Health of Transgender Individuals: Addressing the unique challenges faced by transgender people.
5. LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Canadian Schools: A broader look at creating welcoming environments for all students.
6. Creating Safe and Inclusive Spaces for Transgender Individuals: Practical strategies for workplaces and communities.
7. The Role of Allies in Supporting Transgender People: How individuals can contribute to creating a more inclusive society.
8. Legal and Ethical Considerations for Gender Affirming Care: Information about access to medical care for transgender individuals.
9. Addressing Microaggressions in the Workplace: Strategies for identifying and addressing subtle forms of discrimination.
| canada shop teacher transgender: The Other Boy M. G. Hennessey, 2016-09-20 A beautifully heartfelt story about one boy’s journey toward acceptance. A book that Jill Soloway, the award-winning creator of Transparent, called “a terrific read for all ages” and Ami Polonsky, author of Gracefully Grayson, called “an emotionally complex and achingly real read.” Twelve-year-old Shane Woods is just a regular boy. He loves pitching for his baseball team, working on his graphic novel, and hanging out with his best friend, Josh. But Shane is keeping something private, something that might make a difference to his friends and teammates, even Josh. And when a classmate threatens to reveal his secret, Shane’s whole world comes crashing down. It will take a lot of courage for Shane to ignore the hate and show the world that he’s still the same boy he was before. And in the end, those who stand beside him may surprise everyone, including Shane. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Trans Activism in Canada Dan Irving, Rupert Raj, 2014-05-05 Centring the voices and experiences of trans identified people as experts on their own lives and agents of change, Trans Activism in Canada opens up a dialogue between scholars and community members in an effort to improve the lives of sex and gender variant people. The first of its kind, this anthology brings together activists and allies to examine the various strategies and forms of resistance needed to transform oppression into opportunity for change. Reflecting upon the challenges trans communities face and offering insight into achieving institutional reform, the themes addressed range from poverty and isolation to health care and best practices. Using personal narratives, archival material, and qualitative research, as well as case- and community-based research, this text demonstrates the leading role of trans and two-spirit activists in generating social change. By drawing on feminist, anti-racist, and social justice frameworks, the contributors approach oppression and activism as inseparable from hetero-patriarchal, colonialist, and capitalist power relations. Written for trans activists, scholars, and allies, Trans Activism in Canada is poised to enrich transgender theorizing by focusing on concrete experiences and practical knowledge gained from the everyday lives of trans people. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: TransNarratives Kristi Carter, James Brunton, 2021-08-24 Filling a gap in literature and fulfilling the need for trans-focused work, TransNarratives is an interdisciplinary collection featuring narratives of transgender experiences, providing a sourcebook of a range of trans perspectives, writing styles, and trans methodological fields of applicability. The works included transcend disciplinary boundaries in the pursuit of academic knowledge and creativity, actively deconstructing binaries wherever they begin to appear, whether with regard to gender, race, ability, or sexuality, or to the binary divisions that can sometimes separate academic and creative production. Calling attention to transgender writers, this unique and timely text showcases a wide variety of material, including scholarship from multi- and interdisciplinary transgender perspectives, poetry and fiction that foregrounds trans experience, and first-person transgender narratives. The essays, poems, and stories cover a range of topics relevant to transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary experiences, across time, geographic location, and cultures. An important addition to the field, this groundbreaking text will serve as an essential collection of works for students and researchers in transgender studies, queer studies, and gender studies. FEATURES - Provides accessible, thematically wide-ranging, and stylistically diverse writings, including scholarship from multi- and interdisciplinary transgender perspectives - Includes multi-generational perspectives and non-able-bodied subjectivities - Uniquely formatted to support a dialogue between creative and scholarly work |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Phoenix Goes to School Michelle Finch, Phoenix Finch, 2018-07-19 My Mommy tells me I'm perfect and to be brave. You know who you are, she says, Just be yourself and always listen to your heart. With those words of encouragement from her Mom, Phoenix is preparing for her first day of school. She is excited but scared of being bullied because of her gender identity and expression. Yet when she arrives at school she finds help and support from teachers and friends, and finds she is brave enough to talk to other kids about her gender! This is an empowering and brightly-illustrated children's book for children aged 3+ to help children engage with gender identity in a fun, uplifting way. It supports trans children who are worried about being bullied or misunderstood. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Growing Up Trans Lindsay Herriot, Kate Fry, 2021-08-17 What does it mean to be young and transgender today? Growing Up Trans shares stories, essays, art and poetry created by trans youth aged 11 to 18. In their own words, the works illustrate the trans experience through childhood, family and daily life, school, their bodies and mental health. Together the collection is a story of the challenges, big and small, of being a young trans person. At the same time, it’s a toolkit for all young people, transgender or not, about what understanding, acceptance and support for the trans community looks like. In addition to the contributed works, there are questions and tips from experts in the field of transgender studies to challenge the reader on how to be a trans ally. Growing Up Trans came out of a series of workshops held in Victoria, British Columbia, to bring together trans youth from across the country with mentors in the community. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Ciel In All Directions Sophie Labelle, 2021-09-28 Ciel may have settled into high school with their best friend Stephie and new buddy Liam, but life is anything but ordinary for this non-binary trans kid! Between an important science project for school and their ever more popular YouTube channel, Ciel and their friends find themselves involved in a campaign to represent the LGBT Alliance. Life is taking off in all directions! |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Teaching about Gender Diversity: Teacher-Tested Lesson Plans for K–12 Classrooms Susan W. Woolley, Lee Airton, 2020-09-02 Featuring lesson plans by educators from across North America, Teaching about Gender Diversity provides K–12 teachers with the tools to talk to their students about gender and sex, implement gender diversity–inclusive practices into their curriculum, and foster a classroom that welcomes all possible ways of living gender. The collection is divided into three sections dedicated to the elementary, middle, and secondary grade levels, with each containing teacher-tested lesson plans for a variety of subject areas, including English language arts, the sciences, and health and physical education. The lesson plans range widely in terms of grade and subject, from early literacy read-alouds to secondary mathematics.Written by teachers for teachers, this engaging collection highlights educators’ varied perspectives and specialized knowledge of pedagogical practices for the diverse contemporary classroom. Teaching about Gender Diversity is an ideal resource for teacher educators, teachers, and students taking education courses on equity, diversity, and social justice as well as curriculum and teaching methods. Visit the book’s companion website at teachingaboutgenderdiversity.com. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: The Pink Balloon Cynthia Sweeney, 2021-09-10 The Pink Balloon is an inclusive children's story about listening with your heart, and a child who shows the world who they truly are. Somewhere near the seaside, a child named Briar is about to be born. But, Briar's story has already begun when a pink balloon floats surprisingly out of a box. Inspired by a true story, this is a heartwarming journey of a new family, a balloon and a child who showed the world it is what's on the inside that counts the most. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: This One Looks Like a Boy Lorimer Shenher, 2019-03-31 Inspiring and honest, this unique memoir of gender transition and coming-of-age proves it’s never too late to find your true identity. Since he was a small child, Lorimer Shenher knew something for certain: he was a boy. The problem was, he was growing up in a girl’s body. In this candid and thoughtful memoir, Shenher shares the story of his gender journey, from childhood gender dysphoria to teenage sexual experimentation to early-adult denial of his identity—and finally the acceptance that he is trans, culminating in gender reassignment surgery in his fifties. Along the way, he details his childhood in booming Calgary, his struggles with alcohol, and his eventual move to Vancouver, where he became the first detective assigned to the case of serial killer Robert Pickton (the subject of his critically acclaimed book That Lonely Section of Hell). With warmth and openness, This One Looks Like A Boy takes us through one of the most important decisions Shenher will ever make, as he comes into his own and finally discovers acceptance and relief. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: The Beginner's Guide to Being A Trans Ally Christy Whittlesey, 2021-10-21 What does cisgender mean? What are people saying when they refer to assigned gender? Why is it not OK to say 'preferred pronouns'? What is cis privilege? If you're curious about the answers to these questions and want to learn more, this book is for you. This easy-to-read guide offers information and advice to anyone wanting to understand more about trans experiences. It explains what gender identity is and arms you with the correct terminology to use. Filled with real-life examples and FAQs, it offers helpful strategies to navigate respectful conversations, speak up against transphobia and create inclusive relationships and spaces. It's the ideal tool for anyone wanting to become a better ally to transgender and/or nonbinary people. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: The Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook Anneliese A. Singh, 2018-02-02 How can you build unshakable confidence and resilience in a world still filled with ignorance, inequality, and discrimination? The Queer and Transgender Resilience Workbook will teach you how to challenge internalized negative messages, handle stress, build a community of support, and embrace your true self. Resilience is a key ingredient for psychological health and wellness. It’s what gives people the psychological strength to cope with everyday stress, as well as major setbacks. For many people, stressful events may include job loss, financial problems, illness, natural disasters, medical emergencies, divorce, or the death of a loved one. But if you are queer or gender non-conforming, life stresses may also include discrimination in housing and health care, employment barriers, homelessness, family rejection, physical attacks or threats, and general unfair treatment and oppression—all of which lead to overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness. So, how can you gain resilience in a society that is so often toxic and unwelcoming? In this important workbook, you’ll discover how to cultivate the key components of resilience: holding a positive view of yourself and your abilities; knowing your worth and cultivating a strong sense of self-esteem; effectively utilizing resources; being assertive and creating a support community; fostering hope and growth within yourself, and finding the strength to help others. Once you know how to tap into your personal resilience, you’ll have an unlimited well you can draw from to navigate everyday challenges. By learning to challenge internalized negative messages and remove obstacles from your life, you can build the resilience you need to embrace your truest self in an imperfect world. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: The Trans Generation Travers, 2019-08-15 Winner, 2019 PROSE Award for Anthropology, Criminology and Sociology, presented by the Association of American Publishers A groundbreaking look at the lives of transgender children and their families Some “boys” will only wear dresses; some “girls” refuse to wear dresses; in both cases, as Ann Travers shows in this fascinating account of the lives of transgender kids, these are often more than just wardrobe choices. Travers shows that from very early ages, some at two and three years old, these kids find themselves to be different from the sex category that was assigned to them at birth. How they make their voices heard—to their parents and friends, in schools, in public spaces, and through the courts—is the focus of this remarkable and groundbreaking book. Based on interviews with transgender kids, ranging in age from 4 to 20, and their parents, and over five years of research in the US and Canada, The Trans Generation offers a rare look into what it is like to grow up as a trans child. From daycare to birthday parties and from the playground to the school bathroom, Travers takes the reader inside the day-to-day realities of trans kids who regularly experience crisis as a result of the restrictive ways in which sex categories regulate their lives and put pressure on them to deny their internal sense of who they are in gendered terms. As a transgender activist and as an advocate for trans kids, Travers is able to document from first-hand experience the difficulties of growing up trans and the challenges that parents can face. The book shows the incredible time, energy, and love that these parents give to their children, even in the face of, at times, unsupportive communities, schools, courts, health systems, and government laws. Keeping in mind that all trans kids are among the most vulnerable to bullying, violent attacks, self-harm, and suicide, and that those who struggle with poverty, racism, lack of parental support, learning differences, etc, are extremely at risk, Travers offers ways to support all trans kids through policy recommendations and activist interventions. Ultimately, the book is meant to open up options for kids’ own gender self-determination, to question the need for the sex binary, and to highlight ways that cultural and material resources can be redistributed more equitably. The Trans Generation offers an essential and important new understanding of childhood. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: As a Woman Paula Stone Williams, 2021-06-01 This moving and unforgettable memoir of a transgender pastor’s transition from male to female is an “audacious, gripping, and profoundly real journey that speaks to the mind, heart, and soul” (Joshua J. Dickson, director of Faith Based Initiatives, Biden Campaign)—perfect for fans of Redefining Realness and There Is Room for You. As a father of three, married to a wonderful woman, and holding several prominent jobs within the Christian community, Dr. Paula Stone Williams made the life-changing decision to physically transition from male to female at the age of sixty. Almost instantly, her power and influence in the evangelical world disappeared and her family had to grapple with intense feelings of loss and confusion. Feeling utterly alone after being expelled from the evangelical churches she had once spearheaded, Paula struggled to create a new safe space for herself where she could reconcile her faith, her identity, and her desire to be a leader. Much to her surprise, the key to her new career as a woman came with a deeper awareness of the inequities she had overlooked before her transition. Where her opinions were once celebrated and amplified, now she found herself sidelined and ignored. New questions emerged. Why are women’s opinions devalued in favor of men’s? Why does love and intimacy feel so different? And, was it possible to find a new spirituality in her own image? In As a Woman, Paula’s “critical questions about gender, personhood, and place are relevant to anyone. Her writing insightfully reveals aspects of our gender socialization and culture that often go unexamined, but that need to be talked about, challenged, and changed” (Soraya Chemaly, author of Rage Becomes Her) in order to fully understand what it means to be male, female, and simply, human. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Ciel Sophie Labelle, 2020-09-15 Ciel is excited to start high school. A gender non-conforming trans kid, Ciel has a YouTube channel and dreams of getting a better camera to really make their mark. Ciel can always rely on their best friend, Stephie, a trans girl who also happens to be a huge nerd. But their friendship begins to feel distant when Stephie makes it clear she wants the fact that she’s trans to be less visible now that they’re in high school. While navigating this new dynamic with Stephie, Ciel is also trying to make a long-distance relationship work with their boyfriend Eiríkur, who just moved back to Iceland. Add to the mix a cute swim star named Liam, and Ciel’s life is becoming more complicated by the minute! |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Soar, Adam, Soar Rick Prashaw, 2019-02-02 “Coming out. Coming in. Coming home.” Adam Prashaw’s life was full of surprises from the moment he was born. Assigned female at birth, and with parents who had been expecting a boy, he spent years living as “Rebecca Danielle Adam Prashaw” before coming to terms with being a transgender man. Adam captured hearts with his humour, compassion, and intensity. After a tragic accident cut his life short, he left a legacy of changed lives and a trove of social media posts documenting his life, relationships, transition, and struggles with epilepsy, all with remarkable transparency and directness. In Soar, Adam, Soar, his father, a former priest, retells Adam’s story alongside his son’s own words. From early childhood, through coming out first as a lesbian and then as a man, and his battles with epilepsy and refusal to give in, it chronicles Adam’s drive to define himself, his joyful spirit, and his love of life, which continues to conquer all. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Road Allowance Era Katherena Vermette, 2021-05-27 In Road Allowance Era, Echo’s story picks up again when she travels back in time to 1885. The government has not fulfilled its promise of land for the Métis, and many flee to the Northwest. As part of the fallout from the Northwest Resistance, their advocate and champion Louis Riel is executed. As new legislation corrodes Métis land rights, and unscrupulous land speculators and swindlers take advantage, many Métis settle on road allowances and railway land, often on the fringes of urban centres. For Echo, the plight of her family is apparent. Burnt out of their home in Ste. Madeleine, they make their way to Rooster Town, a shanty community on the southwest edges of Winnipeg. In this final instalment of her story, Echo is reminded of the strength and resilience of her people, forged through the loss and pain of the past, as she faces a triumphant future. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: I Am Jazz Jessica Herthel, Jazz Jennings, 2014-09-04 The story of a transgender child based on the real-life experience of Jazz Jennings, who has become a spokesperson for transkids everywhere This is an essential tool for parents and teachers to share with children whether those kids identify as trans or not. I wish I had had a book like this when I was a kid struggling with gender identity questions. I found it deeply moving in its simplicity and honesty.—Laverne Cox (who plays Sophia in “Orange Is the New Black”) From the time she was two years old, Jazz knew that she had a girl's brain in a boy's body. She loved pink and dressing up as a mermaid and didn't feel like herself in boys' clothing. This confused her family, until they took her to a doctor who said that Jazz was transgender and that she was born that way. Jazz's story is based on her real-life experience and she tells it in a simple, clear way that will be appreciated by picture book readers, their parents, and teachers. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Trans Youth Stories Lindsay Herriot, Kate Fry, 2021 Trans Youth Stories is a thematically organized collection of narratives, fiction, nonfiction, letters, poetry, graphics/comics, and visual pieces created by twenty-six Canadian transgender youth between the ages of ten and eighteen. Arranged in sections on childhood, families, bodies, everyday life, schooling, mental health, and acceptance, each section concludes with a response written by a Canadian scholar in transgender studies in conversation with the youth. These responses contextualize the youth pieces with recent scholarship from the field and equip readers with concrete actions for research, activism, and professional practice. This groundbreaking volume offers a unique and truthful depiction of young trans life and a holistic view of what it might be like to be a young trans person today.-- |
| canada shop teacher transgender: I'm Afraid of Men Vivek Shraya, 2018-08-28 Named a Best Book by: The Globe and Mail, Indigo, Out Magazine, Audible, CBC, Apple, Quill & Quire, Kirkus Reviews, Brooklyn Public Library, Writers’ Trust of Canada, Autostraddle, Bitch, and BookRiot. Finalist for the 2019 Lambda Literary Award, Transgender Nonfiction Nominated for the 2019 Forest of Reading Evergreen Award Winner of the 2018 Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design – Prose Non-Fiction Cultural rocket fuel. --Vanity Fair Emotional and painful but also layered with humour, I'm Afraid of Men will widen your lens on gender and challenge you to do better. This challenge is a necessary one--one we must all take up. It is a gift to dive into Vivek's heart and mind. --Rupi Kaur, bestselling author of The Sun and Her Flowers and Milk and Honey A trans artist explores how masculinity was imposed on her as a boy and continues to haunt her as a girl--and how we might reimagine gender for the twenty-first century. Vivek Shraya has reason to be afraid. Throughout her life she's endured acts of cruelty and aggression for being too feminine as a boy and not feminine enough as a girl. In order to survive childhood, she had to learn to convincingly perform masculinity. As an adult, she makes daily compromises to steel herself against everything from verbal attacks to heartbreak. Now, with raw honesty, Shraya delivers an important record of the cumulative damage caused by misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia, releasing trauma from a body that has always refused to assimilate. I'm Afraid of Men is a journey from camouflage to a riot of colour and a blueprint for how we might cherish all that makes us different and conquer all that makes us afraid. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: White Feminism Koa Beck, 2021-01-05 A timely and impassioned exploration of how our society has commodified feminism and continues to systemically shut out women of color—perfect for fans of White Fragility and Good and Mad. Join the important conversation about race, empowerment, and inclusion in the United States with this powerful new feminist classic and rousing call for change. Koa Beck, writer and former editor-in-chief of Jezebel, boldly examines the history of feminism, from the true mission of the suffragettes to the rise of corporate feminism with clear-eyed scrutiny and meticulous detail. She also examines overlooked communities—including Native American, Muslim, transgender, and more—and their difficult and ongoing struggles for social change. In these pages she meticulously documents how elitism and racial prejudice has driven the narrative of feminist discourse. She blends pop culture, primary historical research, and first-hand storytelling to show us how we have shut women out of the movement, and what we can do to course correct for a new generation—perfect for women of color looking for a more inclusive way to fight for women’s rights. Combining a scholar’s understanding with hard data and razor-sharp cultural commentary, White Feminism is a witty, whip-smart, and profoundly eye-opening book that challenges long-accepted conventions and completely upends the way we understand the struggle for women’s equality. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Sons of the Movement Jean Bobby Noble, 2006 Sons of the Movement documents the female-to-male (FtM) transition process from an insider's point of view, and details the limitations of both surgical procedures and pronouns. Bobby Noble challenges both the expectations of masculinity and white masculinity. As a result, this text is equally invested in creating both gender trouble and race trouble, calling for a new provocative analysis of the field of gender studies. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Some Assembly Required Arin Andrews, 2014-09-30 We've all felt uncomfortable in our own skin at some point. But for Andrews, it wasn't a phase that would pass. He had been born in the body of a girl and there seemed to be no relief in sight. He details the journey that led him to make the life-transforming decision to undergo gender reassignment as a high school junior: the challenges he faced as a girl, the humiliation and anger he felt after getting kicked out of his private school, and all the mental and physical changes he experienced once his transition began. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Sex Change, Social Change Viviane Namaste, 2011 Sex Change, Social Change: Reflections on Identity, Institutions, and Imperialism provides readers with an authoritative introduction to contemporary transsexual politics in Canadian and Québécois contexts. Through different case studies relating to the law, human rights, health care, and prostitution, Dr. Namaste exposes readers to the complex issues involved in how transsexual politics and feminism interrelate. Written in accessible language, and including interviews, essays, and political speeches, Sex Change, Social Change will appeal to academics and to activists in the community, as well as to the general reader. The second edition has been thoroughly updated with five new chapters and includes new commentary on the readings from the first edition. All royalties from the sale of this book go to PASAN (Prisoners' HIV/AIDS Support Action Network), in particular their emergency fund that provides modest amounts of money to prisoners upon their release. These funds enable people to secure housing, go to a job interview, and/or replace their identity documents. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Irreversible Damage Abigail Shrier, 2020-06-30 NAMED A BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST AND ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2021 BY THE TIMES AND THE SUNDAY TIMES Irreversible Damage . . . has caused a storm. Abigail Shrier, a Wall Street Journal writer, does something simple yet devastating: she rigorously lays out the facts. —Janice Turner, The Times of London Until just a few years ago, gender dysphoria—severe discomfort in one’s biological sex—was vanishingly rare. It was typically found in less than .01 percent of the population, emerged in early childhood, and afflicted males almost exclusively. But today whole groups of female friends in colleges, high schools, and even middle schools across the country are coming out as “transgender.” These are girls who had never experienced any discomfort in their biological sex until they heard a coming-out story from a speaker at a school assembly or discovered the internet community of trans “influencers.” Unsuspecting parents are awakening to find their daughters in thrall to hip trans YouTube stars and “gender-affirming” educators and therapists who push life-changing interventions on young girls—including medically unnecessary double mastectomies and puberty blockers that can cause permanent infertility. Abigail Shrier, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, has dug deep into the trans epidemic, talking to the girls, their agonized parents, and the counselors and doctors who enable gender transitions, as well as to “detransitioners”—young women who bitterly regret what they have done to themselves. Coming out as transgender immediately boosts these girls’ social status, Shrier finds, but once they take the first steps of transition, it is not easy to walk back. She offers urgently needed advice about how parents can protect their daughters. A generation of girls is at risk. Abigail Shrier’s essential book will help you understand what the trans craze is and how you can inoculate your child against it—or how to retrieve her from this dangerous path. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: The Ghost Collector Allison Mills, 2019-09-10 Ghosts aren’t meant to stick around forever... Shelly and her grandmother catch ghosts. In their hair. Just like all the women in their family, they can see souls who haven’t transitioned yet; it’s their job to help the ghosts along their journey. When Shelly’s mom dies suddenly, Shelly’s relationship to ghosts—and death—changes. Instead of helping spirits move on, Shelly starts hoarding them. But no matter how many ghost cats, dogs, or people she hides in her room, Shelly can’t ignore the one ghost that’s missing. Why hasn’t her mom’s ghost come home yet? Rooted in a Cree worldview and inspired by stories about the author’s great-grandmother’s life, The Ghost Collector delves into questions of grief and loss, and introduces an exciting new voice in tween fiction that will appeal to fans of Kate DiCamillo’s Louisiana’s Way Home and Patrick Ness’s A Monster Calls. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: From the Roots Up Tasha Spillett, 2020-10-27 Dez’s grandmother has passed away. Grieving, and with nowhere else to go, they’re living in a group home. On top of everything else, Dez is navigating a new relationship and coming into their identity as a Two-Spirit person. Miikwan is crushing on the school’s new kid Riel, but doesn’t really understand what Dez is going through. Will she learn how to be a supportive ally to her best friend? Elder Geraldine is doing her best to be supportive, but she doesn’t know how to respond when the gendered protocols she’s grown up with are being thrown into question. Will Dez be comfortable expressing their full identity? And will their community relearn the teachings and overcome prejudice to celebrate them for who they are? |
| canada shop teacher transgender: The Stone Rainbow Liane Shaw, 2019-09-17 Jack Pedersen is finding life complicated ever since he came out to his mom. Even though she’s been doing her best to understand, it’s obvious to Jack that his mom still wants to cry every time she says the word gay. Complications go into overdrive when a new student named Benjamin arrives at his high school, and Jack starts experiencing feelings he’s never allowed himself before. When a near tragedy turns life upside down, Jack realizes that it’s time to stop hiding and to stand up—for Pride, for Benjamin, and for himself. Read more of Jack's story in Liane Shaw's book Caterpillars Can't Swim. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: The Life and Death of Latisha King Gayle Salamon, 2018-03-20 What can the killing of a transgender teen can teach us about the violence of misreading gender identity as sexual identity? The Life and Death of Latisha King examines a single incident, the shooting of 15-year-old Latisha King by 14-year-old Brian McInerney in their junior high school classroom in Oxnard, California in 2008. The press coverage of the shooting, as well as the criminal trial that followed, referred to Latisha, assigned male at birth, as Larry. Unpacking the consequences of representing the victim as Larry, a gay boy, instead of Latisha, a trans girl, Gayle Salamon draws on the resources of feminist phenomenology to analyze what happened in the school and at the trial that followed. In building on the phenomenological concepts of anonymity and comportment, Salamon considers how gender functions in the social world and the dangers of being denied anonymity as both a particularizing and dehumanizing act. Salamon offers close readings of the court transcript and the bodily gestures of the participants in the courtroom to illuminate the ways gender and race were both evoked in and expunged from the narrative of the killing. Across court documents and media coverage, Salamon sheds light on the relation between the speakable and unspeakable in the workings of the transphobic imaginary. Interdisciplinary in both scope and method, the book considers the violences visited upon gender-nonconforming bodies that are surveilled and othered, and the contemporary resonances of the Latisha King killing. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Why Gender Matters Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D., 2007-12-18 Are boys and girls really that different? Twenty years ago, doctors and researchers didn’t think so. Back then, most experts believed that differences in how girls and boys behave are mainly due to differences in how they were treated by their parents, teachers, and friends. It's hard to cling to that belief today. An avalanche of research over the past twenty years has shown that sex differences are more significant and profound than anybody guessed. Sex differences are real, biologically programmed, and important to how children are raised, disciplined, and educated. In Why Gender Matters, psychologist and family physician Dr. Leonard Sax leads parents through the mystifying world of gender differences by explaining the biologically different ways in which children think, feel, and act. He addresses a host of issues, including discipline, learning, risk taking, aggression, sex, and drugs, and shows how boys and girls react in predictable ways to different situations. For example, girls are born with more sensitive hearing than boys, and those differences increase as kids grow up. So when a grown man speaks to a girl in what he thinks is a normal voice, she may hear it as yelling. Conversely, boys who appear to be inattentive in class may just be sitting too far away to hear the teacher—especially if the teacher is female. Likewise, negative emotions are seated in an ancient structure of the brain called the amygdala. Girls develop an early connection between this area and the cerebral cortex, enabling them to talk about their feelings. In boys these links develop later. So if you ask a troubled adolescent boy to tell you what his feelings are, he often literally cannot say. Dr. Sax offers fresh approaches to disciplining children, as well as gender-specific ways to help girls and boys avoid drugs and early sexual activity. He wants parents to understand and work with hardwired differences in children, but he also encourages them to push beyond gender-based stereotypes. A leading proponent of single-sex education, Dr. Sax points out specific instances where keeping boys and girls separate in the classroom has yielded striking educational, social, and interpersonal benefits. Despite the view of many educators and experts on child-rearing that sex differences should be ignored or overcome, parents and teachers would do better to recognize, understand, and make use of the biological differences that make a girl a girl, and a boy a boy. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Family Matters, Fourth Edition Barbara A. Mitchell, 2021-08-23 Now in its fourth edition, Family Matters offers an enriched discussion on a variety of substantive issues experienced by diverse Canadian families across the life course. Adopting a feminist sociological approach throughout, this popular textbook explores family dynamics through a critical life course theoretical lens. This over-arching perspective is used to examine how social, economic, and historical processes related to gender roles, age and generational location, ethnicity and race, geographical location, and social change shape contemporary family life. As a leading name in sociology, Barbara Mitchell has thoroughly updated the previous edition to reflect timely current events, recent census data, and cutting-edge research. Providing more detailed and nuanced discussions of many areas including life course and other styles of critical theorizing on families, this new edition examines the history of slavery and Black family life in Canada, Indigenous families, foreign/temporary workers, intersectional and racialized processes influencing families, youth activism, transgender children, technology and social media, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aging families. Approachable, concise, and filled with discussion questions, activities, and resources for further reading, Family Matters is the perfect resource for students enrolled in introductory or advanced level courses in family sociology and gender studies. FEATURES - Up-to-date material featuring current events, recent research studies and statistics, including census and other national data sets - New and expanded content on a wide range of timely topics, such as Indigenous and racialized family life, transgender children, technology and social media ,and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic |
| canada shop teacher transgender: I Am Malala Malala Yousafzai, 2013-10-08 A MEMOIR BY THE YOUNGEST RECIPIENT OF THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE As seen on Netflix with David Letterman I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday. When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize. I AM MALALA is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons. I AM MALALA will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Based on a True Story Norm Macdonald, 2016-09-20 Wild, dangerous, and flat-out unbelievable, here is the incredible #1 bestselling memoir of the Canadian actor, gambler, and raconteur, and one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time. A Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year As this book’s title suggests, Norm Macdonald tells the story of his life—more or less—from his origins on a farm in the backwoods of Ontario and an epically disastrous appearance on Star Search to his account of auditioning for Lorne Michaels and his memorable run as the anchor of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live—until he was fired because a corporate executive didn’t think he was funny. But Based on a True Story is much more than just a memoir; it’s the hilarious, inspired epic of Norm’s life. In dispatches from a road trip to Las Vegas (part of a plan hatched to regain the fortune he’d lost to sports betting and other vices) with his sidekick and enabler, Adam Eget, Norm recounts the milestone moments, the regrets, the love affairs, the times fortune smiled on his life, and the times it refused to smile. As the clock ticks down, Norm’s debt reaches record heights, and he must find a way to evade the hefty price that’s been placed on his head by one of the most dangerous loan sharks in the country. As a comedy legend should, Norm peppers these pages with classic jokes and long-mythologized Hollywood stories. This wildly adventurous, totally original, and absurdly funny saga turns the conventional “comic’s memoir” on its head and gives the reader an exclusive pass inside the mad, glorious mind of Norm Macdonald. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Critical Race Studies in Physical Education Tara B. Blackshear, Brian Culp, 2022-02-14 Racism is a sickness that permeates every aspect of Black life. But if the events of the past few years have taught us anything, it is that America has a hard time talking about issues that create disparity and inequality for Black people. This inequality extends not just into education but also into physical education. Blacks are stereotyped as physically superior and intellectually deficient. They are marginalized in PE just as they are in other aspects of their lives. Through a series of case studies, Critical Race Studies in Physical Education offers deep insights into the issues that Black students face. The text, geared to undergraduate and graduate PETE students and in-service teachers, does the following: Provides culturally aware teaching strategies that affirm the worth of Black students Amplifies the crucial issues that negatively affect Black students Addresses the litany of intentional and covert racist practices directed toward Black youth, thus broadening the book’s value beyond the sharing of teaching strategies The end goal is to elevate the perspectives of Black youths and teachers and to normalize positive experiences for Black students in physical education. To do so, Critical Race Studies in Physical Education provides the following: Eight case studies of situations that expose racism, disparities, and other issues affecting Black students’ well-being, self-worth, and healthy experiences in PE Critical race study discourse that stimulates discussion of relevant issues and enhances learning Reflective activities, resources, lesson considerations, and definitions to help students and in-service teachers use what they have learned through the case studies and discussions Each case study includes discussion and reflection prompts that are meant to lead the way to effective strategies and immediate implementation opportunities. Here is a partial list of the case studies: A white elementary student uses the N-word toward a Black teacher A Black female student endures gendered racism and racial disparities through her swimming experiences A white teacher is oblivious to why her Black students don’t want to be outside in the sunshine or get their hair moist A new PE teacher harbors toxic masculinity, white supremacy, and stereotypes of Black sexuality White student teachers grapple with accepting job offers in an urban area Black students need teachers to engage in anti-racist teaching practices that empower Black youth and aid in their success. For this to happen, teachers need to affirm students and make them feel safe, cared for, listened to, and recognized as worthy. Critical Race Studies in Physical Education will help teachers of all races adopt the teaching practices that create this supportive, empathetic, and nurturing environment—and, in doing so, validate Black students’ self-worth and swing the pendulum back toward a more equitable education in PE. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: When Harry Became Sally Ryan T. Anderson, 2018-02-20 Can a boy be “trapped” in a girl’s body? Can modern medicine “reassign” sex? Is our sex “assigned” to us in the first place? What is the most loving response to a person experiencing a conflicted sense of gender? What should our law say on matters of “gender identity”? When Harry Became Sally provides thoughtful answers to questions arising from our transgender moment. Drawing on the best insights from biology, psychology, and philosophy, Ryan Anderson offers a nuanced view of human embodiment, a balanced approach to public policy on gender identity, and a sober assessment of the human costs of getting human nature wrong. This book exposes the contrast between the media’s sunny depiction of gender fluidity and the often sad reality of living with gender dysphoria. It gives a voice to people who tried to “transition” by changing their bodies, and found themselves no better off. Especially troubling are the stories told by adults who were encouraged to transition as children but later regretted subjecting themselves to those drastic procedures. As Anderson shows, the most beneficial therapies focus on helping people accept themselves and live in harmony with their bodies. This understanding is vital for parents with children in schools where counselors may steer a child toward transitioning behind their backs. Everyone has something at stake in the controversies over transgender ideology, when misguided “antidiscrimination” policies allow biological men into women’s restrooms and penalize Americans who hold to the truth about human nature. Anderson offers a strategy for pushing back with principle and prudence, compassion and grace. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Raising Ryland Hillary Whittington, 2016-02-23 This powerful, moving story—which has already touched more than seven million through a viral video created by the Whittington family—is a mother’s first-hand account of her emotional choice to embrace her transgender child. When Hillary and Jeff Whittington posted a YouTube video chronicling their five-year-old son Ryland’s transition from girl to boy, they didn’t expect it to be greeted with such fervor. Beautiful and moving, the video documenting Hillary’s and Jeff’s love for their child instantly went viral and has been seen by more than seven million viewers since its posting in May 2014. Now for the first time, they tell their story in full, offering an emotional and moving account of their journey alongside their exceptional child. After they discovered their daughter Ryland was deaf at age one and needed cochlear implants, the Whittingtons spent nearly four years successfully teaching Ryland to speak. But once Ryland gained the power of speech, it was time for them to listen as Ryland insisted, “I am a boy!” And listen they did. After learning that forty-one percent of people who identify as transgender attempt to take their own lives, Hillary and her husband Jeff made it their mission to support their child—no matter what. From the earliest stages of deciphering Ryland through clothing choices to examining the difficult conversations that have marked every stage of Ryland’s transition, Hillary Whittington shares her experiences as a mother through it all, demonstrating both the resistance and support that their family has encountered as they try to erase the stigma surrounding the word “transgender.” In telling her family’s story, she hopes she can assist the world in accepting that even children as young as five, can have profound and impactful things to say and share. What emerges is a powerful story of unconditional love, accepting others for who they are, and doing what’s right, regardless of whether those around you understand it. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Maththatmatters 2 David Stocker, 2017 In his follow-up to the groundbreaking Maththatmatters, David Stocker gives us Maththatmatters2 a collection of 50 brilliant lessons for grades 6-9 that link mathematics and social justice. For educators keen to provide rich learning opportunities and differentiated content that engages students with their lived realities, these lessons are sure to spark meaningful discussions...and action. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: White Rose Kip Wilson, 2019 A gorgeous and timely novel based on the incredible story of Sophie Scholl, a young German college student who challenged the Nazi regime during World War II as part of The White Rose, a nonviolent resistance group. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Gender and Sexual Diversity in Schools Elizabeth J. Meyer, 2010-06-16 Issues related to gender and sexual diversity in schools can generate a lot of controversy, with many educators and youth advocates under-prepared to address these topics in their school communities. This text offers an easy-to-read introduction to the subject, providing readers with definitions and research evidence, as well as the historical context for understanding the roots of bias in schools related to sex, gender, and sexuality. Additionally, the book offers tangible resources and advice on how to create more equitable learning environments. Topics such as working with same-sex parented families in elementary schools; integrating gender and sexual diversity topics into the curriculum; addressing homophobic bullying and sexual harassment; advising gay-straight alliances; and supporting a transgender or gender non-conforming student are addressed. The suggestions offered by this book are based on recent research evidence and legal decisions to help educators handle the various situations professionally and from an ethical and legally defensible perspective. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: Queer, Trans, and Intersectional Theory in Educational Practice Cris Mayo, Mollie V. Blackburn, 2019-12-05 Offering an examination of educational approaches to promote justice, this volume demonstrates the necessity for keeping race, ethnicity, class, language, and other diversities at the core of pedagogical strategies and theories that address queer, trans, gender nonbinary and related issues. Queer theory, trans theory, and intersectional theory have all sought to describe, create, and foster a sense of complex subjectivity and community, insisting on relationality and complexity as concepts and communities shift and change. Each theory has addressed exclusions from dominant practices and encouraged a sense of connection across struggles. This collection brings these crucial theories together to inform pedagogies across a wide array of contexts of formal education and community-based educational settings. Seeking to push at the edges of how we teach and learn across subjectivities and communities, authors in this volume show that theories inform practice and practice informs theory--but this takes careful attention, reflexivity, and commitment. This scholarly text will be of great interest to graduate and postgraduate students, academics, teachers, libraries and policy makers in the field of Gender and Sexuality in Education, LGBTQ studies, Multicultural Education and Sociology of Education. |
| canada shop teacher transgender: The Advocate , 2004-01-20 The Advocate is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) monthly newsmagazine. Established in 1967, it is the oldest continuing LGBT publication in the United States. |
