Keywords:
trans, transitioning, elementary school, legal issues
trans, transitioning, elementary school, legal issues
*When Tara contacted Dawn to ask her if she approved of the way Tara used her words in a chapter in Tara’s book, Teaching Gender and Sexuality at School, out in early 2019, Dawn gave Tara an update of how her family was doing. Since her interview in November 2016, Dawn has gained full custody of her children. Her daughters have switched schools, and the new school accepts her younger daughter as trans. Dawn says it was a non-issue for the school. Dawn’s younger daughter uses her chosen name and the girls' washroom at school. None of the other children know she’s trans. Overall, Dawn says, school is a much safer place now for both her daughters.
Transcript
Dawn: Um, so, like, in my family that I live with, it’s me and I have two daughters. My older daughter is ten, and my younger- and she’s cisgender, and my younger daughter is eight and a half and she identifies as a trans girl. And then they have a dad but he doesn’t live with us.
Tara: Okay, and do both your daughters, sorry, both your children go to the same school?
Dawn: They do go to the same school, yup.
Tara: And, tell us a bit about the school they go to. Are they happy there? Are you happy with the school?
Dawn: Um, they are not super happy there. They would have preferred I think, to switch when I left their dad, like I moved to a little bit of a different neighbourhood and I think they'd prefer to go to the school in my neighbourhood. And also, my younger daughter socially transitioned at school this year, and she would have preferred to start like fresh at a new school, where everyone didn’t know her... differently.
Tara: Right. And do you think that might be possible next year, or do you think it’s going to be the same school next year?
Dawn: Um, it would be possible if I have custody, but right now, it sort of like has to be joint decision making between the parents, so that’s why it hasn’t happened up until now. But this year the health providers that are involved like with the kids, both were recommending that maybe switching school would be a good thing, but their dad didn’t want them to. So, they stayed, and you know, we’re making the best of it but they’re not super happy there.
Transcript
Dawn: Um, so, like, in my family that I live with, it’s me and I have two daughters. My older daughter is ten, and my younger- and she’s cisgender, and my younger daughter is eight and a half and she identifies as a trans girl. And then they have a dad but he doesn’t live with us.
Tara: Okay, and do both your daughters, sorry, both your children go to the same school?
Dawn: They do go to the same school, yup.
Tara: And, tell us a bit about the school they go to. Are they happy there? Are you happy with the school?
Dawn: Um, they are not super happy there. They would have preferred I think, to switch when I left their dad, like I moved to a little bit of a different neighbourhood and I think they'd prefer to go to the school in my neighbourhood. And also, my younger daughter socially transitioned at school this year, and she would have preferred to start like fresh at a new school, where everyone didn’t know her... differently.
Tara: Right. And do you think that might be possible next year, or do you think it’s going to be the same school next year?
Dawn: Um, it would be possible if I have custody, but right now, it sort of like has to be joint decision making between the parents, so that’s why it hasn’t happened up until now. But this year the health providers that are involved like with the kids, both were recommending that maybe switching school would be a good thing, but their dad didn’t want them to. So, they stayed, and you know, we’re making the best of it but they’re not super happy there.