Keywords:
advice for teachers, intersectionality, oppression, justice, safe, gender, open, listening, advocacy, allies, privilege, transgender, queer, questioning, race, gender identity, sexuality, LGBTQ history, social justice history, vulnerable students, taking time
advice for teachers, intersectionality, oppression, justice, safe, gender, open, listening, advocacy, allies, privilege, transgender, queer, questioning, race, gender identity, sexuality, LGBTQ history, social justice history, vulnerable students, taking time
Transcript
Tara: Yeah, I’m going to give each of you a chance to ah, tell the teachers who will be watching this video something that you would like to say to them about, you know, supporting LGBTQ families and students at school.
Jae: Ok. (to Daya) Do you want to go first?
Daya: Um, every single person who is in school is an individual (Jae nods) and you have to like, acknowledge the intersections that everybody is living with, and the oppressions, and give people justice, um, when they need it so they can feel safe. Um, I think it’s important to just explore gender, and explore--
Jae: And just be open to that discussion--
Daya: Right.
Jae: and open to listening, right? Because--
Daya: Also be, be willing to like, protect the vulnerable.
Jae: Yep. Yes, always, always.
Daya: Sometimes, I think um, like, too often people with so much privilege are getting all the help—
Jae: Yeah.
Daya: and that’s like, a big problem. So, yeah, that’s what I would say.
Jae: Yeah, just always look after the kids who seem like they’re not thriving because there might be something wrong and it will change their whole world if you just ask them what’s going on! And just, take that time to talk to them. Because it is different growing up, you know, as a trans kid, a queer kid, a questioning kid, you know, it’s different then just being, you know, a, considered a (does air quotes) “normal” child by society’s standards, right? So just always, you know, take that extra time to check on them, make sure they’re ok and yeah, bring up lots of discussions about race, about gender identity, sexuality, racism--
Daya: I think all those things, like, it’s really, really important to have the history of all of those things taught. Like, that’s what I said, like even Two-Spirit history and history of Stonewall, and queer history--
Jae: Yeah. That’s a big one because a lot of people still don’t know about Stonewall. (laughs) People who are young these days, you know? (laughs).
Daya: Yeah! And also history about like, civil rights and stuff. Like, I think we need to get more in depth about that and less about all the white explorers who conquered, like--
Jae: That’s right! That’s right! (Daya laughs).
Daya: So that’s what I would say!
Tara: Yeah, I’m going to give each of you a chance to ah, tell the teachers who will be watching this video something that you would like to say to them about, you know, supporting LGBTQ families and students at school.
Jae: Ok. (to Daya) Do you want to go first?
Daya: Um, every single person who is in school is an individual (Jae nods) and you have to like, acknowledge the intersections that everybody is living with, and the oppressions, and give people justice, um, when they need it so they can feel safe. Um, I think it’s important to just explore gender, and explore--
Jae: And just be open to that discussion--
Daya: Right.
Jae: and open to listening, right? Because--
Daya: Also be, be willing to like, protect the vulnerable.
Jae: Yep. Yes, always, always.
Daya: Sometimes, I think um, like, too often people with so much privilege are getting all the help—
Jae: Yeah.
Daya: and that’s like, a big problem. So, yeah, that’s what I would say.
Jae: Yeah, just always look after the kids who seem like they’re not thriving because there might be something wrong and it will change their whole world if you just ask them what’s going on! And just, take that time to talk to them. Because it is different growing up, you know, as a trans kid, a queer kid, a questioning kid, you know, it’s different then just being, you know, a, considered a (does air quotes) “normal” child by society’s standards, right? So just always, you know, take that extra time to check on them, make sure they’re ok and yeah, bring up lots of discussions about race, about gender identity, sexuality, racism--
Daya: I think all those things, like, it’s really, really important to have the history of all of those things taught. Like, that’s what I said, like even Two-Spirit history and history of Stonewall, and queer history--
Jae: Yeah. That’s a big one because a lot of people still don’t know about Stonewall. (laughs) People who are young these days, you know? (laughs).
Daya: Yeah! And also history about like, civil rights and stuff. Like, I think we need to get more in depth about that and less about all the white explorers who conquered, like--
Jae: That’s right! That’s right! (Daya laughs).
Daya: So that’s what I would say!