Summary: Hillsboro High School (Missouri, TX) senior Lila Perry has felt like a girl since she was 13 years old. This year, she started identifying as one and changing in the girl's locker room for P.E. The other girls in her P.E. class feel uncomfortable changing in the same room as her because she still has male genitalia. The parents of these girls complained at the school board meeting on August 27th, reading their petition aloud and saying Perry is just confused. When they didn't get the response they wanted, students held a walkout on Monday, August 31st to make it clear that they did not want Perry, or any transgender students, to choose which locker room they wanted to use. Perry dropped her P.E. class because she feared for her safety, and this Friday, September 4th, she organized a rally with her supporters at Hillsboro Park in protest. Perry is thankful for her hateful classmates for giving her situation attention (the walkout made national news) so she can inspire transgender and gender nonconforming teens everywhere. Missouri, like 27 other states, has no state-level protection for the LGBT community from discrimination in public accommodations, employment, or housing.
Analysis: This situation shows how uneducated our nation is on transgender people. Just because Perry has male genitalia doesn't mean she's looking at any of the other girls inappropriately when they're changing. What if she's not attracted to girls? This reminds me of the intense segregation present in the U.S. until 1954, when segregation was ruled illegal. White people tried to separate themselves from black people even though black people weren't out to harm them in any way and were just wanting to do normal activities, like using the bathroom or drinking from a water fountain. Now, cisgender people are trying to keep themselves away from Perry. She doesn't go to the locker room to check out the girls and make them uncomfortable. She's just wants to change for P.E. It's time that we, as a nation, step up and make life easier for transgender people. They already have to stress out about hormone supplements or surgeries or fitting in. We can do our part and welcome them in to whatever gender they choose.
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/03/living/missouri-transgender-teen-feat/index.html
It's cool what she did!!! The walkout and protest really brought attention to the issues facing the transgender community regarding the right to use the right bathrooms. Perry just wants to feel safe changing for gym and like she can go to the bathroom she wants to, and everyone should be able to do that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, unfortunately anything having to do with transgenders, lesbians, gays, and every other kind of sexuality is very controversial but it's only like that because we make it that way. We as people need to take steps to fixing what we've deemed the status quo.
ReplyDelete-Shelby Linker, 8th period
I agree and this was well said. Unfortunately LGBT is still considered to be a "new thing" in America and people are still trying to except it. But having a walkout and protest brought the attention that it needed to face this issue and that was a smart and awesome way to do it!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you as well. Some places in America just aren't as ok with this idea as others. We as students and anyone else who can help need to spread awareness!
ReplyDelete