Cara Burke, Year 10
From a very young age, we are told that, in this world, the human race is split into two groups of people: women and men. This is an idea which sticks in many people’s minds for the entirety of their lives and is never challenged. However, in this ever-growing society, generally accepted beliefs are now being challenged, particularly with the aid of mediums such as the internet. Now, the idea that there are only two genders is being changed, because the truth is that the world is not split into two groups of genders; after first accepting that notion, the community of non-binary people emerge.
At first, it seems silly. I understand. Suddenly the main basis of humanity is questioned; surely there can’t be more than the two genders which we’ve grown to accept? Well, there is. A non-binary person is someone who doesn’t identify as male or female and they are a surprisingly large community who are slowly becoming more recognized in our society. Actress and model Ruby Rose, arguably most known for her performance in Netflix’s show Orange is the New Black, has openly come out about her gender. She has stated that she prefers female pronouns, but she is openly genderfluid (this means her gender can vary and fluctuate, either over time or, in some cases, day to day). This is just one example of someone who identifies as one gender which fits under the term ‘non-binary’, but as it is becoming more and more acceptable to explore your own gender, many people across the world are coming out as non-binary. Including people in this school.
The problem is, whilst the term non-binary is growing in acceptance, most will still have no idea what it is or that there are people around them who will identify by it. People can either simply not accept it or think of it as a man who enjoys dressing up as a woman or vice-versa. It goes beyond that. A non-binary person can dress up in incredibly feminine clothes and still identify as not strictly male or female. These misunderstandings can be the cause of many challenges which non-binary students have to face at school.
Schools, like ours, should be able to include non-binary and trans students whether or not they are aware of them being there.
Even the topic of bathrooms can be a challenge. One non-binary person once confided to me that choosing which bathroom to go to when at school could be a challenge, as in one they would be heavily discriminated against for being of the wrong sex and in the other they would feel uncomfortable. One solution to this would be teaching students, in sex-ed classes, for example, how some people are non-binary and why it is important to allow them to feel safe in whichever bathroom they feel more comfortable using.
The names of non-binary and trans students are extremely important. To ensure that students are more comfortable, they may choose to change their name to one which they prefer, and better helps their gender expression. Unfortunately, many people may not realize the significance of a name. One teenager (who would prefer to remain anonymous) who resides in England, was told by many of his teachers that they were not allowed to use his preferred male name, and instead continued to call him by his birth name. This made him feel extremely uncomfortable; for a non-binary or trans person, this can make school much more of a chore than it needs to be. Therefore, to create an inclusive environment, it is very important for teachers, as well as students, to accept the preferred names of non-binary and transgender students.
To conclude, in order to create safe and inclusive environments for non-binary and trans students, schools need to educate both teenagers and teachers on what both of these terms mean and how, even if each person does not necessarily believe in a difference between the binary structure of there being only male and female, we can create an environment which accepts people no matter what gender they identify with or what opinion someone has on it.
