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!"#$"% '(%)** +," !%-$"*
1he manner ln whlch gender plays ouL can vary Lremendously dependlng on Lhe chlld's age. AL each
level of schoollng, Lhere are dlfferenL lssues wlLh whlch Lhe famlly, Lhe lnsLlLuLlon, and Lhe sLudenL
musL grapple. 8egardless of Lhe chlld's age, one lmporLanL pracLlce ls Lo make sure LhaL you have
varlous resources on hand Lo help Lhe careglvers undersLand and develop broader perspecLlves abouL
gender LhaL mlghL expand Lhelr capaclLy Lo supporL Lhelr chlld's (and Lhelr own) navlgaLlon of Lhls
paLh.

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Chlldren can very ofLen express "aLyplcal" gender behavlor as early as age Lwo or Lhree. 1hls lncludes
a range of behavlors - such as boys playlng wlLh dolls or wearlng dresses, or glrls who adopL boy's
names - as well as chlldren who more conslsLenLly asserL a cross-gendered ldenLlLy. lncreaslngly,
Leachers are dlscoverlng LhaL Lhey are carlng for chlldren who don'L conform Lo LradlLlonal gender
norms. Lven ln Lhese early years, chlldren have already begun Lo learn from boLh adulLs and peers Lhe
gender" of cerLaln Loys or cloLhes, and Lo pollce oLhers accordlngly.

Many gender-expanslve or Lransgender chlldren aL Lhls age are grappllng wlLh Lhe necessary language
Lo express Lhelr own sense of self. Cpenly or Lo Lhemselves, Lhese chlldren are Lhlnklng or saylng
Lhlngs such as l wanL Lo be a glrl when l grow up," l wlsh l was a boy" Cod made a mlsLake,"
when wlll l geL a penls," or my hearL ls a glrl buL my body ls a boy." Whlle some parenLs are Lrylng
Lo ascerLaln wheLher Lhey have a Lransgender chlld, oLhers may be unaware of Lhelr chlld's gender-
expanslveness. ln many cases, famllles wlll approach Lhe pre-school educaLor for reassurance,
lnformaLlon, and suggesLlons abouL how Lo respond Lo Lhe chlld's characLerlsLlcs of gender. ln facL,
Lhls may be Lhe flrsL adulL ouLslde of Lhe home wlLh whom Lhe Loplc ls ralsed. lL ls lmporLanL for pre-
school Leachers and leaders Lo have a flrm undersLandlng of gender developmenL, knowledge of Lhe
sLages of parenLal undersLandlng, and examples of oLher chlldren and famllles wlLh whom Lhey have
worked.

1he degree Lo whlch Lhe pre-school can help famllles undersLand gender as a specLrum, and presenL
poslLlve paLhways regardless of Lhe chlld's ulLlmaLe gender ldenLlLy, wlll have a slgnlflcanL lmpacL on
Lhe healLh and well belng of Lhe famlly and Lhe chlld. noL only LhaL, lL wlll also creaLe a sense of LrusL
beLween Lhe educaLors and Lhe famlly. 1hls bond wlll noL only supporL your own work, buL poLenLlally
Lhe work of fuLure schools as Lhe famlly and sLudenL come Lo vlew educaLors as allles, raLher Lhan
barrlers, Lo Lhe Lrue gender auLhenLlclLy.

0/"1"#+-%2 3(,))/
Cender dlverslLy ls seen across lndlvlduals of all ages, buL gender non-conformlng behavlor ln
preadolescenLs ls parLlcularly vlslble. Some gender-expanslve chlldren may be open and comforLable
ln expresslng Lhemselves. Powever, mosL of Lhem are already aware LhaL Lhey do noL flL expecLed
gender norms. 1hey may experlence negaLlve repercusslons aL school, and become shy and
wlLhdrawn ln an aLLempL Lo proLecL Lhemselves from bullylng by Lhelr peers. CLhers may exhlblL
behavloral problems. Some chlldren may have supporL aL home, whlle oLhers are severely punlshed
for Lhelr naLural self-expresslon. AddlLlonally, Lhe lack of supporL and undersLandlng from Leachers,


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parenLs, and oLher adulLs exacerbaLes Lhe already dlfflculL envlronmenL creaLed by Lhelr peers. Lven
well lnLenLloned parenLs someLlmes feel Lhey can beLLer proLecL Lhelr chlld by lnslsLlng on gender-
conformlng behavlor aL school ln an efforL Lo opLlmlze Lhelr chlld's school experlence.

undersLandlng how Lo supporLlvely address gender ldenLlLy and expresslon wlLhln Lhe elemenLary
classroom and school ls cruclal Lo helplng chlldren Lhrlve. 1hls lncludes developmenLally approprlaLe,
expllclL lessons on Lhe complexlLy of gender and Lhe many ways chlldren express lL. lrom Lhe
klndergarLen class onward, schools musL emphaslze and proLecL Lhe fundamenLal rlghL for all chlldren
Lo slmply be Lhemselves. As chlldren move Lhrough Lhe grades, aLLenLlon Lo gender lssues creaLes
safe spaces noL only for Lhe Lransgender or gender-expanslve chlld, buL also for all chlldren Lo explore
Lhelr full sense of self. llnally, Lhe ablllLy Lo provlde parenLs wlLh a developmenLal perspecLlve of
gender developmenL ln chlldren ls also an lmporLanL characLerlsLlc aL Lhe elemenLary school level.
1hls lncludes bulldlng parenLs' capaclLy Lo help Lhelr own chlld Lo undersLand and celebraLe gender
dlverslLy, as well as foreshadowlng posslble challenges relaLed Lo gender as Lhe sLudenLs move
Lowards mlddle school.

45$$/" 3(,))/
Mlddle school developmenL and consolldaLlon of a core ldenLlLy marks Lhe LranslLlon from chlld Lo
adolescenL. uurlng Lhls perlod, some young people ofLen dlsplay gender-expanslveness or,
lncreaslngly, ldenLlfy as Lransgender. 1hls can be Lrue for boLh chlldren who have ln some way
demonsLraLed gender-expanslveness prevlously, as well as for a chlld who has noL. unforLunaLely,
Lhls also colncldes wlLh a Llme of lnLense peer pressure for soclal conformlLy. 1hls pressure Lo
conform puLs gender-expanslve adolescenLs aL slgnlflcanLly greaLer rlsk, physlcally and emoLlonally.

AdvocaLes and many provlders who work wlLh Lransgender youLh reporL LhaL Lhese young people are
aL very hlgh rlsk for sulclde. Whlle many adolescenLs presenL moody and even depressed dlsposlLlons
durlng Lhls perlod, gender-expanslve and Lransgender chlldren are sub[ecL Lo even greaLer vaclllaLlons
Lhan Lhelr gender normaLlve peers. ln Lhe hlghly pressurlzed aLmosphere of mosL mlddle schools,
dlscomforL frequenLly marks Lhe gender nonconformlng chlld's experlences: dlscomforL wlLh Lhe
soclal envlronmenL, dlscomforL wlLh Lhelr own bodles, dlscomforL aL home. AL an age when a chlld
mosL desperaLely wanLs Lo flL ln, gender-expanslve adolescenLs generally do noL, and lf Lhey do, are
Lerrlfled of belng found ouL."

Learnlng how Lo recognlze a chlld ln dlsLress ls a crlLlcal sklll for any mlddle school educaLor. Mlddle
schools play a cruclal role ln fosLerlng Lhe condlLlons ln whlch gender dlverslLy ls accepLed or noL.
1hrough sLraLeglc and dellberaLe sLeps, schools can creaLe Lruly gender lncluslve cllmaLes for all
sLudenLs. Cne fundamenLal way mlddle schools can supporL such an envlronmenL ls Lo crlLlcally
explore gender sLereoLypes and Lhe soclal pressures Lhey produce, as well as dlsLlngulshlng beLween
gender ldenLlLy and sexual orlenLaLlon. CLher mlddle-grade conslderaLlons lnclude navlgaLlng gender-
speclflc spaces, such as sporLs, baLhrooms, and school forms, accommodaLlng name and pronoun
preferences, and recognlzlng baslc clvll and legal rlghLs for gender-expanslve and Lransgender
sLudenLs.



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657, 3(,))/
As sLudenLs move from Lhe mlddle grades Lo hlgh school, Lhe soclal pressures and declslons Lhey face
become lncreaslngly complex. As Lhey seek Lo undersLand Lhelr own sense of self, Lhese young people
are also frequenLly negoLlaLlng soclal conLexLs LhaL lnclude daLlng, relaLlonshlps and sex. Lach of
Lhese, and Lhe many oLher soclal dynamlcs playlng ouL for Lhem brlng gender Lo an elevaLed place of
lmporLance and consequence.

Plgh school sLudenLs frequenLly have a greaLer degree of lndependence Lhan Lhey dld as adolescenLs.
1hls means Lhey may also flnd Lhemselves ln slLuaLlons ln whlch Lhey musL have Lhe skllls Lo keep
Lhemselves safe. WheLher aL a parLy, ouL wlLh frlends, on a daLe, or slmply belng ln publlc,
conslderaLlons of physlcal safeLy musL be Laken lnLo accounL. 1hls ls Lrue for all youLh, buL especlally
so for Lransgender and oLher gender expanslve Leens, who can be LargeLed by oLher youLh or adulLs
because of Lhelr gender dlverslLy.

Plgh schools can play a crlLlcal role ln supporLlng Lhe creaLlng a healLhy sense of gender among Lhelr
sLudenLs. Along wlLh developlng a basellne undersLandlng of Lhe complexlLy of gender, sLudenLs ln
hlgh school should be encouraged Lo explore gender wlLhln Lhelr own soclal conLexLs, aL school and
elsewhere. ln so dolng, Lhey become acuLely aware of how Lhese concepLs are playlng ouL around
Lhem. 1hls self-reflecLlon as members of Lhe school communlLy ls cruclal, because lL Lhen places Lhe
sLudenLs as cenLral acLors ln Lhe process of creaLlng greaLer gender lncluslon for all, and for
lnLerrupLlng Lhe negaLlve paLLerns perLalnlng Lo gender LhaL Lhey may percelve ln Lhelr mldsL.

llnally, many hlgh school sLudenLs are developlng Lhelr capaclLy for advocacy and acLlvlsm. Cn Lhe
brlnk of adulLhood, many hlgh school sLudenLs are worklng Lo creaLe condlLlons of greaLer accepLance
aL Lhelr schools. lnsLlLuLlons LhaL explore gender dlverslLy develop ln Lhelr sLudenLs an ablllLy Lo
examlne mulLlple forms of ldenLlLy. 1hese skllls Lo serve as allles across mulLlple forms of dlfference
wlll conLlnue as Lhe sLudenLs LranslLlon lnLo posL-secondary llfe, creaLlng Lhe posslblllLy for ever more
lncluslve communlLles.