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Spotlight on Professional Development
Gender
Spectrum By Jodi Freedman
Creating a school that acknowledges and affirms every student does not happen by accident. That is why MP&MS teachers and
• interrupt binary ideas of gender
Framework and Toolkit. The afternoon
staff engaged in a day-long workshop
• acknowledge and account for
was spent in breakout sessions
with Gender Spectrum, an institution whose mission is, “to create a genderinclusive world by working with
gender diversity • question limited portrayals of gender
based on developmental levels of students to explore how best to support an understanding of gender
families and organizations to help
• support students’ own reflection
in the classroom, interpersonally,
increase understandings of gender
• teach empathy and respect.
individually, and as an institution.
and consider the implications that evolving views have for each of us.”
One of the key tenets of this
One of the many aspects we
workshop was understanding the
discussed was how to provide a
many dimensions of gender. The fact
counter narrative to the idea that
Spectrum, Joel Baum, joined the
that a person’s “gender” is not the
gender is binary. One example of
entire MP&MS faculty and staff on
same as their “sex” is a concept that
how this might look in a classroom
campus to facilitate a dialogue about
may be new to some folks unfamiliar
is when a student believes that blue
how gender impacts all students,
with gender work; as one of the key
is a color for boys and pink is a color
reinforce the school’s commitment
foundations of a healthy discussion
for girls. A teacher might respond
to gender inclusion for all, and help
about gender, it is an important and
by saying, “Colors are just colors;
MP&MS establish intentional practices
central starting point. Joel explained
they have no gender. You can like
that support the gender identity and
that gender is a relationship between
any color you want.” We also looked
diversity of our community and the
three key elements: a person’s body
at understanding gendered societal
world around us.
and how they experience it, their
patterns as opposed to hard and fast
The Senior Director of Gender
internal sense of identity, and the
rules about gender. For example, if
the country, Joel facilitates reflection
presentation or expression of their
a student thinks that all girls must
and dialogue among educators
gender in the world. One’s comfort
act a certain way, the teacher might
who play a vital role in the healthy
with their gender is related to the
respond by saying, “That might be
development of students. His work
degree to which these three aspects
true for some people but not for
supports, promotes, and fosters
of identity are in harmony.
everyone.” Or, “Who decided what
In his work with schools throughout
gender inclusive schools that: • recognize that gender impacts all students
Our morning sessions looked at
things are for boys and what things
The Dimensions of Gender and the
are for girls?” Promoting ongoing
Gender Spectrum Inclusive Schools
reflection and critical thinking is
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integral to gender work. Another key topic discussed was how we can best support transgender and non-binary members of
The Language of G (adapted from the Gender Spectrum website)
our community. Research shows that children whose gender is seen as “different” than what is expected
Understanding and using precise terms can demystify
experience more teasing and bullying. Schools around
many of the misconceptions associated with gender.
the country are looking at ways to support and protect
Here are some examples of frequently used (and
students and prohibit harassment of any kind based
misused) terms. Because the vocabulary of gender
on gender expression or identity. With proactive
continues to evolve and people have different
training and education, students and adults can better
preferences, always adopt the language individuals use
understand gender diversity and create safe and
about themselves, even if it differs from what’s here.
supportive learning environments. As part of this work, we also spoke about how
Affirmed gender - An individual’s gender self-
important it is for children to see themselves reflected
identification, rather than the gender that was
in the curriculum; examples of people of all kinds need
assumed based on the sex they were assigned at birth.
to be represented in order to help students understand that they matter and have value. The poet Adrienne
Agender - A person who sees themself as not having a
Rich wrote that, “When someone with the authority of
gender.
a teacher describes the world and you’re not in it, there is a moment of disequilibrium, as if you looked
Cisgender - Refers to people whose gender identity
into a mirror and saw nothing.”
aligns with their assigned sex at birth (cis- from Latin,
As MP&MS strives to be a welcoming place for all
meaning, “on this side [of].” In contrast to trans, from
students, teachers, and families, learning about gender
the Latin root meaning “across,” “beyond,” or “on the
differences is a critical part of this work. As we set our
opposite side [of]”).
intentions and map a course of action, Joel reminded us that there may be moments of discomfort. Unpacking some of our own deeply held
Dimensions of gender - Our body, expression, and identity are three distinct, but interrelated components
beliefs about gender identity and expression can
that comprise a person’s gender. A person’s comfort
be challenging. But as we were reminded, being
in their gender is related to the degree to which these
uncomfortable is not the same thing as being unsafe;
three dimensions feel in harmony.
and while this work may be difficult, it is vital in supporting our deep commitment to diversity and
Gender expression - This is our “public” gender,
inclusion.
including how we present our gender in the world and
If you would like to know more about Gender Spectrum and the vast array of resources and
how society, culture, community, and family perceive, interact with, and try to shape our gender.
materials they have made available, please visit their website at https://www.genderspectrum.org.
Gender fluid - People who have a gender or genders that change. Gender fluid people move between
Jodi Freedman is the eighth grade Humanities teacher at MP&MS and also
genders, experiencing their gender as something dynamic and changing, rather than static.
facilitates the faculty and staff diversity group S.E.E.D. (Seeding Educational Equity and Diversity). She is grateful to be a part of a community that is committed to learning and growing around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
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Gender identity - A person’s innermost core concept of self which can include boy/man, girl/woman, a blend of both, neither, and many more. Gender identity is how each person perceives themself and what they
of Gender call themself. One’s gender identity can be consistent
What do MP&MS students think about the gender spectrum?...
with, or different than, their sex assigned at birth. Gender role - The set of functions, activities, and behaviors commonly expected of boys/men and girls/women by society. Genderqueer - Is an umbrella term to describe someone who doesn’t identify with conventional gender identities, roles, expression and/or expectations. Non-binary - An umbrella term for gender identities that are not exclusively either boy/man, or girl/woman. Sex – Used to label a person as “male” or “female” at birth, this term refers to a person’s external
“Boys can like pink and girls can like blue” “Let’s stop calling assertive girls ‘bossy’” “Be yourself” “Don’t judge other people”
genitalia and internal reproductive organs. When a person is assigned a particular sex at birth, it is often mistakenly assumed that this will equate with their
“Boys can wear dresses!”
gender; it might, but it might not. Sexual orientation - Our sexual orientation and our
“Be open minded”
gender are separate, though related parts of our overall identity. Gender is personal (how we each see ourselves), while sexual orientation is interpersonal (which people we are physically, emotionally and/or romantically attracted to). Transgender - Sometimes this term is used broadly as an umbrella term to describe anyone whose gender identity differs from their assigned birth sex. Transphobia - Fear, dislike of, and/or prejudice against transgender people. Transsexuals - An older term still preferred by some people who have permanently changed, or seek to change, their bodies through medical interventions, including but not limited to hormones and/or surgeries.
Did you know?
Grammar is
evolving wit h gender awareness! M any of the g rammar styl e guides com monly used in today’s w ri ting are moving towards the use of gend er neutral lang uage. In add ition, many no table newspapers and magazin es are also officially end orsing the us e of “they” an d “their ” as sing ular pronoun s. The gram mar rules of yest erday are ev o lv in g … notice the in tentional us e of gender neutral language in this article!
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