I am also new to the conversation, and am responding as both a developmental
psychologist and as a mother of a 12 year old boy who has a very feminine
appearance and is interested in dance, lip-synching, cooking, drama, and music.
What does it mean for a middle-schooler who is different in terms of gender
identification or interests to truly feel "safe"? In this case, I think it's as
tough or tougher on feminine boys (who may end up being gay or straight or
transgender) as it is for girls. I have just spoken to a guidance counselor
where my son may be attending school next year (IF this public school is
psychologically safe enough), and while the counselor empathized greatly with my
situation, the basic message he left me with was "kids can be so cruel."
They can be, they will be. As a parent, I can't stand back and let this
cruelty happen, but what can I do to prevent it? I have a chance to pay for a
private school where there is a focus on "respecting the dignity of every
child." I am left wondering, and continue to wonder as I read the conversation
about Hostile Hallways, how all schools can make it a top priority to respect
the dignity of every child.
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