What Would You Want Educators To Know?

[Guest LibraryLynn]

I am a high school librarian who is doing an inservice this summer for my school district on the topic of teaching tolerance. I definitely want to include the topic of intersex, even though I do know that often children do not know they may be. I am quite appalled at the lack of information that is out there for educators (K-12) about this, and I want to at least discuss it with my faculty. I am certain over 90% of them do not even know of the existence, let alone how best to care for these children in their classrooms. I don't mean in an obvious way, of course, but in a caring way.

What do any of you who belong to this forum what educators to know? If a child is identified as intersexed and the parents are proactive and let the teacher know (perhaps there is a surgery to discuss, etc), what can the teacher do to best support?

I absolutely do not want to offend anyone; I only want to be able to share information with teachers. The more I learn and read about people who are intersexed, the more I want to educate others about it. My ideal world would be one where gender is viewed on an honest continuum, rather than as one or the other.

Thank you for any information that you can provide me that will help me present the most accurate information possible. Lynn

[Paula ult]

Welcome, i applaud you for taking the initiative to learn about this and educate others, many are intersexed and never know that they are till they have some other surgery, many more never know, one of the people that i share my house with and is MtF believes she is intersexed, her parents outright refuse to talk about and will neither confirm nor deny it, she was born in Germany and her medical records indicate some type of surgery was preformed about a week after she was born by a plastic surgeon, unfortunately the records were conveniently missing information, she wants to have ultrasounds done to determine if she is or not but does not have the funds to do so at this time.

I think this link from Laura's will give you most of the information you are seeking

http://www.lauras-playground.com/intersexxed.htm

Paula

[Guest Ariel Mai]

Actually my therapist came into my school and talked to the guidance office and principals about intersex, transgender, etc. issues and what they should have education wise to help the others students who are going through the same thing, and they are starting to let teachers know it exist and, I think they may be setting up a course on it. I know they are definitely helping guidance understand it more. I wish all schools were required to take a course because it would help students more knowing that they are in an environment they are accepted in. Also it will help them opt out of classes with a simple doctors note, which is what I had done for gym class. Unisex bathrooms would be nice to have too I think it will also solve those dumb prom issues, I'm gonna wear a dress to my prom no matter what they say.

Ariel <3