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While teaching high school biology, ecology, and sexual health for 30 years, I consistently
ensured my classroom was a safe and welcoming environment. As a result, students often chose me as the first person they told of their LGBTQIA2S+ identity. Therefore, I am in a unique position to speak about the complications and dangers of “outing” students before they are ready.
Outing students can result in bullying by classmates. I’ve even witnessed fellow teachers and administration bully students. Bullying is uncomfortable for students at best, and
physically/emotionally traumatic at worst.
Currently, there is discussion whether schools should report student revelations of sexual
orientation or gender identity to parents. The Parental Rights in Education Bill, passed this year, states schools and school staff must, “notify a student’s parent or guardian as soon as
practicable if there is a change in the student’s educational, physical, mental, or emotional
health or well-being.” First, the law never included LGBTQIA2S+ identity as a reportable
“change”. Second, a student’s revelation of their identity to a staff member does NOT constitute a change – they are simply sharing who they already are with someone with whom they feel safe. Identification of pronouns is not a change either, it is an expression of identity. If I identify as she/her, and someone repeatedly refers to me as he/him, I will correct them. Nothing in me changed, I’m just asserting my identity. Determination of one’s pronouns can take time to sort out if the dominant culture keeps telling an individual to identify one way, when the person knows, body and soul, that is the incorrect identification.
Coming out is fraught with complication, insecurity, and concern for students because of the judgments hurled at people who are not cisgender or heteronormative in their relationships and feelings. Often, because of a parent’s stated views, religious values, etc., a student’s greatest concern is how their parent will accept the news that they are LGBTQIA2S+. As a result, the choice to come out to one’s parent is significant and scary. Some kids have parents who consistently demonstrate they love and accept their children no matter what. Other kids may be verbally/physically abused, thrown out of their homes, or worse. However, there is a HUGE middle ground of how parents navigate this information. Students often share their identity with a trusted teacher first because they want to say it out loud to an adult, gauge their response, and ask for support while figuring out how to tell their parents. This may even be the first time saying the words out loud. What this doesn’t mean is that the student is inherently at risk or that a “change” happened. If a student, any student, reports thoughts of self harm, substance abuse, bullying, or intimate partner abuse, then school staff must inform parents. However,
being LGBTQIA2S+ does not fall under the legislative mandate, and this new law must not be used to single out young people simply in the midst of understanding who they are.
Cindy Zacks
Lander, WY