#transgender reference

Chosen name: Desmond. (From Assassins Creed and also the name is *chefs kiss*

Original post: http://frank-myhero-iero.tumblr.com/post/118562623879/transphobic-teachers

Snapchat that went with it: http://frank-myhero-iero.tumblr.com/post/118561834464/lmao-okay-transphobic-teacher-the-teacher-i-was

Since the incident two weeks ago with him crossing out my name on my paper, my teacher and I have gotten into more arguments. After another day of correcting him, saying that Quinn is not my name, he gave me a letter he wrote. He discussed things in it like: “Don’t act on your feelings. If I did I would be an adulterer and a murderer. Just because I say I feel like a dragonfly can’t make me one” etc etc etc. Just all that bullshit. Throughout the next week, I wrote him a letter back respectfully responding to all his points he gave to me on why he can’t call me by my real name, Noah. I made sure not to lose my temper or rationality in the letter. I also mentioned that I’m aware that I’m fifteen, and this may just be a phase, and I may be wrong. I recognized my own naivety. It may be a phase, it may not. Regardless, if it is, it will pass. So please let me sort my life out as I continue to grow as an adult. 

A week went by, and he never responded with another letter after I gave him my own. He continued to ignore my simple request. When he called on me in class, I said, “No, Mr. Barwick. Quinn is not my name!” The class got quiet, and he called me up to his desk. He pointed to my birth name on the roster and said, “Until your name changes on this paper, I will not call you Noah.” This went on for a while. You can imagine all the anger and dysphoria building up.

On Friday, May 23rd, is when I said enough is enough. He was telling a little anecdote, where he said at the end, It was ridiculous. I said, “You know what else is ridiculous, Mr. Barwick?  When a grown man cannot call a student by their real name, when he has no respect for his student’s mental health or aspect of humanity within themselves.” His face dropped, and said, “We have discussed this already.” He went on to say shit that my name will never be Noah, I will never be a boy. I have two allies in that class who have supported me through all this, and one, Nikki, was attempting to calm me down.

But after those degrading words by him, I was done. I took the hall pass and walked out of the classroom. Nikki came to look for me, with a note Barwick gave her to give to me to go to my guidance counselor. I had collapsed, sobbing against the wall of the hallway. I had enough. I had enough. 

I went down to the guidance counselor and explained my situation. Unlike what I expected, the people in the office were on my side. The lady at the front desk wrote Noah on my pass to my counselor, and my counselor called me by my name and wrote Noah as well on my pass back to class.

My counselor discussed with me that she respects me and understands. She said she didn’t think it was a juvenile phase; she respected me, unlike Barwick has. It turns out the assistant principal will talk to him about his treatment towards me, and here’s the best part:

Before the end of the school year (four days left until summer), the office will contact the school board to see if I can get my name changed in the system for next year without getting my parents involved (I’m not out to my parents; they won’t be supportive). 

Let me say that again:

The school is going to contact the school board to get my name changed for next year.

I am absolutely over the moon. This is so much more than I could’ve asked for. The thing is, the administration isn’t just supporting me because I’m a teenager going through a typical phase. No, they are going above and beyond to support me because this is a real milestone in my life, and my teacher cannot get away with this discrimination. 

Updates soon to come xx

-Noah