christian school

[danjs34]

Schools coming up pretty soon and I was wondering if anybody had advice on how to cope with having to attend as female at a christian school.

I go to a small christian school which believes that LGBT= hell. Thankfully i'm entering into my final year but it still going to be diffucult. The teachers have in past years made fun of Trans folk during there morning devotions, and the church that supports the school sends petitions to the government to get rid of LGBT rights, such as gay marriage and the right to express gender identity. The church once handed out sheets before a church sermon which was loaded with misinformation on trans people, as well as proclaiming that transpeople just suffer from psychotic delusions as a result of a life without God. 

There's no hope for a transfer either. I've asked my parents and my mom just said that every high school has problems and my dad just told me that going to this high school helps me build character (i think he was trying to be funny).

Usually i just try and work hard and not talk so that i can get out of there as quickly as possible, but i have a feeling that this year might be the year that i finally explode with anger. I've actually contemplated getting expelled, but that's probably not the way to go.  does anyone have any advice?

[randomroads]

Be true to yourself without making like difficult on yourself and get excellent grades so that you are set for success if you decide to go to college or tech school. Aside from that, remember that making fun of people who are different than you is not Christ-like and you should model after the beliefs and behaviors you think everyone should live by. Being above the hypocrisy will definitely help strengthen your character in general.

Signed - a very devout Atheist.

[Jack_M]

It's only one more year. My suggestion would be to suck it up. Ignore the preaching, concentrate purely on grades. Become a better, more intellectual person than those who agree with that nonsense they spout. That's how you win. That's how you beat bullies! I used to imagine my bullies as being single teenage mums with crappy lives, and almost 95% of them actually did turn out that way, the other 5% followed the pattern but don't hate life as much and/or the boyfriend stuck around . That's the win you don't even have to point out; it's automatic!

Atheist guy from an all girls Catholic high school! I was double trouble .

[Chrystal]

Sorry to hear about your situation. I'm also going to a school that doesn't allow transgender people to express themselves. Once I'm 18, I'm moving to a school that does. Maybe that will have to be the same way for you. Just know that there are better days ahead.

[CursedFireDean]

Dude, I'm in the same boat as you, and what I'm doing is just waiting it out. I know its super hard and I struggle with it a lot,  but I just remember its only 9 more months, not even a year. I've done what transitioning is acceptable (mostly hair cut and more masculine clothes) to at least be somewhere, and if you've got even just one friend there you think you could trust to tell, its a big help. if you don't, I suggest finding support groups or somewhere that you can be the man you are. For me it hurts to not be able to be Dean all the time, but a little is definitely better than not at all.
Even being on a site like this, for me at least, helps me cope with being female most everywhere else. up until this summer, online WAS the only place I was me, but it helped so much to have that one place.

[big kim]

One more year and you're out,it sounds ****** up try not to get expelled though.Good luck and best wishes

[Natkat]

some transmen from my area who been pregnant and asked how they survived the 9 months said they learned how to live in there mind and put there focus on something ells, for the time. I belive you should do the same. when your in school you live in your head and just focus on work and studing and moving on, and have that as the focus, and when your not in school your yourself and hang out with friends and so.

I think it as important also to hang out with friends and be yourself as it is to study hard cause if you only study 24/7 then you go crazy.

[Taka]

i can only say i'm truly sorry for your situation. and those people at your school have totally misunderstood all that christianity is about.

i can't relate to your situation at all, unfortunately. to me it almost sounds as if you live in a muslim country. here in norway, students have a right to choose what high school to go to independently of their parents' wishes. the authorities may interfere if the parents try to force their children to go somewhere they don't want to go.

not that this would be a problem in norway anyway, i don't think any teacher could get away with mocking any specific group like that in front of their students. if anyone heard about that happening in a christian school, the school would be in danger of being closed down.

as for advice, which i think you were after... either you manage to lie low and get through your last year without any fuss. or you end up claiming your right to freedom of speech. if you end up choosing the latter, try secretly recording it just for the world to know what a horrible place that school is in case they decide to expel you just for voicing your own opinion. or do the school rules state that you should hate gays and transsexuals?

[YBtheOutlaw]

i guess you should bear with it till you're done with the school. the school might not just expel you, they might go into humiliating you and making you a disgusted person in the school, it'd be worse if the rest of the school, i mean the students have been trained to think in the same way. i'm not trying to scare you, but that's what i've seen happening in my school. it's a pretty conservative girls school which allows you only to wear this dress as the uniform. there are lesbians and other trans guys, but i've seen the fate of such people who have tried to express their true selves. people seldom talk with them, look at them with sour faces and start murmuring when they are around. i've survived basically because of my good grades and a lot of pretending to be a girl. this life sucks but i've survived through it for the last 12 years, and i'm gonna tolerate it in the remaining year. my final exam is important after all, only that can help me get a good job and finally become myself, maybe go into transition

[danjs34]

thanks for the replies and advice everyone

I think i'll do what i've done before. work hard and remember that it won't be too long till i get the hell out of there.