News and Events => Education news => Topic started by: Suzy on December 13, 2007, 12:41:12 PM Return to Full Version
Title: Transgender student fights for rights
Post by: Suzy on December 13, 2007, 12:41:12 PM
Post by: Suzy on December 13, 2007, 12:41:12 PM
Born a girl, NECC student wants to use men's locker room
The Haverhill Gazette (http://www.hgazette.com/local/local_story_346100410.html)
December 12, 2007 10:04 am
Ethan Santiago, a transgender student at Northern Essex Community College, is fighting school officials' refusal to assign him a locker in the men's locker room. Santiago, 20, was born Elizabeth Santiago, but said he lives and identifies as a man. But his college ID | the one he had to show when he made the locker request | says differently. It lists his legal name and gender: Elizabeth. Female.
The Haverhill Gazette (http://www.hgazette.com/local/local_story_346100410.html)
December 12, 2007 10:04 am
Ethan Santiago, a transgender student at Northern Essex Community College, is fighting school officials' refusal to assign him a locker in the men's locker room. Santiago, 20, was born Elizabeth Santiago, but said he lives and identifies as a man. But his college ID | the one he had to show when he made the locker request | says differently. It lists his legal name and gender: Elizabeth. Female.
Title: Re: Transgender student fights for rights
Post by: Hypatia on December 14, 2007, 02:14:21 AM
Post by: Hypatia on December 14, 2007, 02:14:21 AM
I find this very significant:
There are also some nice well-meaning folks who've heard of these new gender-neutral ghettos and naively think all transgender people would like that. They don't get where we're coming from. Once I went to a conference at a church and as soon as I walked in, this do-gooder church lady pleasantly informed me they had a gender-neutral bathroom on the premises (oh, how progressive of you!). I just as pleasantly told her, "Thank you, but I use the ladies' room." She said "Oh, that will be fine," but the look on her face showed that it had not occurred to her before I said it.
That Ethan is one smart dude who knows the score and tells it like it is. I really like him. I hope he continues in activism for equality, we need people like him.
QuoteBut in the complaint, Santiago also wrote that "the only solution is for him to be granted his right to a locker in the men's locker room, and that although having gender-neutral areas may be fantastic for some, he considers himself to be a male, and therefore deserves the right to be treated as such."I'm uncomfortable with the increasing trend to shove us all into gender-neutral ghettos. That might be peachy for androgynes and neutroises, but it's a slam against transsexuals like Ethan and me. The only reason for it is the cissies wanting to keep us out of sight, out of mind--because we're icky or something.
Lamborghini suggested that Santiago use the locker room for visiting sports teams as well as the handicapped bathroom near the men's locker room, but Santiago said he would feel isolated doing that.
"Using that locker room would separate me from the rest of the student body. I felt like I was being shoved to the side," Santiago said.
There are also some nice well-meaning folks who've heard of these new gender-neutral ghettos and naively think all transgender people would like that. They don't get where we're coming from. Once I went to a conference at a church and as soon as I walked in, this do-gooder church lady pleasantly informed me they had a gender-neutral bathroom on the premises (oh, how progressive of you!). I just as pleasantly told her, "Thank you, but I use the ladies' room." She said "Oh, that will be fine," but the look on her face showed that it had not occurred to her before I said it.
That Ethan is one smart dude who knows the score and tells it like it is. I really like him. I hope he continues in activism for equality, we need people like him.
Title: Re: Transgender student fights for rights
Post by: Suzy on December 14, 2007, 07:07:19 AM
Post by: Suzy on December 14, 2007, 07:07:19 AM
Cissies? LOL
This is what most needs changing, IMHO:
So how can this world ever understand that a mismatched anatomy is exactly the problem?
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi
This is what most needs changing, IMHO:
QuoteThe lawyer recommended that the school deny Santiago's request.
"Our legal counsel indicated that an individual's anatomy determines which space they should use," said Lamborghini.
So how can this world ever understand that a mismatched anatomy is exactly the problem?
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fganjataz.com%2F01smileys%2Fimages%2Fsmileys%2FloopyBlonde-blinking.gif&hash=4545ddf8251cf9c32ae6074d56e48bc34a755857)Kristi