Transgender Student Denied Homecoming Title by High School, But Still Finds Support

http://glaadblog.org/2010/09/28/transgender-student-denied-homecoming-title-by-high-school-but-still-finds-support/

Friends, classmates, and supporters are speaking out after a student at Mona Shores High School in Michigan was denied the title of Homecoming King last week. Oakleigh Marshall—known to his friends as Oak—is a 17-year-old senior honors student whose winning votes for the race were disqualified by school administrators, because he is still listed as female on school documents.

Oak won the position after just a one-day campaign on Facebook garnered him much support from other students. But on Monday, the school principal called Oak into her office to explain that because he is enrolled as female, the votes do not count. "In order to be eligible for homecoming king, the ballot clearly states you must be a boy ... He, as I use the pronoun correctly out of respect, is not a boy," Principal Jennifer Bustard commented to Wood TV.

Quote"In order to be eligible for homecoming king, the ballot clearly states you must be a boy ... He, as I use the pronoun correctly out of respect, is not a boy," Principal Jennifer Bustard commented to Wood TV.

With regards to the principal: this person, as I use the noun out of respect, is not a human being.

That really made me angry, I would slap that B**** if I wasn't a guy.

What the principal said is very much equivalent to saying something like this:

"That person, who I shall say correctly out of respect say is an individual of African descent, is a n*****."

I don't judge him that harshly (as in the above comments)

I think it was a poor choice - assuming he feels he HAS a choice that the school board won't take exception to.

I think that the wisest choice for him, out of those practically available, is to have kicked the decision upstairs to the Super or the Board (because if he'd have made the opposite choice they would absolutely have involved themselves.

So I can agree he fumbled this, but he doesn't appear in the quotes to have malicious intent and he might just simply be a well-intentioned but under-informed individual.

so I'm not gonna jump on the "he's not a human being" bandwagon, with all due respect - not without more info.

I think it's cool that the students elected him.  Considering all the transphobia out there, that's cause for some celebration.  Obviously, the school officials didn't know how to handle the situation.  As Tammy pointed out, they were probably not well informed, and trying to avoid offending their superiors.  Although the school could have reacted better, it's good that this situation has arisen, and made the news, because it will give school officials everywhere cause to think about it.  Looks like change is in the works.

Quote from: TheAetherealMeadow on September 30, 2010, 12:25:21 AM
What the principal said is very much equivalent to saying something like this:

"That person, who I shall say correctly out of respect say is an individual of African descent, is a n*****."

Hahaha   

1. Nice to see that the boy is so popular at school.

2. The principal is a good example why someone getting the pronouns right is not a proof that they are accepting or see you as a boy.