12 year old Ari Bowman made a speech at a meeting of his School District in East Penn USA, defending his right to use the boys changing rooms at school. Ari is transgender and made the speech after another child at the school argued that she would not get changed in the same room as a transgender student.
Ari started using male pronouns two years ago and came out as trans this summer. In his speech (see the link above) Ari says, "I knew I was transgender before I knew that gender was a word but I didn't know how to express it." He then goes on to say, "I hope you understand what being transgender means. It doesn't make me any less or any more. It makes me me and no one can change that."
After Ari spoke, many people at the meeting supported him, including a Presbyterian minister. The School District Superintendent then spoke and promised, "to uphold the rights of transgender students and to support them in whatever ways possible in their often difficult personal journey."
- What do you see in the picture?
Explain the story
- There are some people today who say that Ari should use female toilets and changing rooms. Why do they say that?
- What does Ari want to do?
- When Ari was born, people told him he was a girl because of the way his body looked on the outside. How did Ari feel on the inside? What did Ari start to do as he grew up?
- How do you think Ari felt at school when he was told to be a girl?
- If Ari came to our school, would we tell him he had to be a girl?
- What would we say to Ari if he came to our school?
- What would you say to the girl in Ari's school who said she wouldn't get changed next to a transgender student?
- Why do you think the Superintendent of Schools in East Penn is supporting Ari? What does this show about ideas changing?
- Why is this story about No Outsiders?
- What can we learn from Ari?, What can we learn from Ari's school district?
No Outsiders in our school: Teaching the Equality Act in Primary Schools by Andrew Moffat
equalitiesprimary.com
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