We’ve been told the movement is about protecting children from hasty medicalization. We’ve been told it’s about fairness in women’s sports. We’ve even been told, counterintuitively, that it’s because trans people reinforce gender roles. The claims of the anti-trans movement have long been couched in such high-minded terms, despite being allied with hateful messages and even calls for violence. So how are things going in the movement for medical safety, support for women in athletics, and the abolition of gender roles? In Mississipi, it has resulted in the harsh enforced of a gendered dress code, used to single out two girls, one who was trans and the other merely gender-nonconforming, for humiliation. According to local news, the gender nonconforming girl was pulled out of line on the day of the ceremony and told she had to walk in her underwear.
National attention had already been focused on the graduation ceremony at Harrison Central High School when a trans girl identified as L. B. was called into the principal’s office and warned she would be expected to dress as a boy during her high school graduation ceremony. The girl is being represented by the ACLU, but late last week a judge turned down a request that she be allowed to graduate in a dress, following the girls’ dress code. L. B. decided not to attend the graduation under these humiliating circumstances.
However, a local outlet is reporting that another student in the same school also missed walking in her graduation due to the dress code. This time it was a gender-nonconforming girl who showed up in pants and a white shirt. This student had no prior warning that her clothing was unacceptable in the hours leading up to the ceremony and was instead pulled from the line at the last minute and told that wearing pants wasn’t acceptable. The solution reportedly suggested by the school was that she remove the pants and walk for her high school graduation in her underwear.
When considering the anti-trans movement in America it’s important to ask if the rhetoric matches the outcomes. The rhetoric of just-asking-questions or having a few reasable concerns has not resulted in greater protections for children, whether they’re cisgender, transgender, or gender nonconformng. Bans on trans girls in athletics opens the door for genital inspections performed on young girls, if their identities happen to be challenged for any reason. Questions about medical treatment have resulted in draconic bans on all gender-affirming care, mandating that children who have lived happily in their gender for years undergo a dangerous, destabilizing state-mandated detransition. Loving parents are facing child abuse investigations.
The story in Mississippi is representative of the reality of the reactionary anti-trans backlash. A figleaf that gestured at the ideal of protecting kids from harm has fueled a moral panic which results in singling young people out for humiliation to enforce regressive dress codes. As has been long anticipated by the trans community, gender-nonconforming girls are particularly likely to be singled out and made an example of, alongside transgender people of all gender identities. If the anti-trans movement was what it depicted itself as, none of this would be happening. None of this should be happening. Trans and gender-nonconorming youth deserve to experience normal childhoods, not ones where adults mark them for humiliation and work to deprive them of self-esteem and dignity.
This is terrible journalism. Do better and understand what nonconforming means before using a pronoun after it.
Maybe learn the difference between a noun an pronoun before commenting next time, eh?
Gender nonconforming means not conforming to stereotypical ideas about gender based on the the sex that person was assigned with at birth. The use of gender nonconforming was correct here. Do better Michelle?
The individual in question identifies as a girl but wanted to wear pants. The concept of gender nonconformity means having an outward expression that differs from one’s gender identity. This is exemplified in this article and all of the pronouns align correctly.
I actually don’t see a single place in this article where the word "nonconforming" is used immediately before a pronoun. Maybe you should do better and understand what pronouns even are.
Non conforming means she simply chooses a gender expression that is atypical for that cultures expectations given her gender identity. It is not the same as nonbinary
what are you talking about? anyone can be nonconforming and use any pronouns they want
What are you even talking about? Nonconforming in this context just means not following roles expected of their gender. Girl identifies as a girl but didn’t want to wear a dress.
"Gender nonconforming" usually means acting outside of the scope of acceptable behaviour for said gender.
Like a woman wearing pants, in a culture that doesn’t allow that, which apparently now includes 2023 america. sheesh.
This isn’t the god damned 1950s. Anyone should be able to wear pants and for any reason.
One of our local high schools required the girls wear full length dresses under their graduation gowns. This is but garb must girls that age own and required many to buy dresses just for this occasion. Many of those girls also come from low income families that can’t afford to just go out and buy a dress after they just spent $200 on their cap and gown. I understand being told to dress nicely but that was ridiculous. If they didn’t conform they couldn’t attend.
This is horrifying. They ruined these people’s graduation when it should be a time of celebration. It’s not right. People have a right to dress as they choose.
No one should tell you how to dress ever—my kids did what they want and so did I at graduation. Girls wearing pants is common–leave them alone.
This is so fucked up and basically pedophilic
It makes me sick knowing that my homestate is doing this. i hate this country so much