Dhishana’s Story
Content warning: transphobia, discrimination
My experience with discrimination came not from other students at my school, but from my school and the bureaucracy itself. Throughout high school, LGBTQ+ students have recieved no recognition, acknowledgement or acceptance by staff and administration, leading many of us to feel unwelcome, unwanted and unsafe at school. Our neglect to hold events for Pride month or Wear It purple Day became the norm, and when I realised other schools participated in such events, I was shocked to find out that schools were actually allowed to recognise LGBTQ+ people in the first place.
More than this neglect, my school made active efforts to prevent the recognition of LGBTQ+ people. A few teachers had the Amnesty International Rainbow 'Pride' stickers stuck on classroom walls, which my principal instructed them to take down. Our only recognition of LGBTQ+ identities was a book display in the library, which was in reality an action done by our school librarian against the wishes of our principal and deputies. When I requested to have this display the next year, it was denied, as 2 parents (out of 780 students we have) had written explaining their unacceptance of recognising LGBTQ+ identities.
As my school was a selective school, many of the cultural backgrounds our students came from failed to welcome and accept LGBTQ+ identities. It was for this reason that when I requested an event for Wear It Purple Day, my school turned down the suggestion, explaining that we were an "apolitical school". Having my identity treated like a political side, rather than just who I am made me feel so incredibly unwelcome. I hated going to school knowing that I'd have few teachers to go to for support, that my identity was never going to be accepted as normal and valid, and most of all, that other LGBTQ+ people, who may not even have a support network like I did, would suffer detrimentally.
Another experience of discrimination I found was with our school uniform. With a gender split uniform, girls were required to wear skirt and blouse, with a unisex pants option available. I desired to wear the tie, not only because I liked it, but as an means of my gender expression. Many of my trans and gender diverse friends also sought to wear the tie as a means of self-expression, and we did so despite school regulations. When teachers began to notice this, they announced that student leadership opportunities would be threatened, and penalties would apply if female students continued to wear the tie. A friend of mine who identified as non-binary attempted to explain how they sought to wear the tie as a means of gender and self-expression. This to which our wellbeing head teacher responded they needed a note signed by a psychologist and parents to permit this. This response was extremely invalidating to all my Trans and Queer peers who simply sought to feel comfortable at school and in their own identity, making it seem like we needed 'proof' or reasoning from a psychologist to confirm our identities.
As mentioned earlier, coming from CALD backgrouds meant that it was unsafe for many students to be out to their parents, as their backgrounds did not recognise LGBTQ+ identities, further preventing Queer students to be themselves and just exist, since school, alongside home, was not a safe place for them.
