“When I meet up with my trans friends, what stands out is how much we laugh. It can be because of internet memes or jokes, but more often, it has to do with the practical realities of living life while trans. Writing your deed poll, a legal document that proves a change of name, on the back of an envelope (it’s legal no matter where you write it!) and then losing it when you want to show your bank … how tucking can go wrong … everything surrounding bathrooms …
Miraloma Elementary, a school of about 365 students, made the move to affirm several students who don’t fit traditional gender norms. Bathrooms used by kindergarteners and first-graders will be converted to gender-neutral spaces. The plan is to phase out gender-divided bathrooms as the first grade class advances every year. One parent of a gender non-conforming first grader perfectly explained why this was all worth it.
“I didn’t have the perfect experience coming out as transgender and non-binary. Many friends and acquaintances weren’t able to change their perception of me and didn’t understand the new terms I was using to describe myself. As I meet new people and make new friends, I still struggle daily…
Sam Killermann is a comedian and social justice advocate, and the guy behind It’s Pronounced Metrosexual, a one-man comedy show and blog about snap judgments…