Open Forum

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Melissa Gibson
Drama teacher
Oak Harbor High School
Oak Harbor WA
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Hi! 

So I have some transgender students and have navigated some of these waters. 

My administration defers to the parents on this one. Ultimately the child is a minor, and the parents have to consent to use a preferred name on an official document. 

The overnight stay is where it can get a bit touchy. I would ask all who are going to list roommate preferences. Then I would talk to the administrator about it. 

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Karen Wiebe
Drama Director
Burlington KY
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2020 16:00
From: Melissa Gibson
Subject: ITF and transgender students

Hive mind help please.  I'm working on registration for our state festival and I have two transgender students who plan to attend.  One of them may consider going to ITF this summer as well.  I got an answer from our state directors, but it was suggested that I post my questions to the forum here as I suspect some of you may have similar questions.

One student is an inducted Thespian under their birth name which is also the official name in our school records.  Should I register that student with their preferred name or their name according to school records?  My thought is that I register the student with their preferred name but I didn't know if anyone would be cross checking our records for those students who are Thespians versus not for the sake of registration.  Also, what name should be listed on the Consent and Acceptance form?

Suggestions regarding accommodations and what other schools have done with respect to transgender students would be greatly appreciated.   I have checked with our administration and asked what their policy regarding overnight trips with transgender students is and I was told we do not have an official one in place, so I am open to suggestions for how other schools handle this subject.  What is the ITF policy since they have the rule about no boys in girls' rooms and vice versa?  How have other schools handled this?  Going forward, should I change the name with ITS's records for my transgender thespian to the preferred name?

Thank you a bazillion times over!

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Melissa Gibson
Drama teacher
Oak Harbor High School
Oak Harbor WA
------------------------------

ITF uses the official database of thespian students so unless you login into your edta account and change their name there it will be whatever it was when you inducted them. It is true that parent consent is required so I know that can get a bit dicey sometimes. In terms of preferred name that's something you can put into the database without changing their legal name, but changing their gender is a matter of everyone being in agreement. For housing if they are making the change- there are suite style as opposed to Hall bath style dorms available. I have sent an email explaining the situation and make that request to Nancy Brown for the safety and emotional security of the student. Similarly, my admin had no previous policy in place so they asked me to get consent from the parents the student would be sharing a room with. Again, if it's suite style housing they often do not share a sleeping space with one another so it's less of an issue.  Hope this helps.

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Victoria Kesling Councill
Chapter Director - VA EdTA/ Virginia Thespians
Theatre Director- Fine & Performing Arts Department NKHS
Artistic Director - NKHS Trojan Theatre
Artistic Director - Kent England Exchange Production
Virginia Commonwealth University BFA Theatre Education, BFA Art Education '08
University of Houston - MA Theatre '16

"Love the art in yourself and not yourself in the art." - Konstantin Stanislavski
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2020 16:00
From: Melissa Gibson
Subject: ITF and transgender students

Hive mind help please.  I'm working on registration for our state festival and I have two transgender students who plan to attend.  One of them may consider going to ITF this summer as well.  I got an answer from our state directors, but it was suggested that I post my questions to the forum here as I suspect some of you may have similar questions.

One student is an inducted Thespian under their birth name which is also the official name in our school records.  Should I register that student with their preferred name or their name according to school records?  My thought is that I register the student with their preferred name but I didn't know if anyone would be cross checking our records for those students who are Thespians versus not for the sake of registration.  Also, what name should be listed on the Consent and Acceptance form?

Suggestions regarding accommodations and what other schools have done with respect to transgender students would be greatly appreciated.   I have checked with our administration and asked what their policy regarding overnight trips with transgender students is and I was told we do not have an official one in place, so I am open to suggestions for how other schools handle this subject.  What is the ITF policy since they have the rule about no boys in girls' rooms and vice versa?  How have other schools handled this?  Going forward, should I change the name with ITS's records for my transgender thespian to the preferred name?

Thank you a bazillion times over!

------------------------------
Melissa Gibson
Drama teacher
Oak Harbor High School
Oak Harbor WA
------------------------------

I have taken two transgender students to our state festival and one to ITF.

I registered the students under the gender they are transitioning to, using the preferred name.  (Both were biologically female.)
 
The health form the students carried with them had the name listed on their insurance, with the preferred name in parentheses after it.  That was the only place on any of the registrations that I listed the birth name.

For the state festival, we were in suites, and the trans student slept on the sofa bed, rather than sharing a bed with a biological male.

For ITF, the beds are all twins, so there was no issue.  (I had registered that student under the preferred name as a male when he became a Thespian.)  The health form he carried with him was the only place where the birth gender and name were listed.   

For each of those students, being able to meet a whole group of fellow Thespians as their authentic gender was massively affirming.  

I was in close contact with the parents of both of these students.

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C. J. Breland
Retired Theatre Arts Educator
Asheville NC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2020 16:00
From: Melissa Gibson
Subject: ITF and transgender students

Hive mind help please.  I'm working on registration for our state festival and I have two transgender students who plan to attend.  One of them may consider going to ITF this summer as well.  I got an answer from our state directors, but it was suggested that I post my questions to the forum here as I suspect some of you may have similar questions.

One student is an inducted Thespian under their birth name which is also the official name in our school records.  Should I register that student with their preferred name or their name according to school records?  My thought is that I register the student with their preferred name but I didn't know if anyone would be cross checking our records for those students who are Thespians versus not for the sake of registration.  Also, what name should be listed on the Consent and Acceptance form?

Suggestions regarding accommodations and what other schools have done with respect to transgender students would be greatly appreciated.   I have checked with our administration and asked what their policy regarding overnight trips with transgender students is and I was told we do not have an official one in place, so I am open to suggestions for how other schools handle this subject.  What is the ITF policy since they have the rule about no boys in girls' rooms and vice versa?  How have other schools handled this?  Going forward, should I change the name with ITS's records for my transgender thespian to the preferred name?

Thank you a bazillion times over!

------------------------------
Melissa Gibson
Drama teacher
Oak Harbor High School
Oak Harbor WA
------------------------------

Hi Melissa,

My recommendation is that you log into your EdTA troupe listing and change the student's name to his/her preferred name.  That way when you register them for ITF they will be charged the member rate (if they're inducted) and their name will show up correctly on their name badge.  Also use the preferred name on the Consent form.  Following is a link to EdTA's policy: 

https://www.schooltheatre.org/about/mission/diversity
Regarding housing at ITF, in all cases we want the students to be comfortable.  They will be housed as you request.  You may contact me directly and I will be happy to work with you to make certain your transgender students are comfortable. My email is nbrown@schooltheatre.org.

Nancy L. Brown

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Nancy Brown
Educational Theatre Association
Cincinnati OH
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2020 16:00
From: Melissa Gibson
Subject: ITF and transgender students

Hive mind help please.  I'm working on registration for our state festival and I have two transgender students who plan to attend.  One of them may consider going to ITF this summer as well.  I got an answer from our state directors, but it was suggested that I post my questions to the forum here as I suspect some of you may have similar questions.

One student is an inducted Thespian under their birth name which is also the official name in our school records.  Should I register that student with their preferred name or their name according to school records?  My thought is that I register the student with their preferred name but I didn't know if anyone would be cross checking our records for those students who are Thespians versus not for the sake of registration.  Also, what name should be listed on the Consent and Acceptance form?

Suggestions regarding accommodations and what other schools have done with respect to transgender students would be greatly appreciated.   I have checked with our administration and asked what their policy regarding overnight trips with transgender students is and I was told we do not have an official one in place, so I am open to suggestions for how other schools handle this subject.  What is the ITF policy since they have the rule about no boys in girls' rooms and vice versa?  How have other schools handled this?  Going forward, should I change the name with ITS's records for my transgender thespian to the preferred name?

Thank you a bazillion times over!

------------------------------
Melissa Gibson
Drama teacher
Oak Harbor High School
Oak Harbor WA
------------------------------