Trans Children in Today’’s Schools

Supporting transgender children in school means far more than deciding which bathroom they use or on which sports team they play

Schools across the nation are seeing an increasing presence of transgender students and many school leaders, teachers, and community stakeholders feel they have nowhere to turn for resources or guidance for what can be a volatile, confusing, and controversial subject. The parents of transgender children, who are themselves urgently looking for advice and support, often feel thrust into an adversarial position as they become advocates for the safety, wellbeing, acceptance, and happiness of their child.

The purpose of this book is to move beyond the unproductive and polarizing debates that occur over which bathroom/locker room they should use, on which sports team they should participate, and whether or not they are a threat to the safety of other students. We can’t move beyond these debates until we respectfully consider and address the factors that contribute to this contention in the first place. Aidan Key masterfully cuts through the misinformation and distractions to get at the only issues that truly matter - ensuring our children, ALL of our children - can count on a safe and welcoming learning environment.

Trans Children in Today’s Schools provides an understanding of the internal and external variables that a trans child navigates as they explore their gender identity and the challenges experienced by these children and their families. Key explores the barriers encountered by schools as they attempt to create gender-inclusive environments, including the resistance of a misinformed society whose only framework of gender is one rigidly set in an only-male/only-female context. Readers will come away with manageable, step-by-step pathways to support and include trans youth in our schools and communities. The book places these ideas - and the youth who embody them - in context within a society whose understanding and expectations of gender norms are at the brink of a paradigm shift.

Aidan Key is a speaker, author, and educator working nationally with hundreds of K-12 schools, youth-based agencies, and organizations. As founder and director of Gender Diversity, he provides professional development, strategic planning, policy
development, athletics guidance, and education for administrators, faculty, and students. He is also founder and president of TransFamilies, a national organization dedicated to providing family support, increasing societal awareness, and improving the
well-being for children of all gender identities. In 2001, Key launched the annual Gender Odyssey conference, the first conference in the nation for gender-diverse children and their families, attracting thousands from around the world.