# data[].attributes.body
The conception of gender as fluid is an emerging social value (Rosenstreich, 2013). This development is the impetus towards what is perhaps the final destination on a journey from centuries of male dominance - which is perhaps conceptually extinct but, in practice, still observable in many domains - to a world post-gender. A vital milestone along the way has been gender equality. And though - as signalled above - even this eludes us, the shift in attitudes towards women in Australia has nonetheless paved the way for society to embrace those who identify outside of traditional male/female binaries. This section seeks to briefly revisit how traditional views of gender manifested in Australian schools post WWII. The purpose is to provide a succinct historical context from which to view the resources presented in following sections.

The 1950s advertisement below (Questions for Us, 2012) is a neat place to start. It conveys the highly prescriptive role women were expected to play in society at the time. Clear inferences can be drawn in relation to female workforce participation, and, accordingly, the nature and extent of education that women were able to access.

# data[].attributes.body
The inferences drawn from the above are supported by a Commonwealth Schools Commission (1975) report, which 20 years later examined “sex differences in rates of educational participation” and “schools’ role in gender role socialisation” (McInnis, 1996, p.2). The investigation yielded a list of conclusions that feature the following: “girls' subject choices limit subsequent educational and employment opportunities; women workers are strongly concentrated in traditional female occupations; girls are less confident and ambitious than boys, less inclined to see themselves as able to influence their lives, and learn to define themselves as accommodating and relatively incompetent in public action arenas" (McInnis, 1996, p.2). These findings tell of a society built on two discrete genders, each with its own rigid expectations. As a result, they present a starkly different view of gender to the one discussed herein. However, the report's conclusion - "that what it means to be female or male in a particular social context is largely learned” (McInnis, 1996, p.2) - is acutely applicable in the context of this presentation. By acknowledging that the supposedly appointed roles males and females played in society were actually just learned, the report communicates their artifice. Society continues to accomodate a male/female dichotomy because its institutions ordain it so. By embracing gender fluidity, schools, as one of society’s most influential institutions (Buckingham, 2012), are a platform upon which a new gender paradigm can be established.

# data[].attributes.body
Gender fluidity is beginning to become a more widely understood concept in Australian society (Rosenstreich, 2013). More and more people are starting to push back against the hegemonic ideology of heteronormativity and gender binaries, and as a result a greater understanding of gender fluidity is being achieved (Rosenstreich, 2013). As a society, embracing gender fluidity will lead to a more inclusive society and create a safe environment for everyone in our communities.

Students who are unsure of their gender identity, or those who identify as a gender that is not social perceived as heteronormative, are more likely to be subjected to psychological distress (Rosenstreich, 2013; Headspace, 2017). In particular these numbers are more significant when focussing on young people.

# data[].attributes.body
Imagine living in a society in which your sexuality, identity and sense of self is questioned. Imagine not being able to be your true self due to rules and policies that barely have a purpose in our progressive society. Imagine being discriminated against each day due to your understanding of your own identity.

Same sex attracted and gender diverse students are seen to experience higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide arguably due to being a target for bullying (Schefman, 2016). This is due to the students being perceived as different or abnormal, as they are part of a minority. This minority however, does not have less of a right to be educated or less of a right to feel safe in their school environment and broader community. Embracing gender fluidity is the beginning to providing a space for students to feel more valued, accepted and comfortable in themselves. It is essential that gender diversity is being addressed in schools so that these safe spaces can proliferate and break down the barriers that have been put in place by past generations.

The national network of organisations, the Safe Schools Coalition, works to provide schools with the ability to create safer and more inclusive communities for all students (The Federation for Young Australians, 2017).  The programs put in place by the Safe Schools Coalition focus on educating students and the wider school community on topics such as gender fluidity (The Federation for Young Australians, 2017). By doing so, they hope to create more inclusive communities in which bullying is limited, homophobia is eradicated and all students are able to feel comfortable in their learning environment (The Federation for Young Australians, 2017).

# data[].attributes.body
The Federation for Young Australians. (2017). Safe Schools Coalition Aus: Who We Are. Melbourne: Author.

Headspace. (2017). Gender Identify and Mental Health. Melbourne: Author.

Rosenstreich, G. (2013) LGBTI People Mental Health and Suicide. Sydney: National LGBTI Health Alliance.

Schulman, L. (2016, February 9). Schools embrace controversial gender program that the LGBT community says 'saves lives'. The Herald Sun, Retrieved from http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/south-east/schools-embrace-controversial-gender-program-that-the-lgbt-community-says-saves-lives/news-story/4f64da8a6bc0a90d1727910842e4dcc2

# data[].attributes.body
Australian Government has implemented a new education policy on ‘Gender Diversity’ and ‘Gender identity’ in a school context. The purpose of these policies is to ensure that schools support students of various forms of sexual identities. The policy covers a range of areas including: change in school culture; management of privacy; access to bathrooms and change rooms in accordance to their gender identity; and the use of preferred name, which all aim to support inclusion and to take a step closer to eradicate discrimination within school (Victoria State Government, 2017) [1],[2]

A heated debate has been established in regards to these policies. The main objection to these policies stems from the belief that it is not ‘age appropriate’ to teach students something that deviates from social standards, as well as the sensitive nature of it which can create offense (D’Arcy, 2013). They take this approach as a form of encouraging students to stray from the social norms at a stage of developing and coming into terms with one’s sexual orientation as a result of puberty. Furthermore, sharing sleeping areas at a campsite and access to bathrooms and change rooms that corresponds to their gender identity can put other students at risk. If this were to be implemented in all schools, it would be imperative for them to consider the rights of the other students who will be impacted by these changes.

To accommodate the rights of other peers, the policy is only applied to students whose gender identity had been explicitly consulted with parents and confirmed by health specialists (Victoria State Government, 2017)[1],[2]. These policies have been incorporated in hopes to diminish the bullying of gender diverse students. Evidently, prior to the implementation of the policy, statistics of bullying in schools were significantly high (Bully No Way, 2016). These students were negatively impacted in regards to their school attendance, wellbeing and academic outcomes (Bully No Way, 2016). This does not parallel with educational values that all students deserve and have the rights to learn in an inclusive, safe and supportive environment so that they can reach their fullest potential (Giving point, 2016).

These policies are made in regards to a sensitive topic and it will ultimately lead to criticism and heated debates as people hold different beliefs and values. As long as people have opinions and a voice, no polices will be able to satisfy the population as a whole.  However, the main message the Australian Government is trying to convey to students and teaching staffs alike is that we Australians will not support homophobia and trans-phobia.

# data[].attributes.body
To counterbalance the stereotypical ways schools and students has handled gender bias, The Line (2017) has a few practical recommendations for the teachers and students to incorporate.

The use of language can be a huge contributor to gender stereotypes, here are some of the things to keep an eye out during verbal communications:

Challenge traditional male and female stereotypes when giving examples to students, e.g. ‘a female soldier’ or ‘a male nurse’.

Aim to use gender neutral language (e.g. it, their, they).

Avoid statements that generalise, ‘girls tend to...' or 'boys are more...’

People also tend to differentiate genders by their behaviours or how they should behave, this is what you should do instead:

Don’t limit what you ask your students to do, e.g. ask female students to carry sports equipment

Consider the way you interact with students and avoid being, for example, ‘blokey’ with boys or ‘gentle’ with girls. Instead, interact in the way you’d expect them to in the real world.

Encourage mixed gender group work and seating arrangements

Actively encourage students to engage in activities that might sit outside their gender’s comfort-zones (e.g. sports, dance, drama etc.)

Take note of how often you draw on either males or females to answer different types of questions and make an effort to rectify any inequity

Furthermore, it is important to let the students understand the theories behind what we do. As teachers, we also need to capture every possible moment to encourage discussion and learning:

Utilize cases of sexual orientation imbalance to advise your lesson, e.g. looking at statistics on the pay gap between two sexes maths lessons, or looking at cases of inequity all through history and how things could possibly have changed.

Effectively examine and break down sexist promoting pictures and the media's portrayal of men and women.

Do not point out that they're not 'acting preferences blokes/young ladies', support they when they do challenge sexual orientation stereotypes.

When you do see/hear cases of gender generalizations utilize them as an 'teachable moments' and ask students to talk about what they mean and for they they utilize them.

Have teenagers take part in a progression of intelligent written  practices about what is it like to be a young lady what they figure it must feel like to be a boy.

Challenge teenagers to consider how gender roles have kept on advancing after some time. Welcome them to meet a person of an alternate age. How were ladies treated when they were growing up? Has society changed its expectation of women? What challenges do women still face today?

Reference:

Promoting gender equity in the classroom | The Line. (2017). Theline.org.au. Retrieved 11 October 2017, from https://www.theline.org.au/promoting-gender-equity-in-the-classroom

# data[].attributes.body
Society currently presents unfair 'social structures' that do not allow all members of society to partake equally. One of these is inequalities that is evident is the way society interprets gender.
Due to this perception of traditional views of gender, some students may feel uncomfortable, excluded and segregated in today's classroom.
This padlet will look at the ways in which these traditional views of gender in schools are being challenged in today's society and will discuss the ways in which equality and inclusion can be actualised through education. It will look at the benefits and implications that may arise due to challenging traditional views of gender in schools and also discusses certain national policies that are attempting to foster this necessary change to allow gender fluidity.
Fundamentally, the purpose of this presentation is to make educators aware of gender as a fluid concept and assist in providing ways that fluid gender can be promoted in a schooling setting.

Is Gender Fluid? Imogen Walsh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LfW33C51WQ

# data[].attributes.body
Bullying No way. (2016). Preventing bullying. Retrieved 11/10/2017 from:
https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/PreventingBullying

D’Arcy Lyness. (2013). Sexual Orientation. KidsHealth. Retrieved 11/10/2017 from:
http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sexual-orientation.html#

Giving point. (2016). Education Equality. Retrieved 11/10/2017 from:
https://www.mygivingpoint.org/cause/education-equality

Victoria State Government[2]. (2017). School Policy Advisory Guide: Gender identity. Retrieved 11/10/2017 from:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/health/Pages/genderidentity.aspx#link70

Victoria State Government[1]. (2017). School Policy Advisory Guide: Gender Diversity. Retrieved 11/10/2017 from:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/participation/Pages/gendersexualdiversity.aspx#link40

# data[].attributes.body
Buckingham, D. (2003). Media education: Literacy, learning and contemporary culture. Cambridge, UK: Polity.

Commonwealth Schools Commission (1975). Girls, school and society: Report by a study group to the schools commission. Canberra, ACT: Author.

McInnis, S. (1996). Girls, schools...and boys: Promoting gender equity through schools. Canberra, ACT: Parliamentary Research Service. Retrieved from https://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/library/pubs/rp/1995-96/96rp24.pdf

Rosenstreich, G. (2013) LGBTI people mental health and suicide. Sydney, NSW: National LGBTI Health Alliance. Retrieved from https://www.beyondblue.org.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/bw0258-lgbti-mental-health-and-suicide-2013-2nd-edition.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Questions for Us (2012). A question for men. Retrieved from https://questionsforus.com/2012/06/26/a-question-for-men-2/

# data[].attributes.body
Promoting a school environment does present some significant challenges however. Whilst this should not discount an attempt to make those with a range of gender identities feel equally welcome, teachers should be aware of the difficulties they may face in doing so.

The first port of call should be the Review of Appropriateness and Efficacy of the ‘Safe School Coalition Australia’ Program Resources (Louden, 2016), available here;

https://youreteachingourchildrenwhat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/review_of_appropriateness_and_efficacy_of_the_ssca_program_resources.pdf

This independent report commissioned by federal government sought to review the implementation and success of the ‘Safe Schools’ program across all states and, whilst broadly positive about its efficacy and outcomes, did present a few issues. Firstly, some of the material used in the program was deemed to be potentially inappropriate for younger age groups (specifically the ‘OMG I’m Queer’ and ‘OMG My Friends Queer’ resources) and advised they be limited to senior years only. The report also considered to what extent the program incorporated parental consent; do the rights of the parent to raise their child how they want supersede the child’s rights to equality of education? Louden concludes that parents must be consulted about the content and can object to their child’s inclusion (as was the case with the Safe Schools program). Therefore, teachers must be ready and able to deal with such parental objections.

Similarly, any objections had by the wider school community must also be taken into account. Students will be bombarded with material that reinforces the gender binary when outside of school (such of the below example of an online video game asking students to select their character);

# data[].attributes.body
Moreover, currently in Australia it is legal for religious institutions (like Catholic schools, for example) to discriminate against teachers and students on the grounds of their beliefs about gender identity and sexuality and, considering how backlash from the Safe Schools program has resulted in its removal from circulation in several Australian states, the influence of such community groups should not be underestimated.

As for how students feel about such programs, research has shown that, although students maintain interest in controversial ‘hot’ topics (McDevitt & Kiousis, 2006), discussions around gender identity made them, especially boys, inherently uncomfortable (Johnson et al., 2016). One explanation for this could be that students are acutely aware of the social implications of their actions and are more concerned with how they are perceived by other students than by the teacher (Flynn 2009; Hess and Posselt, 2002), perhaps because they fear that “a disagreement with a peer may place their friendship at risk” (Avery, Levy, & Simmons, 2013). Being aware of this social dynamic (and its teenage fragility) is integral if the concept of gender fluidity is to be successfully taught whilst minimising student discomfort.

# data[].attributes.body
Avery, P., Levy, S., & Simmons, A. (2013) Deliberating Controversial Public Issues As Part of Civic Education. The Social Studies, 104(1).

Flynn, N. (2009). Toward Democratic Discourse: Scaffolding Student-Led Discussions in the Social Studies. Teachers College Record, 111(8).

Hess, D. & Posselt, J. (2002). How High School Students Experience and Learn from the Discussion of Controversial Public Issues. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 17(4).

Johnson, B., Harrison, L., Ollis, D., Flentje, J., Arnold, P., & Bartholomaeus, C. (2016). ‘It’s Not All About Sex’: Young people’s views about sexuality and relationships education. Adelaide, SA: University of South Australia.

Louden, W. (2016). Review of Appropriateness and Efficacy of the ‘Safe School Coalition Australia’ Program Resources. Canberra, ACT: Department of Education and Training.

McDevitt, M. & Kiousis, S. (2006). Experiments in Political Socialization: Kids Voting USA As a Model for Civic Education Reform. Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.

# data[].attributes.body
Gender is a socially constructed concept that has different implications for the individual based on rules and roles both implicit and explicit (Eddy & Zamani-Gallaher, 2017). In western society, those who identify within the binary female/male construct find it much easier to navigate social norms where those who challenge them are often faced with enormous pressure from peers to conform. Traditional views of gender are often based on one’s biological sex and dictate behaviours, abilities, roles and interests. A concept like gender being a fluid, malleable construct existing on a spectrum challenges long held norms and values. To foster a safe and inclusive environment within schools, teachers need to develop their student’s understanding of the issues that affect non-binary people with a range of engaging tools and resources.

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/118997-the-awesomeness-of-gender-spectrum-diagrams/

# data[].attributes.body
Ygender is a peer led social support and advocacy group based in Melbourne that mentors both young people and teachers with events, public and online forums, collaborative projects and providing resources to schools and community groups.  The organisation offers definitions of relevant terminology and estimates the number of global non-binary people to be roughly 28,400,000. Ygender uses non-binary as an umbrella term to describe people who do not exclusively identify as male or female and suggest that gender is something that develops and changes throughout one’s life (Ygender, 2015). The website contains various profiles on its members that offer anecdotes and case studies for young people as they navigate their own identity. As a minority group, issues that affect this community are commonly overlooked in policy. Various mental health issues including anxiety disorders, self harm, suicide, bi polar, stress and borderline personality disorder are explained to help teachers and parents develop a safe and inclusive environment that addresses these problems head on. Ygender offers a valuable network of support that could be used in consultation when developing inclusive policies and practices.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.ygender.org.au/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ygender is a peer led social support and advocacy group based in Melbourne. We organise events, programs and a range of projects based around the needs and interests of gender diverse young people.

# data[].attributes.body
For teaching staff who are new to the concept of gender fluidity and the needs of the student, an article by NPR unpacks an in-depth interview with 13 year old, a-gender student Max. The article explores terms like ‘he, she’ and ‘they’ and suggests a plethora of expressions and inclusive practices that teachers can use when interacting with members of the community and discussing these issues in the classroom. More than 40 percent of gender non-conforming people have attempted suicide and school bullying is a massive contributor (Brooks, 2017). Ignorance plays a huge part in the bully and self-harm statistic and teachers have a responsibility to educate their students on the changing role of gender and the importance of identity exploration. In summarising, Max describes his own unique experience as “fighting through the world” but that the challenges have been rewarding and made him happier with the support of his parents, fellow students and staff.

# data[].attributes.headline
A New Generation Overthrows Gender Article

# data[].attributes.subject
A New Generation Overthrows Gender Article

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Max, age 13, is agender - neither male nor female. When referring to Max, you don't use "he" or "she;" you use "they."

Once strictlya pronoun of the plural variety, "they" is now doing double duty as singular, too - referring to individuals, like Max, who do not see gender as an either/or option. (NPR agreed not to use Max's last name, because the family feared the sort of online threats that have been made to other transgender families.)

If the whole he/she pronoun thing feels awkward to you, Max is sympathetic - and patient.

'We are seeing more and more kids saying, 'You know what? What's with this either-or business? What's with this boy-girl and you have to fit in one box or the other?' "

"I can't expect anyone to use the right pronouns for me because it's not a thing that people know," Max tells me. "It's been great being myself, but it's also been really hard for people to get it, and for even family to get pronouns and stuff."

We're talking in Max's room at home, where posters on the wall showcase the teen's love of theater: Peter Pan, Tarzan, The Pirates of Penzance. Max is old enough now to enjoy using make-up - blush, foundation, lipstick - but still young enough to enjoy going with their mom to see "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory." (The review from Max: Gene Wilder's great!)

From these surroundings, you wouldn't think the room's occupant is someone who has already poked and prodded at the most fundamental sense of who they are. Really, this is just a kid's room.

So, what does "agender" mean to Max?

"What it means is I'm neither a guy or girl," Max explains. "And that's how I feel, which is different than terms like 'gender fluid' - which means you feel like a guy or girl at different times - because I don't feel like I'm both guy and girl. I'm neither."

Max sounds a bit didactic here, as if teaching Nonbinary Gender 101: a crash course for someone who never considered that gender didn't simply mean male and female.

But outside Max's room, out in the world, being nonbinary has meant having to do a lot of explaining.

When did you first feel different? I ask.

"I've been feeling different than just a boy for all my life, really."

Max frames the transition from who they (that is, Max) were to who they are now as a journey of self-discovery. In elementary school, there was hanging out with girls and dressing in pink boas. That, Max says, was "awesome."

But two years ago, someone at school called Max a "girl-boy." Later, Max walked upstairs to the third floor of the house and stepped out onto the balcony, weighing whether or not to jump.

More than 40 percent of transgender or "gender non-conforming" people have attempted suicide, according to national surveys, with school bullying playing a significant role.

Why, I ask, did that particular insult hit so deeply that you would think about ending your life?

Max answers in spare, even-toned summation.

"I felt like no one loved me."
Transcending the gender boundary
That day on the balcony, Max found the strength to call a transgender hotline for help. A counselor there talked Max back into the house.

If same-sex marriage was yesterday's battle to redefine gender roles and privileges, and transgender rights is today's fight, American society may now be on the cusp of the most transformational shift yet - the end of categorizing people as either male or female.

Some people who are redefining gender identify as both male and female; others as neither male nor female, or as sometimes male and sometimes female. "They" is often the pronoun of choice. These individuals may use any number of terms to describe their gender identity: genderqueer, gender-fluid, gender-creative, gender-expansive. While definitions fluctuate, "nonbinary gender" has emerged as an umbrella description.

"I think we're seeing a new gender revolution," says clinical psychologist Diane Ehrensaft. "It's erased boxes and created gender infinity instead."

Ehrensaft is a child psychologist and co-founder of the Child and Adolescent Gender Center, a community collaboration with the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco. At 70, she has been talking with young people for decades.

"We are seeing more and more kids saying, 'You know what? What's with this either-or business? What's with this boy-girl and you have to fit in one box or the other?' "

How widespread is the nonbinary phenomenon? The results of the most recent survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality attest to how many transgender people are opting to identify this way. Out of almost 28,000 respondents, more than a third chose "nonbinary/genderqueer" when given a choice of terms to best describe themselves.

While the number of transgender clients seeking counseling and support has significantly climbed, Ehrensaft says, the number who want to transition from male to female or female to male has been steadily dropping.

A much greater percentage, she says, tell Ehrensaft they are " 'kind of the person that matches the sex on my birth certificate, but kind of not, as well. I'm going to use "they" instead of "he" or "she," because those are not choices that fit me at all.' "

And there is growing evidence that even those outside the transgender community, especially young people, are accepting this new understanding of gender.

A January 2015 general population survey of 1,000 people age 18-34, conducted for Fusion media, found that just 46 percent agreed that "there are only two genders, male and female." Fifty percent, meanwhile, said "gender is a spectrum, and some people fall outside conventional categories." And another recent survey suggests the same trend.
Hanging out in 'the in-between'
At 13, Max has already shed not only a gender identity of origin - male - but also one that turned out to be temporary - transgender female.

Max lives with their mother, father and brother in a roomy home across the bay from San Francisco. Two years ago, after first coming out as someone who identified as a girl, Max learned on Tumblr about terms like "nonbinary," "gender neutral," and "agender."

"I was like, you know what? This describes me a little better than 'girl,' " Max says. "I've been rolling with that for over a year."

Max's mother, Margaret, acknowledges she was clueless about gender issues when Max came out.

"Sexuality - no big deal," she says, explaining the commitment she and Max's father have always made to gay and lesbian rights. "We're superlefties."

But Max's nonbinary identity took her "very much by surprise," she says. "It came from left field, I knew nothing. I was scared."

Even in the San Francisco Bay Area, a region that rarely meets an iconoclastic idea it won't embrace, Max has felt painfully isolated.

"I think it's a lot harder as nonbinary than trans," Max says. "I'm not saying it's not hard as trans, but you can't really say 'Oh I'm not a boy, I'm a girl.' If you say 'I'm not a boy, I'm not a girl' - so what's left? It's hard to define what that means."

It's an existential quandary with real-world implications.

"I think we were at a mall somewhere," Margaret says, "and there was the men's room to the right and the women's room to the left, and Max walked right into the wall, in the middle, to make a point. Because where do you go to the bathroom? Where do you feel comfortable?"

While the question of who can go to which bathroom may sound prosaic, about a third of transgender people have reported abstaining from eating or drinking in order to avoid using one, because of frequent harassment and confrontations.

At school, Max would use the boy's room only during class, when it was less crowded, and only when desperate. The girls' room was not an option.

"It would just feel like 'I'm in the wrong place, I'm not supposed to be here," Max says. "Something in your stomach - this just doesn't feel right."

The family lobbied Max's school for a gender-neutral bathroom. It took a while, but the school converted a faculty restroom, which can now be used by anyone.

The other issue that comes up daily is being referred to in the wrong way - as he or she. Max says it hurts to be misgendered.

"It means I'm not passing," Max says with some passion. "Especially when people use he/him, it really makes me feel like I'm not doing enough, and I'm never going to look the right way."

Max's father says pronouns have been difficult for him, too.

"It has taken a while to get those right," he admits. "Max was born male. I've had 11 years of 'he.' "

Dealing with other people is only part of Max's struggle as a nonbinary youth. Max must also wrestle with the decision of whether to go through male or female puberty.

"Max is on this exploration, but it's harder [than], like, 'I'm absolutely a girl, I'm absolutely a boy," Margaret says. "Being in the middle, what does that mean about your body?"

Right now, taking medication that prevent the emergence of secondary sex characteristics, such as breasts or facial hair, has bought Max more time to grapple with the choice.

Ehrensaft's clinic now sees a growing number of people, mostly teenagers, who want to transform their bodies in ways that don't fit a binary model. One client, Ehrensaft says, doesn't want testosterone or a lower voice or facial hair, but doesn't want a woman's breasts either.
Legal protections are increasing, too
As more people redefine their gender identity in nonbinary terms, many schools, governments, workplaces and parents are beginning to adapt to the change.

In California, the California Healthy Youth Act, signed into law in 2015, requires comprehensive sex education for grades 7-12 to "teach pupils about gender, gender expression, gender identity, and explore the harm of negative gender stereotypes."

A checklist from the California County of Superintendents, designed for school systems to evaluate their compliance with the law, includes this definition of gender identity: "One's internal, deeply-held sense of being male, female, neither of these, both, or other gender(s). All people have a gender identity." (The italics are ours.)

Phyllida Burlingame, the director of reproductive policy justice at the ACLU of Northern California, says the state's law is the first of its kind in the U.S., and school districts are still working to come into compliance with it.

Elsewhere, in what transgender advocates believed was also a national first, a county circuit court judge in Oregon last June affirmed the legal change of 52-year-old Jamie Shupe's gender from female to "nonbinary."

And in September, a judge in Santa Cruz, Calif., issued an order recognizing "nonbinary" as the legal gender of 55-year-old Sara Kelly Keenan. Since then, California courts have granted nonbinary status to at least 11 more people, according to the Gendersex and Queer Recognition project.

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 179, which would make California the first state to routinely recognize "nonbinary" as a legal gender on official documents, is making its way through the state's legislature. If passed, California would join a growing number of national and sub-national jurisdictions around the world that recognize genders other than male or female.
Schools on the vanguard
At the Oakland School for the Arts, I talk about gender with principal Mike Oz and creative writing teacher Jordan Karnes, who also runs the school's Gender and Sexuality Club.

Karnes says she has one or two transgender or nonbinary students in each of her classes.

But many more have begun to reject the dichotomy of male and female, Oz says, simply to support their fellow students. That's not something he saw coming. "That's the most beautiful piece of this," he says.

In addition to having a gender-neutral bathroom, the school accommodates both nonbinary and binary transgender students by changing their email addresses to reflect the new names they have chosen.

Parents are not always on board. Karnes has been at school events, she says, in which students and teachers call transgender students by their new name and pronoun, while parents do not.

Some people have suggested all this talk about nonbinary identity is just another trend - a passing fad.

"I really don't feel like it's a trend," Karnes says. "I feel like it's the future."
'Happier as a being and not hiding myself'
Charlotte Tate, a psychology professor and gender researcher at San Francisco State University, expects some degree of backlash against the acknowledgement of a nonbinary identity. Her research has shown non-transgender (cisgender, in the parlance), heterosexual people are more negative toward nonbinary people than they are toward transgender males and females.

"Looking at cisgender heterosexual respondents, they seem to exist in a world that has two suppositions," Tate says. "The first is that everyone is static in their gender category. The other supposition is that there are only two of those gender categories."

While transgender men and women conflict with the first notion, nonbinary individuals shatter both.

In the course of reporting this story, I interviewed a number of teens and young adults, and asked how their lives have changed since they came out as gender-neutral or nonbinary.

"Sometimes I feel like I don't exist because I have to fight my way through the world," one 20-year-old told me. "But I certainly feel happier as a being and not hiding myself."

Max puts it this way: "It's a journey and it's fun. It's rewarding but it's also difficult. But it's worth it.

This story was produced by KQED's Future of You blog. Jon Brooks is a longtime KQED reporter and editor, and the blog's host.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Max, age 13, is agender - neither male nor female. When referring to Max, you don't use "he" or "she;" you use "they." Once strictlya pronoun of the plural variety, "they" is now doing double duty as singular, too - referring to individuals, like Max, who do not see gender as an either/or option.

# data[].attributes.body
Gender Identity: Being Female, Male, Transgender or Genderfluid is a short animation that can help students become familiar with terms like gender fluid, gender queer and gender non-conforming. The video emphasises that gender exists along a continuum contrasted with cis-gender definitions. Individual are encouraged to experiment with a range of outlets to support how they want their gender to be communicated and to match how they think, feel and identify (Amaze, 2016).

# data[].attributes.headline
Gender Identity: Being Female, Male, Transgender or Genderfluid

# data[].attributes.subject
Gender Identity: Being Female, Male, Transgender or Genderfluid

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9YwOE8ndnc

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Gender Identity: Being Female, Male, Transgender or Genderfluid

# data[].attributes.body
Eddy, P. L., & Zamani-Gallaher, E. M. (2017). Conflating Gender and Identity: The Need for Gender-Fluid Programming in Community Colleges. New Directions For Community Colleges, (179), 89. doi:10.1002/cc.20265

Ygender. (2015). Being Non-Binary. Retrieved from https://www.ygender.org.au/being-non-binary

Brooks, J. (2017). A New Generation Overthrows Power. National Public Radio. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/05/02/526067768/a-new-generation-overthrows-gender

Amaze Org. (2016, October 20). Gender Identity: Being Female, Male, Transgender or Genderfluid [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9YwOE8ndnc

Fine, C. (2017). Gender fluidity; Sexual selection. The Economist, 423(9034), 76(US). Retrieved from https://login.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.ezp.lib.unimelb.edu.au/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&u=unimelb&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA487852434&asid=085cc5c365d394903814afacfb1ec5af

# data[].attributes.body
To counterbalance the stereotypical ways schools and students has handled gender bias, The Line (2017) has a few practical recommendations for the teachers and students to incorporate.

The use of language can be a huge contributor to gender stereotypes, here are some of the things to keep an eye out during verbal communications:

Challenge traditional male and female stereotypes when giving examples to students, e.g. ‘a female soldier’ or ‘a male nurse’.

Aim to use gender neutral language (e.g. it, their, they).

Avoid statements that generalise, ‘girls tend to...' or 'boys are more...’

People also tend to differentiate genders by their behaviours or how they should behave, this is what you should do instead:

Don’t limit what you ask your students to do, e.g. ask female students to carry sports equipment

Consider the way you interact with students and avoid being, for example, ‘blokey’ with boys or ‘gentle’ with girls. Instead, interact in the way you’d expect them to in the real world.

Encourage mixed gender group work and seating arrangements

Actively encourage students to engage in activities that might sit outside their gender’s comfort-zones (e.g. sports, dance, drama etc.)

Take note of how often you draw on either males or females to answer different types of questions and make an effort to rectify any inequity

Furthermore, it is important to let the students understand the theories behind what we do. As teachers, we also need to capture every possible moment to encourage discussion and learning:

Utilize cases of sexual orientation imbalance to advise your lesson, e.g. looking at statistics on the pay gap between two sexes maths lessons, or looking at cases of inequity all through history and how things could possibly have changed.

Effectively examine and break down sexist promoting pictures and the media's portrayal of men and women.

Do not point out that they're not 'acting preferences blokes/young ladies', support they when they do challenge sexual orientation stereotypes.

When you do see/hear cases of gender generalizations utilize them as an 'teachable moments' and ask students to talk about what they mean and for they they utilize them.

Have teenagers take part in a progression of intelligent written  practices about what is it like to be a young lady what they figure it must feel like to be a boy.

Challenge teenagers to consider how gender roles have kept on advancing after some time. Welcome them to meet a person of an alternate age. How were ladies treated when they were growing up? Has society changed its expectation of women? What challenges do women still face today?

Reference:

Promoting gender equity in the classroom | The Line. (2017). Theline.org.au. Retrieved 11 October 2017, from https://www.theline.org.au/promoting-gender-equity-in-the-classroom