Editor’s note: Substack writer Karlyn Borysenko, author of the Actively Unwoke column, has published a series going “inside” the Burlington school district and its gender identity education program. Here’s a taste of what you can read on Actively Unwoke:
by Karlyn Borysenko
On February 8, 2022, the Burlington Vermont School District hosted a webinar called Let’s Talk About Gender Identity and Expression.
Live on the internet, in front of the whole community, a 7th grader discussed their experience coming out in the 5th grade with the help of the school guidance counselor:
“I’m in middle school and I have a younger sibling in 4th grade…and I’m not 100% sure what their pronouns are right now…but I went to the same elementary school and I felt pretty supported and I actually came out in 5th grade with the help of my guidance counselor.”
In the same webinar, teacher Billy Ray Poli introduces The Gender Unicorn as a tool they’ve used to teach about gender identity and expression in the school district. The Gender Unicorn is one of many resources listed on the School District’s Diversity and Equity Resources page, along with things like the Teaching While White podcast, Nice White Parents podcast, and all sorts of tools for examining white supremacy, privilege, and unconscious bias.
To read more of this article, posted today, click here.