A Vancouver School Board Just Changed The English Pronouns We All Know
Christina Sterbenz
Jun. 19, 2014, 12:59 PM After four rowdy rounds of voting, the Vancouver School Board approved replacing all English language pronouns with a new string of newly-created "gender-neutral" pronouns Monday: "xe," "xem," and "xyr," the Vancouver Sun reports.
Henceforth, all district materials, as well as all district employees - including teachers in the classroom or on school property - must begin using the grammatical additions, pronounced "zee," "zem," and "zare," according to the Globe and Mail, to replace "he" or "she," "him" or "her," and "his" or "hers," respectively.
The policy intends to better accommodate transgender students in schools. Someone unsure of a 'transitioning' student's gender must use the generic "xe," and students who don't identify with either gender, typically known as 'agender', will be referred to as "xe," as well.
“We’re standing up for kids and making our schools safer and more inclusive,” board member Mike Lombardi told the Sun. The new policy, Lombardi said, will allow children of every sexual orientation “to learn and thrive.”
Under the heading “Counseling and School Support,” the policy states: “Elementary and secondary schools must appoint at least one staff person to be a 'Safe Contact' who is able to act as a resource person for LGBTTQ+ students, staff and families.” It also states that “all secondary schools are to establish and maintain Gay Queer/Straight Alliance Clubs” on campuses.
In addition, under the heading “Leadership,” the board states it will “consult with the Pride Advisory Committee to ensure that all district directions, priorities and implementation of programs and services are consistent with the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identities Policy.”
But not everyone approves of the movement. One of the most vocal dissenters, Cheryl Chang, chair of the Parent Advisory Council for Lord Byng Secondary Schools, thinks gender identity is a medical and psychiatric issue that should be addressed by parents, doctors and therapists, not by school teachers and other students.
"This is not a meaningful conversation. This is politics of division. It's getting people upset and angry," she told CBC News.
Christina Sterbenz
Jun. 19, 2014, 12:59 PM After four rowdy rounds of voting, the Vancouver School Board approved replacing all English language pronouns with a new string of newly-created "gender-neutral" pronouns Monday: "xe," "xem," and "xyr," the Vancouver Sun reports.
Henceforth, all district materials, as well as all district employees - including teachers in the classroom or on school property - must begin using the grammatical additions, pronounced "zee," "zem," and "zare," according to the Globe and Mail, to replace "he" or "she," "him" or "her," and "his" or "hers," respectively.
The policy intends to better accommodate transgender students in schools. Someone unsure of a 'transitioning' student's gender must use the generic "xe," and students who don't identify with either gender, typically known as 'agender', will be referred to as "xe," as well.
“We’re standing up for kids and making our schools safer and more inclusive,” board member Mike Lombardi told the Sun. The new policy, Lombardi said, will allow children of every sexual orientation “to learn and thrive.”
Under the heading “Counseling and School Support,” the policy states: “Elementary and secondary schools must appoint at least one staff person to be a 'Safe Contact' who is able to act as a resource person for LGBTTQ+ students, staff and families.” It also states that “all secondary schools are to establish and maintain Gay Queer/Straight Alliance Clubs” on campuses.
In addition, under the heading “Leadership,” the board states it will “consult with the Pride Advisory Committee to ensure that all district directions, priorities and implementation of programs and services are consistent with the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identities Policy.”
But not everyone approves of the movement. One of the most vocal dissenters, Cheryl Chang, chair of the Parent Advisory Council for Lord Byng Secondary Schools, thinks gender identity is a medical and psychiatric issue that should be addressed by parents, doctors and therapists, not by school teachers and other students.
"This is not a meaningful conversation. This is politics of division. It's getting people upset and angry," she told CBC News.
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