It’s Not Always Easy To Be Different

A high school girl was suspected to be trans

LGBTQ and Transgender issues are complex and often hurtful.

Something took place in Utah which got the governor’s attention as well as the media. A very far-right conservative Republican got elected to a school board and has been making waves. She has spoken out against LGBTQ and others. A recent attack was against a high school girl that she suspected was transgender.

The girl’s parents were furious that their daughter was made to be a spectacle in that manner. They were interviewed on local television news and said that their daughter is not trans and was very hurt after receiving many negative comments and even threats.

Utah is a very red state with the people in public office largely Republicans. The legislature recently voted for a bill against DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) which had been in effect in schools after the death of George Floyd.

The Associated Press had a story by Hannah Schoenbaum titled: “Utah governor says school board member who questioned a student’s gender ‘embarrassed the state’.”

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah’s Republican governor and lieutenant governor are urging the State Board of Education to take action against a conservative school board member whose social media post questioning the gender of a high school basketball player incited a tirade of threats against the girl.

The Facebook post that the school board member wrote about the girl has since been deleted. She falsely insinuated that the girl was transgender. She apologized after being told that the girl was not trans. She tried to defend her suspicions.

The article stated that Republican politicians have successfully spread fear about transgender individuals. Such false accusations are threatening the safety and well-being of both trans and non-trans youths.

The Utah governor and lieutenant governor put out a joint statement that said they were stunned by the unconscionable behavior of the school board member and stated: “The last thing our children need is an elected official harassing them on social media.”

The school board member has said she will not resign. She is up for reelection in November. The lieutenant governor announced that she donated to the campaign of the opponent of the school board member.

It’s not easy to be different. Sometimes physical appearances may seem unusual or different. People can often not help how they look. Their bodies may appear to be more masculine looking for a young girl or boys can seem to have some more feminine features.

Looking different than what some people consider the norm should not be a reason to not be accepted. People should not be ridiculed and judged for their physical attributes, but people do judge on appearances as well as everything else. It is a form of behavior like racism.

People should be able to be comfortable in their skin. They should not have to worry about being bullied because they may look a little different in some way. People are told to be unique and not worry about what others think, but it is not always easy.

It hurts to be bullied and ridiculed. Children and teenagers might be especially susceptible to such treatment, and that is not a good thing.

Thank you for reading.

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