Transamerica

I have never been a fan of Dancing with the Stars. I always felt that the word "stars" was used very loosely and if I wanted to see good dancing, I'd watch So You Think You Can Dance.

However, I'm watching this season. Not just to see Nancy Grace's wardrobe malfunction, but for the appearance of Carson Kressley and Chaz Bono.

There has been a lot of rumblings, both positive and negative, about the inclusion of Chaz Bono. Chaz, if anyone has been avoiding any and all forms of media, is transgender, meaning that he was born female and transitioned to male. More importantly, he was born Chastity Bono, the daughter of Cher and Sonny Bono. Chaz has written a book and made a documentary on Oprah's OWN Channel chronicling his journey from female to male.

Transgender is a very confusing and puzzling topic for most people. It's very misunderstood in our society and, as with most things that people don't understand, feared to the point of revulsion and hatred. Gender identity and gender dysphoria are real issues -- it's not a matter of being "tomboyish" or "girly", it's a matter of being comfortable in your body and knowing who you truly are. In a society that espouses that "beauty is only skin deep" and that "it's not what you look like but who are are on the inside that counts," there is a lot of prejudice to those who say that inside a female body is a male identity.

Gender identity issues have been discovered in children as young as three, according to a CNN article that follows two children and their struggle for the proper identity. Those stories to me are the most fascinating -- I took a language and gender class in college and learned the difference between "sex" and "gender." The fact that these children know themselves so well and are willing to fight for it is so amazing. They should be applauded and not persecuted.

Glitter and be gay.

I got a new job recently. I went from teaching at an alternative high school to a traditional campus. So far I have been there for a month and I love it. It is very refreshing to have students who have more going on in their lives than pot.

One of my students in my first period class is cute as a button. He's a freshman and he has an adorable baby face that is fond of wearing Glee t-shirts and scarves. He also apparently makes several trips to the powder room during the day, because by the time I see him in the halls at the end of the day, he has added enough glitter to his face to choke a drag queen.

The first time I saw him all glitzy, I was sure it was just a trick of the light. But upon further inspection, no.....that was definitely glitter eyeshadow. The next day, I stopped by his locker to say hi, and when he looked up, he had green glitter lipstick on. We are talking full-on Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. And Hallways.

One of my less exciting duties at my new job is coaching. As I was walking back from the gym one day, I passed the PE coach's office. There was a snickering crowd of boys around and that is never a good sign. There was a distinct yelling sound and, ever the eavesdropper, I paused in my journey back to civilization to listen.

"What are you.....get out of here looking like that! Get! What is that on your face, get out!"

Sure enough, my little Glitter Boy exited the office with glitter on his eyelids and jewels on his lips. How he got jewels to stick to his lips, I still don't know, but that is not the point.

He had gone into the office because he lost his gym locker combination. I told him that he looked fine and that he could come to my room if anyone ever talked to him like that, even an adult, because that is not okay.

I can't believe an adult, one who is dedicated to educating children, had that audacity to speak to a student like that. He is a freshman in high school. That boy is fourteen and you're belittling him? And in front of other students? I don't kick out athletes when they're wearing football jerseys, so how dare you target him?

The day after Don't Ask Don't Tell was repealed, making it possible for gay men and women to serve openly in our military, a 14 year old committed suicide after being bullied at school. He had even participated in a "It Gets Better" video, but in the end, the bullying was overwhelming.

So shine on, my little Glitter Boys. We'll be here for you. My door is always open. Unless I'm coaching, in which case the gym door will be open and I'll be the one trying to avoid sweating.

The Not-so-Gay Panic.

Boys, boy, boys. When will you learn that you can keep nothing from me? The truth always comes out in the end. Take this conversation, for example:

Him: I just didn't get that much sleep last night.

Me: Oh, why not?

Him: I sort of had a panic attack.

Me: What!? What happened, what about?

Him: Oh......nothing.

Me: .......................I'm sorry, what?

It turns out that his neighbors had a party while He was imbibing just as heartily as the miscreants next door. The cops came to shut the neighbor's party down and He thought that he was being busted as well. When someone knocked on the door, He ran to the bathroom and spent an hour and a half pretending to take a shower. An hour and a half.

Nothing, my Aunt Fanny.