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VOA教育报道2023--LGBTQ, Students of Color Feel Less Welcome under New US State Laws

时间:2023-08-09 09:13:11

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LGBTQ, Students of Color Feel Less Welcome under New US State Laws

Lawmakers in several U.S. states have passed limits on discussions of race, gender1 and sexuality in classrooms. Some students say the measures targeting parts of their identity have made them feel less welcome in American schools.

The first time Tennessee student Harmony Kennedy remembered experiencing racism2 was in elementary school. On a playground, a girl picked up a leaf and said she wanted to "clean the dirt" from Harmony's skin.

In 2021, Tennessee started passing legislation that could limit the discussion and teaching of Black history, gender identity and race in the classroom. To Harmony, the law's possible effects are crushing.

"When I heard they were removing African American history, banning LGBTQ, I almost started crying," said Harmony, who is 16. LGBTQ is short for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.

Conservative leaders in some states have strongly pushed for the new restrictions3. Those lawmakers say the restrictions are necessary to fight against liberal ideas in schools. Activists4 and school boards have pushed for such moves, too. They say teachers need more oversight5 to make sure learning materials are appropriate.

Books have been removed from some school libraries. Some schools have continued call transgender students by the name they had before they changed to a different gender.

Some teachers are worried of breaking new rules. As a result, they have avoided discussions related to race, gender and other divisive issues.

‘Neutrality' policy impacts

Leo Burchell goes to a school outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In late 2020, during the pandemic school closures, he started using different pronouns. He started wearing different clothes. He cut his hair shorter, too. The changes, he said, felt right.

First he asked teachers to use they/them pronouns instead of she/her. Then he asked that they use he/him pronouns when talking to him.

"I changed my name to Leo, and for a while it was tough," he said. "I told the people close to me, but I wasn't ready to come out to everybody yet..."

Leo's school is part of the Central Bucks6 School District. Over the last year, the board has barred employees from using students' chosen names or pronouns without parental7 permission.

The board passed what it called a "neutrality" policy. The policy is meant to prevent social and political advocacy in classrooms. But opponents say the measure targets LGBTQ students.

One man told the school board in a meeting that transgender people presented a risk of violence in bathrooms. Leo expected another adult in the room to intervene in what felt to him like hate speech. But no one did.

So, at the next board meeting, Leo spoke8 up. "Attacking students based on who they are or who they love is wrong," he said. Leo has spoken up at other meetings since then.

Leo said he worries about what school will be like for younger transgender students.

"It really just breaks my heart to know that some of my friends, you know, might not want to go to school anymore," he said.

Students face backlash after speaking up

In Harmony's freshman9-year English class, a boy started playing with his face mask and joked, "I can't breathe, just like George Floyd," Harmony remembered. Floyd, a Black man, was murdered in 2020 by policeman in Minnesota. His death led to nationwide and worldwide protests.

Harmony told her teacher, who said she was sorry it happened but there was not much she could do.

Harmony said the incident was a reminder10 of why it is important to teach a full version of American history. A law passed by Tennessee in 2021 banned schools from teaching several ideas on race and racism. Because of the law, many teachers now avoid discussions related to race.

After the incident, Harmony decided11 to join the Forward Club. The group works to support cultural and racial inclusion at her mostly white high school. The club's members come from diverse backgrounds.

At times, students who speak out against new policies have been targeted. In Williamson County, Tennessee, where Harmony goes to school, a political action committee (PAC) accused another high school's Black student union of promoting segregation12. The PAC posted the time and place of the student group's meeting on social media. Elsewhere, transgender students who have spoken up about bullying14 have faced insults on social media.

Harmony said she has had to go outside of school to learn about Black culture and history. Her experience in high school has led her to want to attend a historically Black college.

Harmony said she wants to be able to go to school like any other teenager and focus on learning. But she said she will continue to speak out for what she believes in.

"My sister is going to be an incoming freshman this year," she said, "and I want her to have a safe learning environment where she doesn't have to really deal with all the ignorance and things."

Words in This Story

gender — n. a person's own sense of being male, female, some combination of male and female, or neither male nor female

oversight — n. a mistake made because someone forgets or fails to notice something

appropriate — adj. right or suited for some purpose or situation

transgender — adj. of or relating to people who feel that their true nature is as a member of the opposite sex

pronoun — n. a word such as I, he, she, you, it, we, or they that is used instead of a noun or noun phrase

tough — adj. very difficult to do or deal with

advocacy — n. the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal

diverse — adj. different from each other

segregation — n. the practice or policy of keeping people of different races, religions, etc., separate from each other

bully13 — v. to frighten, hurt, or threaten

ignorance — n. a lack of knowledge, understanding, or education


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1 gender slSyD     
n.(生理上的)性,(名词、代词等的)性
参考例句:
  • French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语,所有的名词都有性。
  • Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。
2 racism pSIxZ     
n.民族主义;种族歧视(意识)
参考例句:
  • He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
  • Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。
3 restrictions 81e12dac658cfd4c590486dd6f7523cf     
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
参考例句:
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
4 activists 90fd83cc3f53a40df93866d9c91bcca4     
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
  • Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 oversight WvgyJ     
n.勘漏,失察,疏忽
参考例句:
  • I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
  • Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。
6 bucks a391832ce78ebbcfc3ed483cc6d17634     
n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 );钱;(英国十九世纪初的)花花公子;(用于某些表达方式)责任v.(马等)猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 );抵制;猛然震荡;马等尥起后蹄跳跃
参考例句:
  • They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
  • They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 parental FL2xv     
adj.父母的;父的;母的
参考例句:
  • He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
  • Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。
8 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
9 freshman 1siz9r     
n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)
参考例句:
  • Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
  • He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。
10 reminder WkzzTb     
n.提醒物,纪念品;暗示,提示
参考例句:
  • I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
  • It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知,她才付应该交的房租。
11 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
12 segregation SESys     
n.隔离,种族隔离
参考例句:
  • Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初,许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
  • They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。
13 bully bully     
n.恃强欺弱者,小流氓;vt.威胁,欺侮
参考例句:
  • A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
  • The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
14 bullying f23dd48b95ce083d3774838a76074f5f     
v.恐吓,威逼( bully的现在分词 );豪;跋扈
参考例句:
  • Many cases of bullying go unreported . 很多恐吓案件都没有人告发。
  • All cases of bullying will be severely dealt with. 所有以大欺小的情况都将受到严肃处理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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