Name: Maya Taylor-Trenow
Community, State: Denmark, WA
School: Denmark Senior High School
Age: 15, Grade 10
Why is gender equality important to you and your community?
Heat flamed across my cheeks; burning them so hot they could have melted. The teacher laughed; a soft, breathy chuckle. They leaned back in their chair, fingertips pressed together and head tilted in a cocky, leering gesture.
I stared at the floor, my hands sweaty in their clasp behind my back. Anxiety pounded my heart, causing my breath to come in quick and desperate gasps.
They continued staring; a mixture of disgust and curiosity sprawled across their face.
“And… How do you propose to go about this?”
Somehow my face grew even hotter. I wanted to sink into the floor, to curl up in a corner and cease to exist. But there was nowhere to hide, not here. Not when there were nosy high school students and cranky teachers lurking around every corner, concealed in each watery shadow. I had to hold my ground, show them I wasn’t so damned insecure. This was me. My identity. My life.
“It’s… It’s what I want to do…”
I could feel their disapproval and revolt oozing through the room, filling every space. They didn’t get it; didn’t want to get it. I should have known this would happen. I never should have believed anyone would be supportive. But, as usual, I’d been naïve and foolish. I’d believed I would be able to get where I wanted with full support.
“All I’m saying is that it is a rather odd choice of profession for you… Very few men get into early childcare.”
I stared at the teacher, aware of the mild surprise on my face. So it wasn’t quite as bad as I’d thought. I took a deep breath, preparing myself. Preparing for things to get worse than the scenario I thought I’d just been in.
“I…”
Best to just get it over with.
“I’m not a guy.”
The teacher stared at me, their face a tangle of so many expressions my eyes began to hurt. I could see they were waiting for further explanation, so I readied myself. I could do this.
“I’m gender fluid. I don’t… define as either male or female.”
“Oh. I see.”
They seemed so taken aback, so awkward and uncomfortable. I pitied them, right then. They were so caught up in their judgmental world, so sure that gender defined a person. If only they could see the world through my eyes. See people without first noticing their gender and thus making assumptions. See a person as just that. A person.