Assessing the Book Group

The discussions in our group reinforced for us the need not to conflate sexuality with gender identity and expression.

We need conversations that separate gender variant and transgender issues from lesbian, gay, and bisexual concerns. However, we also need to acknowledge that these issues do overlap in society. For example, harassment, discrimination, or violence against gay men or lesbians is often related to their perceived gender variance, just as transgender people are affected by homophobia.

We believe that book groups like these would be useful for preservice, new, and experienced teachers. In our experience it was extremely beneficial to have both an expert on the gender variant and trans-gender content as well as someone with a deep background in young adult literature involved in the facilitation of our group.

Therefore we offer the following guidelines and resources to assist in creating and facilitating groups such as ours at other institutions. We encourage our readers to do so. Note that these guidelines also may assist those wishing to teach these texts.

1. Don't make assumptions about sexual orientation based on a person's gender identity or expression.

2. Always use the character's preferred pronoun and chosen name (a suggestion that may also apply to transgender persons). If unsure, use the pronoun that fits most closely to his or her gender expression. For example, in Luna we refer to her consistently using female pronouns even though she doesn't transition until later in the book.

3. Use "a transgender person" (not "a transgendered person" or "a transgender") to refer to gender variant or transgender individuals. The gender variant and transgender community has agreed on this term to describe their collective identities.

4. Refrain from describing as deceptive gender variant and transgender characters' attempts to be perceived as the gender with which they identify. For example, in Parrotfish, Grady is not deceiving the pharmacy clerk who perceives him as male; he is being understood as he understands himself.

5. As in all discussions about literature, refer to the text to support your ideas and ground your questions.

6. If a character or situation in the text is unclear to participants, don't make assumptions. Instead consult appropriate resources, including those listed below.

Assessing the Book Group

By: endeavor

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