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I'm 16 and in my junior year of high school. I'm transgender, FtM, and over this past summer (2013) I transitioned my gender socially. I made a Facebook with the proper name and gender, and added everyone who was friends with me on my old account. Right before school, I emailed my teachers and principal letting them know that I'm trans and asking them to use the right name and pronouns. My principal set up a meeting with me, her, my parents, and the school SAC. They said it was their first time encountering this and that they're not allowed to call me any name but the one on my birth certificate, unless it's clearly a related nickname of it. When I ask for an explanation, they don't have much. And they never showed me the law that says that. Is it really against the law for them to call me my preferred name and pronoun? Also, they say that we're going through the journey together. But I don't feel like that. Would it be bad to protest and correct them anyway when they use the wrong pronoun? Is all this that they're doing discrimination? It's really embarrassing!
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Check out this article when you have a moment. Seems like NJ is pretty good at preventing discrimination and allowing transgender students to use the name they feel reflects who they are. If you feel strongly about it, then yes, you should fight and protect for what you feel is the right thing. It may involve a legal battle as well since your school is saying they are following the law. The article is from the ACLU and it's from earlier this year so it's pretty recent. There's also info on there about changing your name on your birth certificate, etc. Might be worth a read before taking the next step in your fight. Good luck to you and call us anytime to talk.
https://www.aclu.org/translaw
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