EDITORIAL

The delicate discussion of Gender identity is still being whispered about in the island after the circulation of a petition by a mother who was frustrated by a school’s refusal to allow her child to wear the female uniform. The child, who was 14 at the time, was born a male but identifies as female. It is said that the school required the student to adhere to the school rules which would require that a male uniform be worn.

The issue between the mother and school led to widespread conversation island-wide about the transgender community and the implications of their accommodation into schools and work places. The contention does not appear to be one caused by homophobia or transphobia, but one caused by lack of knowledge and confusion about the intricacies of transgender lives.

The Church in Barbados has a strong voice and religion is often seen as a guiding factor in public decisions. The Chairman of the Barbados Christian Council has stated that from a Biblical view, gender cannot be chosen, he maintained a firm stance that this behaviour should not be condoned. However, everyone on the Island does not adhere to religion and some people have alternative belief systems. The issue then becomes one of human rights and basic human decency.

The School uniform issue is not a new one as religions have historically had to petition the government to allow for exceptions to the general dress codes of schools on the Island. There are still only limited exceptions to these rules which often include more modest clothing for students who adhered to certain religions.

A Country must be very careful in its derogation of rules in the School system as this could easily affect the discipline and order in the system.

At some point a government policy on gender and sexual identity will become necessary, however as the legal system is sluggish to address matters, with Employee rights and Sexual Harassment only recently receiving legislative intervention, it is unlikely that this will occur in the near future.

The concept of preferred pronouns is one so novel to the Barbadian society that most persons who are not exposed to it in the international media will not understand the idea of referring to a person by a pronoun which they feel comfortable with. The mother in the controversy, in conversations with the media, referred to the child as her daughter which is something that Barbadians would find unusual.

Even in more progressive societies the media often infuses such situations with a sense of comedy when persons are trying to learn how to properly address transgender individuals. Everyone’s beliefs must be respected, this does not mean they have to be shared or agreed with but basic human decency must be observed. As society evolves, issues surrounding gender and sexual identity will arise. It is hoped that these issues, to which many persons are sensitive, will not further fracture our society.
There must be a way for the rights of each person to be protected and for our residents to continue to live peacefully together.