Investigating Trans-Affirmative Education Policies and Practices in Ontario

190 Pages·2017·2.04 MB·English

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Kenan Omercajic, The University of Western Ontario
Supervisor: Dr. Wayne Martino, The University of Western Ontario
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Arts degree in
Education
© Kenan Omercajic 2015
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by

Kenan Omercajic

Graduate Program in Faculty of Education

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Education

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
The University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, Canada

© « Kenan Omercajic » « 2015»
ABSTRACT
This study uses a qualitative approach to investigate the development and influence of
school-based trans-affirmative policies in the Ontario education system. It focuses specifically on
three policy texts of three individual school boards: Durham District School Board’s Supporting
Our Transgender Students; Toronto District School Board’s Guidelines for the Accommodation
of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students and Staff; and Thames Valley District
School Board’s Guidelines for the Accommodation of Gender Diverse and Trans Students. While
space is devoted to a text-based analysis in terms of how such policies constitute or construct
transgender and gender non-conforming youth along with the political significance of such
constructions, this thesis focuses on those stakeholders such as educators and administrators who
have some knowledge of the development and enactment of such policies. Five participants (all
of whom have been or are presently educators) were interviewed and serve as an empirical
source for generating knowledge about the policy-practice nexus. This qualitative case study
research aims to deepen our knowledge of how the needs of transgender and gender minority
youth are being understood and addressed in the school system. In adopting a case study
approach, the research is not concerned to generalize about the formulation and enactment of
trans-affirmative policies, but rather, to undertake an exploratory analysis that fosters critical
reflection on the particularity of the processes involved in trans-affirmative policy formulation
and practice in schooling and school board contexts. This study thus is concerned to examine the
implications of such trans-affirmative policy processes for addressing the needs of transgender
and gender non-conforming students in the school system as a basis for drawing out the
significance for researchers and policy makers in the field of education.

KEYWORDS: transgender, gender non-conforming, gender diverse, trans-affirmative policy.
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank numerous people who have been instrumental in the completion of this work.
First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Wayne Martino, for his endless
support, guidance and belief in me and in my work. I have grown tremendously as a person and as a
scholar by being afforded the opportunity of working with you. Your devotion and expertise is
something I will always strive to mirror in my own work.
I would also like to take the opportunity to thank my supervisory committee, Jennifer Ingrey, for
her insight and her encouragement. I feel so fortunate to have met you and to have learned from
you.
I must extend the biggest thank you to my family: My father, Senad Omercajic, who is a beacon of
constant strength and who has been an embodiment of perseverance when presented with a
challenge; my mother, Ilvana Omercajic, for constantly being supportive and reminding me to
cherish each day that I am given; to my brother, Nadan Omercajic, who is the best and supportive
brother that I could ever have – I love you more than anyone or anything in this world; to my aunt,
Nadija Omercajic, who has done so much to ensure that I succeed in any academic pursuit (and the
person I blame for my penmanship being so neat); and to my grandmother for reminding me how
far I have come and how much further I have yet to go.
I must also thank my friends for reminding me that taking some time to enjoy yourself is just as
important as your work. For that, I thank you Stephanie, Jake, Melissa, and Laura.
Finally, I must also thank the staff who work in the Graduate Office at the Faculty of Education for
guiding me and answering any questions that I have had along the way. Specifically, thank you to
Melanie Molnar and to Alyson Watson. The both of you have illuminated some otherwise hazy
days that I have had! You are remarkable assets to the Faculty of Education and I am grateful to you
both.

iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract .................................................................................................................................... ii
Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. iii
Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... iv
List of Appendices .................................................................................................................... vii
List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ viii
Chapter 1: Introduction to the Research Problem .............................................................. 1
Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 1
The Problem of Cisgender Privilege ..................................................................................... 3
Aims and Purposes of the Study ........................................................................................... 7
Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 11
Understanding “Policy” ........................................................................................................ 12
Policy Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 15
Theoretical Frameworks ...................................................................................................... 18
Gender Performativity ................................................................................................ 20
Erasure of Transgender Identities in Politics ............................................................. 22
The Gender Oppression Matrix .................................................................................. 25
Engaging with Debates About Gender ............................................................................... 26
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 32
Chapter 2: Literature Review ............................................................................................. 34
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 34
The School Climate .............................................................................................................. 35
Bathroom Battleground ....................................................................................................... 39
iv
Teaching Gender Diversity .................................................................................................. 41
Laws, Policies and Guidelines ............................................................................................. 49
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 52
Chapter 3: Research Design and Methodology ................................................................ 54
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 54
Research Design .................................................................................................................. 56
Data Sources & Collection ................................................................................................. 58
Data Analysis ....................................................................................................................... 64
Participant Profiles ............................................................................................................. 67
Rebecca ..................................................................................................................... 67
Grace ......................................................................................................................... 68
Dean .......................................................................................................................... 68
Michael ..................................................................................................................... 69
Daniella .................................................................................................................... 69
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 70
Chapter 4: Policy Analysis ................................................................................................. 72
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 72
The Durham District School Board’s “Supporting Our Transgender Students”
Guidelines (2012) ................................................................................................................. 72
The Thames Valley District School Board’s “Guidelines for the Accommodation
of Gender Diverse and Trans Students” (2013) ............................................................... 82
The Toronto District School Board’s “Guidelines for the Accommodation of
Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Students and Staff” (2011) ....................... 93
v
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 104
Chapter 5: Interview Themes and Findings ................................................................... 106
Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 106
The Significance of Policy and Curriculum .................................................................... 106
Persistent Discrimination ................................................................................................. 123
The Paradox of Visible Representation .......................................................................... 130
The Bathroom Problem .................................................................................................... 134
Lost in Translation: Failure to Implement ..................................................................... 142
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 150
Chapter 6: Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 154
Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 154
Implications of the Study ................................................................................................. 156
Limitations and Difficulties ............................................................................................. 161
Suggestions for Future Research .................................................................................... 161
Concluding Thoughts ...................................................................................................... 164
References ........................................................................................................................ 167
List of Appendices ........................................................................................................... 177
Appendix A: Semi-Structure Interview Guide ....................................................... 177
Appendix B: Letter of Information and Consent ................................................... 178
Appendix C: Ethics Form of Approval .................................................................. 180
Appendix D: Curriculum Vitae .............................................................................. 181

vi
LIST OF APPENDICES
APPENDIX A: SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW GUIDE ................................. 177
APPENDIX B: LETTER OF INFORMATION AND CONSENT ............................ 178
APPENDIX C: ETHICS FORM OF APPROVAL ..................................................... 180
APPENDIX D: CURRICULUM VITAE ..................................................................... 181

vii
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1: PREFERRED WAYS OF ADDRESSING TRANSGENDER
PEOPLE ....................................................................................................................... 76
TABLE 2: TO CREATE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR
TRANSGENDER PEOPLE ....................................................................................... 76
viii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH PROBLEM
Introduction

Every human being is in a constant state of growth and change. Every moment our body is altered
in a multitude of ways; whether it is the division of a cell, or through a process that is more tangible
and visible to the naked eye, we are ever-changing. Human development is not static but a process
involving continuous growth or change. As we grow, we mature, form our own opinions,
perceptions and beliefs about the world around us, and these changes are subjected to a great deal
of negotiation given specific contexts and the sort of power relations at play in these contexts. We
are expected to find our place in the world through self-evaluation, and various intrinsic and
extrinsic epiphanies. However, from the moment we are born, our gender is seemingly viewed as
static by hegemonic societal discourse. For the most part, gender is ascribed to a newborn based
upon his or her biological sex, and to deviate from this decision is viewed as deviating from certain
gendered norms. Bornstein (1998) eloquently states that “the genders we’re assigned at birth lock
us onto a course through which we’ll be expected to become whole, well-rounded, creative, loving
people – but only as men or as women” (p. 1).
It is this very cisgender-based rationale, which underscores beliefs about gender as a binary
system or framework.1 The transgendered individual challenges this notion by troubling it. While
Judith Butler (1990) encourages that all people challenge the gender binary through
“performativity,” it becomes very clear that those who identify as transgender challenge the
normative gender binary by simply identifying as such. In her book, Undoing Gender, Butler
(2004) maintains that the regulation of gender is governed by specific norms, and existing outside

1 In this paper, cisgender refers to an individual whose gender identity corresponds with their biological sex (i.e. a
biological boy identifies as a male).
1