and so. out of curiosity. what do you tell your elementary school-aged child to prepare them? Because you would have to tell them something. It would affect the class because for a certain amount of time, if not the rest of the school year, it would/could be very distracting.

PS. IMO SRS should be considered elective and cosmetic. However, some TGs have been able to deduct it from their taxes as a medical necessity.

My mother-in-law said something that made sense. Why not have the surgery and move to a different school within the district? Then you have a kind of fresh start. That made a whole lot of sense to me.

Because he shouldn't have to. The same reason someone who has a limb amputated or a prosthetic leg attached shouldn't have to change schools. They'll have to explain those to the kids too, and they'll sure as hell be a distraction for a while.

But the point is, those things don't have anything to do with sexuality.

The sexuality of the teacher should not have a place in the elementary classroom.

Neither does a sex change. Where are you getting the idea that sexuality comes into play?
It sure isn't the case for me.

And who determines what age is appropriate for the kids to understand it? Because, hate to break it to you, there are kids whose parents are gay. I bet they understand it pretty early on... just because your 5-year-old hasn't encountered it doesn't mean it should be kept from him. Welcome to the world. Kids can be taught these things. It's healthy to find out the world has different people in it.

(Btw, on your answer, ...every relationship would be 'sexuality-based.' I'm heterosexual. Do I need to explain that to kids if I taught? No; you only want it held away if it isn't he majority view.)

If I were a parent in this situation, I'd talk to my kid about it, explain that some people just aren't happy in their bodies and so change them (which is also my talk for breast augmentation, etc.). And then I'd go to the school and tell the teacher that I think he was brave for what he did and that I support him.

An amputated leg and sexual reassignment are like comparing apples and teacups. One doesn't opt to get a prostetic leg, but, one does when choosing to change their gender.

...Changing their sexual orientation? That...Has nothing to do with transsexuals. Transsexuals usually change their sex to the limit that medical knowledge and their bank accounts will allow (Insurance doesn't cover any of the surgeries. The hormones are SOMETIMES covered).
And it's not a choice at all. Do you know what happens to the average transsexual that doesn't at least start hormone treatment? The depression gets to the point where they kill themselves, and no amount of medications or therapy sessions can stop them. To say that being born having having ones gender be incongruous with their sex is horrible would be severely understating just how bad it is.

By your logic, teachers who become pregnant should be fired, because the pregnancy has a whole lot to do with sexuality. What if the kids don't know how babies are made? This would just "slap them in the face", would it not?

So because they threaten suicide they should be given anything they want? Life's depressing for me being poor and not rich.. It's depressing being black at times but i'm not gonna go get a quick fix for it, and I doubt the government would just give me money or pay for an operation to make me not black.. lots of poor people kill themselves as well peopel that cant support their families kill themselves and their families with them at times.. If this teacher really was suicidal prior to getting the operation then they shouldn't have been teaching in the first place

I changed the "sexual orientation" to "gender". It is more inline with what I meant to say.

I am sure it is a horrible thing to go through, but comparing it to losing a leg? You mention the "average transexual". How average is it really and when you choose to change your gender and expect it NOT to affect someone else by claiming it is personal, you might as well lock yourself into a room where nobody else can see what has occurred. In the case we have here, the teacher chose to have this life altering procedure but is in denial that it was entirely personal. Maybe the parents were a bit overzealous in removing their kids from the class, but maybe it wouldn't have been such a issue if they had been informed of the procedure. Maybe a letter addressed to the parents and students stating that "Ms. Harris will now be known as Mr. Harris. This issue was a personal choice by Mr. Harris and we respect his decision". Simple, easy, non-confrontational.

Wait, WHAT?! When did I argue the government should pay for the operations? And 'threatening' suicide generally means you're not suicidal. They actually kill themselves. Pre-operative transsexuals have some of the highest rates of suicide in the United States. And how is denying them a job going to help that? That's going to make it more likely, since they wouldn't be able to pay for even the hormones.

And it's much more horrible than losing a leg. MUCH more. You can choose not to get a prosthetic and, though it wouldn't be great, still be relatively happy. Transsexuals have two options: One is to, at minimum, go on hormones. Taking that option, they can lose their jobs in many states and countries, face constant discrimination, are very likely to be killed(Sixteen times more likely than their cisgendered counterparts), and may not even be allowed to marry depending on the laws of the states/countries they're in. Option two is to bottle it in and do nothing about it, while the feelings of dysphoria become stronger and stronger until suicide is guarenteed.
And how is he in denial of anything? The parents are outraged that they were not informed of his transition, and the school had ever right not to inform them based on privacy laws. Having a prosthetic leg is a life altering descision, too, and it's noticed by all. Should the parents be warned that their teacher has a fake leg? They had no right to be informed, whether the operation is noticed or not.

I respect everyone's different opinions and all, but when you insist on calling him (the teacher) "SHE" in capital letters or repeatedly using feminine pronouns to make your point instead of actually making a point, or otherwise indicating that this is just some crazy whim, all you are doing is insulting everyone and looking like a jackass.

Debate is fine, disagreeing with someones opinions, choices, whatever is fine. But damn it would be nice if people could show a little respect for others, even especially if you disagree with them.

If I could upvote you more, I would. Not so bad in this topic, but others I have seen in the past.

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Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, it was noticed. Did he expect nothing to happen at all? That life would just go on as if he hadn't gone through with the procedure? In a perfect world that would be... perfect. But we don't live in a perfect world. We live in a world where people react to change and sometimes not so friendly. It isn't right and it isn't fair, but it happens. A gender change is internally private and personal, but it isn't so externally.

ME!!! ..that's my job as "Parent" And not necessarly WHEN as much as HOW MUCH. I understand my child, I know how much info she needs or is ready for.

Whole-heartedly agree...All I want is a "heads-up" from somebody if the person in question is an authority figure/role model so I prep my kid for it.

No...You missed my point...your sexual preference should be irrelevant because it's not something you should be discussing with my kid (as a teacher). They would never know either way which is how it should be..but when you go from MISS to MISTER it now becomes apparent.

EXACLTY...although I wouldn't bother talking to the teacher, or calling him brave or whatever..it's none of my business. However...I would want a heads up...that's all I'm arguing...not his/her rights...not his/her preferenece...just that there should be different rules applied for people who are providers to my child to give me advanced warning about things that warrent a discussion with my child.

No, he probably did not expect it to go as it normally would. This probably wasn't very shocking to him, just sad. I mean, he's not suing the parents for discrimination, and he didn't even comment in the article. The article is about the parents demanding to be informed that the procedure was done, and it was not in their rights to be informed of that matter. They did have the right to change their kids class after finding out, though it's sad that they had done so as it deprives their children of a very valuable learning experience.

Fired? No...never said fired. And pregnancy isn't much of a change..to a child they're just getting fatter. If they (the child) choose to press the issue and ask why they're fatter then it should get back to me! Example..if my kid asked her teacher why her belly's getting bigger I would like to think she'd tactfully say something to my child (or me) so that it would start a converstaion I can have with my child using words I know she'll understand. I know I would do it (and yes I'm a teacher..but not a regular school..but I still work with very young children). If the kid says nothing about the big tummy..then just move on...nothing to discuss yet.

The bottom line here is this...School is a unique situation (simlar to day care) where my child is being exposed to things without me witnessing them. Issues that warrant discussions that I need to have with my child need to be relayed to me as a courtesy. There is an obvious difference between a sex change and a pregnancy, the school should be able to see this and say...Hey...maybe we need to tell parents about this one.

If my neighbors are gay and my kid is friends with their kid I will know that they are gay. I would know because before my child is left alone with either one of those parents I would have met them...therefor I could explain things to my child if I thought she needed it. At school however...I would know NOTHING, becuase the bus comes, the bus goes, the bus comes back...what happens in between I now have to guess with the exception of an occasional "meet the teacher night".

Like I said in a post above...it's about a teacher's position in a young child's life and their responsibilty to communicate with me. There should be different rules when it comes to caregivers of really small children. I send my girl to school to learn letters, numbers, math, and yes..life. But a 6 year girl doesn't need to know that if she feels like she got the short end of the stick she can just go buy a penis or just be called a boy...which is what she will learn if I don't know about the sex change.

Believe it or not..not all kids come to their parents to talk! (duh) ..a heads-up..that's all I want...a head-up is what I deserve.

OK, let me say one thing here.

All those of you who are saying that he should have given some sort of advanced warning - what exactly would you suggest?
'oh, next week I'm having my SRS, and when I come back I'm going to be transitioning. Don't get too shocked, OK?'

...yeah, that seems likely to work.

Fact is that there isn't a simple way to bring up the concept of transitioning. It's scary as hell, and not something ANYONE undergoes lightly.


...OK, let me explain something quickly. Transsexuality is NOT, I repeat NOT about 'feeling like you've got the short end of the stick'. No therapist worth half a damn will allow/prescribe hormones to someone who isn't trans, and is clearly trying to turn around their life. It's not a little thing, being trans - it's a HUGE feeling of intense discomfort with who you are which gets worse and worse as time goes on, until you hit puberty and your life turns into a real life horror movie. Sofs is right when she mentions that the rate of suicide among pre-op transpeople is HUGE - some estimates place it at nearly one in three. Obviously that's a percentage you start to worry about.
Now, I'll be frank and admit that yes, I did contemplate suicide for a fair while. It's one of the scariest things in the world to have puberty take you further and further away from where you want to be, SHOULD be, and to look in the mirror and hate what you see with the core of your being. And yes, I tried to commit suicide. I'm not proud of it, and it was a while back, but at the time I honestly felt it was a better alternative to going on the way things were. And who knows, if I hadn't come out, maybe it would have been.
Again, I'm not proud of the fact, but it remains a good emphasis on the fact that transsexuality a) is NOT a choice, and b) is f**king serious.