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A Lesson Plan from Creating Safe Space for GLBTQ Youth: A Toolkit

Introduction to Gender Identity and Gender Expression*

Purpose: To increase awareness of and empathy with people who are transgender

Time: 40 minutes

Materials: Leader's Resource, The Girl-with-No-Name; newsprint and markers

Planning Notes: On a large sheet of newsprint, write the following questions.

• What was this story about?
• What is being transgender?
• What obstacles faced Dallas?
• Why did it take Dallas a long time to become the person she wanted to be?

Procedure:

• Ask the participants to get comfortable. Tell them that you are going to read them a story about someone whose feelings and experiences are often invisible to most people. Then, read the story, The Girl-with-No-Name, to the participants.
• Ask the participants to count off, so that they wind up in small groups of about four individuals each. Each group will discuss the story, using the questions that you wrote up on the newsprint beforehand.
• Ask everyone to reassemble. Discuss the story as a group, going briefly over the four questions with the entire group. Make the point that everyone's life has a story, and that knowing that story can help us understand and care about people—both those whose lives are similar and those whose lives are very different from our own. End with the Discussion Questions.

Discussion Questions:

1. Have you ever felt sure that you wanted to be someone other than who you are (such as to be rich instead of poor, or to have a different skin color or different gender, or to be from a different family)?
2. Were you able to tell anyone else how you felt? If so, how did they react? If you couldn't talk about how you felt, why not?
3. Have you ever known anyone who wanted to be the opposite gender? Were you supportive? Why or why not?
4. What are some things you can do to be supportive of people who are transgender?

* A new activity, designed by Advocates for Youth, © 2005.

Reprinted from Creating Safe Space for GLBTQ Youth: A Toolkit, Girl's Best Friend Foundation and Advocates for Youth, © 2005. [PDF file]

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