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NYC: Schools Must Use Students’ Preferred Pronouns

“Transgender and gender-nonconforming students may be at a higher risk for peer ostracism.”

New York City officials issued updated guidelines this week to school staff, requiring them to refer to the city's transgender students by their preferred pronounds. The directive is listed on an Education Department memo spanning 10 pages that expands on protections that the department originally published in 2014. The move comes after President Trump last week revoked federal protections for transgender students. “It is important to note that for students who are gender-nonconforming or who do not prescribe to the gender binary, they may prefer gender-neutral pronouns such as ‘they,’ ‘ze,’ or other pronouns,” the memo reads. “It is important for school staff, students and parents to be aware that transgender and gender-nonconforming students may be at a higher risk for peer ostracism, victimization, and bullying because of bias and/or the possibility of misunderstanding and lack of knowledge about their lives.”