Non-Normative Gender and Sexual Identities in Schools: - Schools Out
Non-Normative Gender and Sexual Identities in Schools: - Schools Out
Non-Normative Gender and Sexual Identities in Schools: - Schools Out
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S: …<strong>and</strong> um there was one lad that used to show me his six pack <strong>and</strong> like do all sorts of<br />
strange th<strong>in</strong>gs to to get my attention <strong>and</strong> look<strong>in</strong>g back on it, I was like, he’s supposed to<br />
be like the roughest nut <strong>in</strong> school <strong>and</strong> he keeps show<strong>in</strong>g me his six pack <strong>and</strong> his<br />
underwear <strong>and</strong> I never wondered why until recently <strong>and</strong> um I just cant imag<strong>in</strong>e how it<br />
would have been like for him to you know to be you know one of the second heads of my<br />
year basketball team <strong>and</strong> it was just like look<strong>in</strong>g back on it [//] …<br />
AM: {it was very hidden?<br />
S: Yeah lots of th<strong>in</strong>gs were hidden <strong>and</strong> it was very, cos (sigh) I basically had a way of<br />
around forgett<strong>in</strong>g about my sexuality throughout high school. Um be<strong>in</strong>g like the class<br />
geek, I was majorly <strong>in</strong>to th<strong>in</strong>gs like Star Trek <strong>and</strong> I k<strong>in</strong>d of sort of fell <strong>in</strong> love with the<br />
idea of be<strong>in</strong>g a mach<strong>in</strong>e where you don’t get to feel emotions so um I had to, I became<br />
obsessed with th<strong>in</strong>gs like the borg <strong>and</strong> cybernetics <strong>and</strong> th<strong>in</strong>gs like that so I couldn’t<br />
associate myself with human emotion um [//] …<br />
AM: {<strong>and</strong> do you th<strong>in</strong>k that was as a direct result of the experiences you were hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
because of your sexuality…<br />
S: {Yeah}<br />
AM: …so you were almost try<strong>in</strong>g to become sort of emotionless?<br />
S: Yeah, yeah that’s exactly what happened <strong>and</strong> you know like Sally said everyone<br />
knows me here as Silver [//] …<br />
AM: {yep}<br />
S: …<strong>and</strong> that’s also another part of it I mean it came purely by co<strong>in</strong>cidence that my name<br />
became called Silver, um <strong>and</strong> sometimes when I look back at my high school age I just<br />
wish I could have been called Silver sooner…<br />
AM: {yeah}<br />
S: …you know so I could have been completely more engaged <strong>in</strong> be<strong>in</strong>g emotionless <strong>and</strong><br />
more focussed on what needed to be done [//]<br />
AM: Do you feel that’s changed now though? One of the questions I asked <strong>in</strong> the young<br />
people perhaps they were a bit young to to know this, was was how you felt at school <strong>and</strong><br />
how you feel now <strong>and</strong> the k<strong>in</strong>d of differences <strong>and</strong> I suppose progression do you th<strong>in</strong>k [//]<br />
you know its pivotal that you went back ten years later <strong>and</strong> was a huge th<strong>in</strong>g for you…<br />
S: {yeah I mean it was like an emotional high like k<strong>in</strong>d of hav<strong>in</strong>g your cha<strong>in</strong>s released<br />
from your shackles, like the freedom to move to k<strong>in</strong>d of say<strong>in</strong>g look I’m bi, gay, lesbian<br />
whatever, you know <strong>and</strong> I’m here to stay no-one can get rid of me <strong>and</strong> that was the most<br />
powerfulest th<strong>in</strong>g that I could feel emotionally at the time that I had that freedom to feel<br />
to say to you know make people know that I’m here <strong>and</strong> there’s noth<strong>in</strong>g no-ones gonna
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