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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AM: {how old were you did you say, um fifteen at this time, fifteen yeah?<br />
S: …yeah yeah I was just approach<strong>in</strong>g fifteen it was like summer um I th<strong>in</strong>k it was like<br />
May time [//] yeah May 25 th , um my Mums birthday I got attacked I stayed off school for<br />
a week then the next month came <strong>and</strong> ur low <strong>and</strong> beyond like I was hav<strong>in</strong>g to be put <strong>in</strong> a<br />
school where there’s (sigh) I’m still <strong>in</strong> the school where I’m still hav<strong>in</strong>g you know be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> a racial m<strong>in</strong>ority you know of x amount of people <strong>and</strong> {sigh} it just didn’t add to<br />
anyth<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>and</strong> the teachers knew that I’d been attacked <strong>and</strong> hospitalised for a great deal of<br />
time <strong>and</strong> [//] you know…<br />
AM: {<strong>and</strong> did anyth<strong>in</strong>g, the teachers?<br />
S: …no, they just you know subtled me up, you know <strong>and</strong> said life will get easier, it<br />
never did, um everyth<strong>in</strong>g’s just been you know a struggle <strong>and</strong> I’ve I’ve learnt to just shut<br />
off you know, I’m the perfect mach<strong>in</strong>e at the end of the day.<br />
AM: Yeah.<br />
S: Um all I ever see is the variables of how people act, <strong>in</strong>teract based on body language<br />
<strong>and</strong> other variables <strong>and</strong> so on <strong>and</strong> so fourth <strong>and</strong>…<br />
AM: {so, well I don’t even th<strong>in</strong>k we need to ask this question I would say its obvious<br />
from what you’ve said already that these experiences have affected you to a…<br />
S: {yeah big time}<br />
AM…to deep level <strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> an emotional level?<br />
S: Yeah I mean I’m currently go<strong>in</strong>g to 42 nd Street…<br />
AM: {yeah}<br />
S:…um because I suffer from what is like Post Traumatic Stress of the years of shit that I<br />
had to put up with <strong>and</strong> I have nightmares at night where I’m wak<strong>in</strong>g up bleed<strong>in</strong>g, you<br />
know that’s not a normal th<strong>in</strong>g, I haven’t even been <strong>in</strong> a war <strong>and</strong> most of my dreams feel<br />
like I’ve been <strong>in</strong> a war. And some of my nightmares stopped a while ago, but I had one<br />
just last week which put me on a really bad low <strong>and</strong> its just been hard you know to try<br />
deal with what I’ve gone through <strong>and</strong> the more I have a nightmare the more I just try to<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k you know I’m stronger than this you know I can survive <strong>and</strong> that all what keeps<br />
go<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> my head you know <strong>and</strong> these days I’m just gett<strong>in</strong>g, focuss<strong>in</strong>g on you know good<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs like gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to politics becom<strong>in</strong>g someone mak<strong>in</strong>g a name for myself <strong>and</strong> not just<br />
as Silver, I mean Silver’s great but you know [//] it still has a lot to put you know, um a<br />
lot of reputation to uphold…<br />
AM: {Yeah I know what you mean}<br />
S: …um cos you know I’ve been around <strong>in</strong> various social circles, been there done that<br />
k<strong>in</strong>d of th<strong>in</strong>g, been a scally, been a mosh, I’ve been goth <strong>and</strong> had done trendy <strong>and</strong> you
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