Symposium Session 1

The American Psychological Association (APA) published “Facing the School Dropout Dilemma: The interaction of sexual orientation with school dropout rates” on its website in 2012. The APA is widely regarded as the most prominent professional organization for psychologists in the United States.

In this excerpt, Virginia Woolf declares that any talented woman born in the 16th, 17th, 18th or even 19th centuries would have been so hindered from sharing her gifts due to her sex--and if she somehow overcame this obstacle, her name would not have been tied to her work.

In this introduction, Alice Walker touches on ideas of activism, the strength of the individual, enlightenment, fear of being inferior and the conviction needed to embrace one's life.

In this video, young people reflect on society's rules for what males and females can and cannot do.

In this personal narrative, Clare explores multiple facets of the self and questions why gender is still discussed as a binary. He acknowledges the tortured lives that many have lived as a result of their gender ambiguity and declares that all those who "gawk," "gape," and "stare" at those who are different never get it right.

Hoʻonani Kamai, a student at Hālau Lōkahi—a public charter school in Hawaii—introduces herself to us and expresses self-pride and knowledge of her cultural roots.

Kumu Hina, a teacher at Hālau Lōkahi (a public charter school in Hawaii), speaks about her transition to the “place in the middle” and her mission to preserve the true meaning of aloha.

“You said that you were in the wrong body, that you should be a man.”

“I was very strict because I was afraid kids would discover I was gay.”

Young people speak out against fitting every person into one of two narrowly conceived gender categories.