Hi, I’m Jon and I identify as nonbinary. Although I live in Florida, I’m currently studying psychology at a college in Vermont. I started exploring the idea of being not-male during senior year of high school.
Going to a small college in the liberal state of Vermont, I thought I had escaped the anti-LGBTQ troubles of the South but I still don’t feel completely comfortable on my campus. Although they try to market themselves as accepting of all LGBTQ+ identities, they have difficult policies to work through as a nonbinary student and I’d like to see changes being made to incorporate nonbinary students into their trans-inclusive policies.
Although I haven’t discussed the issue with the administration yet, I’ve started educating fellow students and teachers about being nonbinary and what to do to make nonbinary students feel safe and valid on campus and in classrooms. I want schools to step up and understand that nonbinary identities require different policies than just general trans-inclusive policies and ensure that all students feel that their gender identities are accepted and supported. Talk to students who are nonbinary and get their input on how they would be made to feel supported.