ISSUE
ISSUE A
ISSUE A COUPLE YEARS BACK. >> ONE OF THE THINGS WE TRY TO @
DO ON THE NEWS AT 11:00 IS
HIGHLIGHT YOUR STORIES. 4@
THIS IS 10-YEAR-OLD XANDER
MARTIN.
MARTIN.
MARTIN. XANDER IS FROM PRINCE GEORGE'S @
COUNTY AND XANDER IS NONBINARY,
THAT MEAN SOMEONE DOES NOT
IDENTIFY AS MALE OR FEMALE.
XANDER AND XANDER'S MOM INVITED
IDENTIFY AS MALE OR FEMALE. XANDER AND XANDER'S MOM INVITED@
OUR EVAN INTO THEIR LIVES TO 4@
LEARN MORE BOUT BEING 10 AND
NON-BINARY. 4@
NON-BINARY. 4@ >> Reporter: XANDER FEELS
NORMAL HERE. 4@
IT IS THIS FARM IN BUOY CALLED
THE BIG PURPLE BARN FOR OBVIOUS
REASON.
REASON.
REASON. WHEN HERE, XANDER IS LIKE A LOT
OF 10-YEAR-OLDS.
OF 10-YEAR-OLDS. >> THE SMALLEST IS BRADLEY.
MY MOTHER CALLS MY COUSIN.
>> Reporter: XANDER PLAYWISE
THE ANIMALS, CLIMBS F4@ENCES, 4@
BASICALLY IS THE NORMAL KID.
>> I AM USED TO GETTING THE
SPLINTERS. 4@
SPLINTERS. 4@ >> Reporter: IN LOT OF WAYS
XANDER COMES TO ESCAPE. 4@
>> THERE IS NO BEING BULLIED 4@
HERE AND ONLY A COUPLE TRUE
SLIP UPS. 4@
>> Reporter: XANDER IDENTIFIES @
AS NONBINARY, MEANING FROM A
YOUNG AGE XANDER DIDN'T FEEL
LIKE A BOY OR GIRL, THAT IS WHY
YOUNG AGE XANDER DIDN'T FEEL LIKE A BOY OR GIRL, THAT IS WHY@
XANDER GOES BY "THEY, THEM, OR
THERE."
THERE."
THERE." NOT HE OR SHE.
>> I AM WHO I AM AND I AM 4@
ACTUALLY COMING OUT.
>> Reporter: A LIFE SET MANY
DON'T UNDERSTAND. 4@
>> AND YEAH.
>> Reporter: IT LED TO LOT OF
PAIN FOR XANDER, NO STRANGE
TOOR R TO RULECULE.
>> I DON'T CARE IF I AM
BULLIED, I WILL CORRECT THEM
AND MOVE ON WITH MY LIFE.
I WILL TRY TO CORRECT THIS
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. >> Reporter: XANDER IS TRYING
TO CHANGE PEOPLE'S MINDS, AND
SHOW THEM WHAT IT REALLY MEANS
TO BE 10 AND NONBINARY.
WE WERE INVITED TO SHADOW
XANDER FOR MONTHS THROUGH UPs
AND DOWNS. 4@
>> XANDER IS A HISTORY-OBSESED,
THEATER-OBSESED KID.
THEATER-OBSESED KID. >> Reporter: NONWOULD HAVE BEEN
POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF
XANDER'S MOM, RACHEL.
>> THEY STARTED NOTICING OR
SAYING THEY FELT DIFFERENT WHEN
THEY WERE ABOUT IN
KINDERGARTEN.
KINDERGARTEN. >> Reporter: THAT IS WHEN
RACHEL FIRST STARTED TO
UNDERSTAND, FBI YEARS LATER
XANDER IS TAKE AGBIG STEP.
THIS YEAR IN THE FOURTH GRADE
XANDER CAME OUT TO THE REST OF
THE CLASS.
THE CLASS. >> WHEN XANDER TOLD ME THEY 4@
WANTED TO COME OUT THIS YEAR, I
WORRIED, BUT I CAN'T SHOW
XANDER TO WORRY.
>> Reporter: XANDER IS A
STUDENT HERE AT THE HEATHER
HILLS ELEMENTARY IN BUOY, THAT
IS WHERE I FIRST MET XANDER AND
XANDER TOLD ME COMING OUT
WASN'T EASY.
WASN'T EASY. >> IT WAS VERY HARD. 4@
>> Reporter: AND WHY?
>> WELL, I DIDN'T THINK THEY
WOULD WANT TO BE MY FRIEND
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. >> Reporter: XANDER DEFINITELY
FEELS BULLIED AT SCHOOL, SAYS
KIDS MISGENDER ON PURPOSE, MAKE
JOKES, MANY DON'T UNDERSTAND.
>> SOME ARE LIKE, YOU WERE BORN
THIS GENDER SO YOU HAVE TO BE
THIS GENDER FOR THE REST OF
YOUR LIFE.
YOUR LIFE. >> Reporter: THAT IS WHY THE
BARN HAS BEEN SO SPECIAL.
>> I LIKE TO GIVE TOURS. 4@
>> Reporter: A PLACE WHERE
XANDER FEELS SAFE.
>> OVER THERE BY THE WHITE CAR.
>> Re4@porter: SOMETHING XANDER
DOESN'T FEEL AT SCHOOL.
>> IT IS GETTING SO OUT OF HAND
THAT I AM HAVING TO-- IF YOU DO
THIS ONE MORE TIME I WILL TELL
THE PRINCIPAL.
THE PRINCIPAL. >> Reporter: THE SCHOOL IS
TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS BUT SAID
TEACHERS WERE GIVEN TRAINING ON
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE NONHFR
BINARY AND TAUGHT ABOUT THE
PRONOUNS AND IDENTIFIED SO-
CALLED SAFE STAFF TO HELP
XANDER DEAL WITH PROBLEMS AT
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL.
SCHOOL. THEY ARE ALSO TRAINING THE
STUDENTS.
STUDENTS.
STUDENTS. THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR SPOKE WITH
XANDER4@'S CLASS TWO TIMES ABOU
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE NONBINARY
AND THE PRONOUNS AND THE SCHOOL
HAD DIVERSITY TRAINING, THREE
HOURS IN SIX WEEKS, PART OF THE
FOCUS ON GENDER IDENTITYTY BUT
RACHEL THINK MOERZ TRAINING IS
S MORE TRAINING IS NEEDED.
>> I FEEL LIKE THE BULLYING
WILL CONTINUE BECAUSE NOBODY
WILL TEACH THE CHILDREN WHAT
THEY NEED TO LEARN.
NO ONE IS GOING TO EXPLAIN TO
THEM THAT XANDER IS NOT A
TOTALLY DIFFERENT KID.
>> Reporter: IN THE 4@MEANTIME,
XANDER HAS LONGED FOR A
COMMUNITY, SOME SORT OF GROUP
TO HELP NAVI4@GATE THIS
COMPLICATED LIFE, BUT XANDER
AND MOM COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING.
SO THEY TOOK MATTERS ENTIRE
THEIR OWN HANDS.
>> MINE IS METALLIC EGG Y. AM
4@DRAWING THE PRIDE FLAG.
HELLO.
HELLO.
HELLO. >>
HELLO. >> Reporter: THIS IS THE BRAND
NEW BUOY AREA NONBINARY AND
TRANSGENDER ALLIANCE.
TRANSGENDER ALLIANCE. ONCE A MONTH XANDER MEETS WITH
OTHERS IN THE SAME OR SIMILAR
SITUATION.
SITUATION. >> I LOVE SHINY.
>> Reporter: PEOPLE LIKE LIAM.
>> I LIKE SPARKLEY AND SHINY.
>> Reporter: STILL EXPLORING
THEIR IDENTITY.
THEIR IDENTITY. >> PEOPLE ARE JERKS.
>> Reporter: AND CLAIR, WHO IS
13 AND GENDER FLUID, THAT MEANS
SOME DAYS SHE FEELS LIKE A
GIRL.
GIRL.
GIRL. OTHER DAYS, LIKE A BOY. 4@4@
>> I WANT TO.
>> Reporter: SHE HAS BEEN A MEN
TOUR OF SORTS FOR XANDER. 4@
>> I WANT TO EDUCATE PEOPLE
THAT BEING DIFFERENT IS GOOD
AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO, LIKE, BE
THE SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE
BECAUSE IF YOU ARE THE SAME,
YOU DON'T STAND OUT.
IF YOU DON'T STAND OUT, THEN
YOU CAN'T BE COOL.
>> Reporter: HERE XANDER AND
THE OTHERS CAN JUST BE KIDS.
>> FEEL LIKE I AM SURROUNDED BY
FRIENDS. 4@
FRIENDS. 4@ AND THAT THERE IS NO
CRITICIZING HERE.
CRITICIZING HERE. >> I AM PERFECT.
>> Reporter: A SAFE SPACE, JUST
>> I AM PERFECT. >> Reporter: A SAFE SPACE, JUST@
LIKE AT THE FARM.
THESE PLACES, WE SEE WHO XANDER
REALLY IS.
REALLY IS. XANDER IS JUST A KID.
>> USUALLY I JUST FEEL LIKE ME.
I JUST FEEL LIKE ME.
>>
>> XANDER
>> XANDER IS COURAGEOUS. WE HAVE HAD A MASSIVE RESPONSE
TO XANDER'S STORY ON SOCIAL
MEDIA, AND MANY OF YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. WE INVITED XANDER AND XANDER'S
MOM TO OUR STUDIO TOMORROW
NIGHT.