>>JENNIFER WAUGH: THIS MORNING WE’RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
IS HAVING ON LGBTQ CHILDREN
AND TEENAGERS MANY OF ALASKA AS
A PARADE AS IS THE DIRECTOR OF
U N F C LGBT RESOURCE CENTER IS
JOINING US VIA ZOOM THIS
MORNING, GOOD MORNING, THANKS
FOR BEING WITH US.
>> GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR
HAVING ME.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: TO EXPLAIN
WHAT KIND OF CHALLENGES THIS
PANDEMIC HAS HAD SPECIFICALLY
ON COLLEGE STUDENTS.
>> AND SINCE BEEN A VERY
CHALLENGING TIME ENOUGH FOR
EVERYONE OF COURSE BUT MAINLY
FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS, A LOT
OF THEM. WE’RE IN THE PROCESS
OF JUST GOING HOME FOR SPRING
BREAK WHAT THEY ORIGINALLY
THOUGHT WAS JUST GOING TO BE
SPRING BREAK AND THEY ENDED UP
STAYING HOME. A LOT LONGER THAN THAT WE’VE ALL BEEN UNDER QUARANTINE SO IT’S BEEN A
LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT FOR
EVERYBODY TO BE ABLE TO
REMEMBER THAT SOME OF THEM HAD
TO DEAL WITH ISSUES OF HAVING
THEIR OWN SO-A WITH THEIR OWN
RELATIVES THEIR PAIRINGS
SO IT’S BEEN A LOT THINGS TO BE
ABLE TO HAVE TO
DEAL WITH.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: IT’S
INTERESTING TO SEE AS I WAS
READING AN ARTICLE IN PARENTS
THAT INTERVIEWED A MOTHER OF
THE 13 YEAR-OLD
NAMED ERIN AARON WAS BORN AS A
BUT NOW YOU KNOW IDENTIFIES AS
A BOY. AND THIS MOTHER YOU KNOW GIVES THIS THIS ACCOUNT OF HOW DIFFERENT YOU KNOW HER
SON IS IN TERMS OF HIS
HAPPINESS LEVEL BECAUSE HE’S
NOT IN SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE
KIND OF BULLYING THAT HE WAS
EXPERIENCING WHILE HE WAS IN
SCHOOL OF COURSE BEFORE THE
SUMMER STARTED CAN YOU EXPLAIN
JUST BASED ON MAYBE YOUR YOUR
YOUR PERSONAL STORIES ARE THOSE
YOU’VE HEARD FROM OTHERS ABOUT
HOW CHALLENGING IT IS FOR
SOMEONE
WHO IS YOU KNOW THINKING ABOUT
TRANSITIONING AND BEING AROUND
OTHER KIDS WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND
OR OR PERHAPS SHARE THAT SAME
FEELING.
>> SURE SO THE FIRST THING THAT
WE NEED TO REALIZE IS THAT
WITHIN FLORIDA. WE’VE GOT ABOUT
80% OF THE EU’S POPULATION WHO
IDENTIFIES AS PART OF THE TRANS
COMMUNITY. NOW
ON AVERAGE. WE’VE ONLY GOT
ABOUT ONE IN 7 KIDS WHO REPORT
BEING BULLIED
IN SCHOOL. NOW WHEN YOU CAN
HEAD TO THE
TRADES IMMUNITY AND WE KNOW
ABOUT IT PERCENT OF TRAINS
KIDS THAT ARE REPORTING BEING
BULLIED IN SCHOOL.
IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR
THEM TO BE
ABLE TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT THEIR
DAY TO DAY LIFE WITH IN SCHOOL
AND SO THAT UK SHUN TAKES A
BACK SEAT IN THAT SENSE BECAUSE
THEY’RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE
BULLY NOT ONLY FROM THEIR CLASS
MEANS PERHAPS EVEN SOME OTHER
TEACHERS
AND ADMINISTRATORS WHO ARE
MISGENDERING THEM ARE NOT
WANTING TO CALL
THEM HERE, A PREFERRED NAMES OR
THEIR OWN OWNS IT MAKES IT VERY
DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE
TO TRY TO GET ANY TYPE OF
EDUCATION. WELL, I’VE GOT
2 CHILDREN. THEY DO
NOT IDENTIFY AS TRANS KIDS AT
THIS MOMENT, THEY DON’T
IDENTIFY AS ANYTHING ACTUALLY
AT THIS MOMENT SO YOUNG, BUT I
HAVE SEEN BULLYING HAVE BEEN IN
THEIR SCHOOLS. AND IT’S VERY
DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE
TO
TRY TO LEARN AND GET A DAY TO
DAY DUE
TO SHIP. WELL I’VE SEEN THE
DIFFERENCE, HOW MY KIDS HOW
THEIR RATES HAVE IMPROVED JUST
BEING
AT HOME. THOUGH IN THESE LAST 2
MONTHS OF QUARANTINE THAT WE’VE
HAD HERE IN SCHOOL.
I’VE SEEN THEIR GRADES GO UP TO
THE POINT THAT THEY’RE LESS
RECORDERS WERE BASICALLY
STRAIGHT A’S
FOR BOTH.
>> SO I CAN SAY, YEAH, YEAH,
YEAH, I JUST WANT TO JUST VERY
QUICKLY HERE WE HAVE A FEW
SECONDS LEFT, BUT I JUST WANT
TO MAKE SURE
BECAUSE AS HAS NOW WE’RE
APPROACHING THAT THE BEGINNING
OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND SO MANY
STUDENTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO GO
BACK TO SCHOOL
IN PERSON.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: WHAT
RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR
CHILDREN WHO ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT
THAT AND BULLYING.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT
RESOURCES
OUT THERE. OBVIOUSLY IF YOU’RE
HERE WITHIN THE LOCAL AREA OF
JACKSONVILLE. YOU CAN ALWAYS
REACH
OUT TO US AT THE UN HAVE YOU
DONE TO RESOURCE CENTER AND WE
CAN BE ABLE TO RIDE WITH ALL
THE DIFFERENT KIND
OF RESOURCES. WE’LL STILL HAVE
SEVERAL NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
THAT DEAL WITH
THAT IS. SO YOU I BASIN ARE
SOME NAMES THAT YOU CAN POST
YEAH WE’RE OF THEM THOUGH ARE
LISTED ON THE SCREEN INCLUDING
UNF MANY THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME.
>> AND YOUR PERSPECTIVE WHICH
IS SO IMPORTANT AS WE TRY TO
ALWAYS ENCOURAGE OUR YOUNG