San Diego Transgender Teen Deaths Prompt Questions On Bullying, Support

THIS IS KPBS MIDDAY EDITION I'M MAUREEN CAVANAUGH. IT'S WELL KNOWN THAT KIDS CAN BE CRUEL BUT WHEN THE CRUELTY IS RELENTLESS, IT CAN SOMETIMES KILL. LAST WEEK WE LEARNED ABOUT THE SUICIDE OF A TRANSGENDERED TEEN IN THE NORTH COUNTY. 16-YEAR-OLD TAYLOR ALICE SAY NO SPOKE OF BEING -- TAYLOR ALESANA SPOKE OF BEING BULLIED. SHE CLAIMED THE NAME-CALLING AND BULLYING CONTINUED IF THERE DASHED EVEN AFTER TELLING THE STAFF. BEFORE HER DEATH, THE RESOURCE CENTER WAS ALSO WARNING THE DEATH OF A TRANSGENDERED TEEN NAMED SAGE COMMITTED SUICIDE IN MARCH. WHAT ARE THE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STRUGGLES THAT CAUSE SOME TRANSGENDERED TEENS TO TAKE THEIR LIVES AND WHAT CAN SCHOOLS AND PARENTS DUE TO INTERVENE? JOINING ME IS KURT CUNNINGHAM, OUTREACH CORE NADER WITH MENTAL HEALTH AMERICA OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY CHAPTER. WELCOME TO THE SHOW. VANGIE AKRIDGE IS AN EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST WHO WORKS WITH LB GT. THANK YOU. IN YOUR WORK WITH TREND GENDERED TEENS VANGIE WHAT YOU HEAR ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THEY FACE ? I THINK THE ADOLESCENTS STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT IN ITSELF IS VERY TRYING AND VERY DIFFICULT. I THINK THE CHALLENGE WITH TRANSGENDERED TEENS IS AS A LOOK IN THE MIRROR, AND THEY DO NOT SEE WHAT THEY FEEL REFLECTS WHO THEY ARE IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY CHALLENGES. ARE THE PROBLEMS GREATER IF A TEEN IS OPEN ABOUT THEIR TRANSGENDER IDENTITY OR IS IT HARDER IF THE TEENAGER TRIES TO HIDE THE IDENTITY ? I THINK THEY ARE EQUALLY DIFFICULT. BECAUSE FOR MOST TEENS, THERE IS SOME LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING THAT THE NATURAL MATURATION THEY WILL EVENTUALLY FILL OUT OR BECOME THE INDIVIDUAL THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE. BEFORE TRANSGENDERED TEEN, THERE IS NO REAL TIMELINE OR UNDERSTANDING IF WHAT THEY SEE IN THE MIRROR WILL MATCH WHAT THEY INTEND TO REALLY BE. TAYLOR, FROM FALLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL WAS BIOLOGICALLY MALE, IDENTIFYING AS FEMALE. SAGE, WAS BIOLOGICALLY FEMALE IDENTIFYING AS MALE. ARE BOTH KINDS OF TRANSGENDERED IDENTITIES EQUALLY BELIEVE -- BULLIED ? I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO BULLYING, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN PERSPECTIVE THAT NOT ALL TRANSGENDERED TEENS ARE BULLIED. THERE ARE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT EXIST IN OUR COUNTY THAT PROVIDES EMOTIONALLY SAFE AND PHYSICALLY SAFE PLACES FOR TRANSGENDERED TEENS TO LEARN. SO TO THAT END, I THINK EVERY TRANSGENDERED TEEN EXPERIENCES DIFFERENT AS FAR AS THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITY BUT IT IS SOMETHING FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THOSE BULLYING INCIDENTS DO OCCUR. DOES IT HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY FOR BIOLOGICAL MALES WHO ARE IDENTIFYING FOR -- AS FEMALES ? TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ONE IS GREATER THAN THE OTHER AND, KURT, MAYBE YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT. I THINK THAT EQUALLY -- BULLYING IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE DO ACROSS THE BOARD. IF YOU LOOK DIFFERENT, YOU TALK DIFFERENT, IF YOU'RE FROM A DIFFERENT PLACE, BULLYING THOSE BOUNDARIES -- KNOWN NO BOUNDARIES. TAYLOR TOLD STAFF ABOUT BEING BULLIED BUT REPORTED GOING TO SCHOOL QUOTE HAS BEEN HELL. DOES THAT SURPRISE YOU ? NO, IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME. SAN DIEGO HAS THE SAFE SCHOOLS INITIATIVE THAT THEY STARTED FOUR YEARS AGO AND PEOPLE'S HEARTS ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE WITH THAT, IT'S JUST NOT PROVING TO BE 100% EFFECTIVE YET. WE NEED TO LOOK TO OUR PRINCIPLES OF THE SCHOOLS. GSA CLUBS, GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE, THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP THESE CHILDREN. WE JUST NEED TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SCHOOLS FALLBROOK HIGH RELEASED A STATEMENT ABOUT TAYLOR'S DEATH. IT READS IN PART FALLBROOK HIGH HAS A CONTINUUM OF APPROPRIATE SERVICES, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL ACADEMIC TO ENSURE EVERY STUDENT IS SUPPORTED AND SUCCESSFUL AT FALLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL. IT IS NEVER EASY WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS BUT WE ARE WORKING TO MOVE FORWARD TOGETHER AND STRONGER THAN BEFORE. IT'S A STATEMENT RELEASED FROM A STATEMENT RELEASED BY FALLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL. CURT TAYLOR TALKED ABOUT SITTING DOWN ALONE EVERYDAY AT LUNCH WEARING HEADPHONES AS SHE WALKED DOWN THE HALLS, SO SHE WOULD HEAR THE NAME-CALLING. WHAT CAN SCHOOL AUTHORITIES DO ABOUT A SITUATION LIKE THAT ? SCHOOL AUTHORITIES ARE SUPPOSED TO SEE THESE INCIDENTS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. THAT IS WHAT THE SAFE SCHOOLS INITIATIVES IS ALL ABOUT. THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE EMPOWERED TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION TO A DRESS THE SITUATION AND THEY ARE NOT. AND, THEN G ? SPEAKING TO THAT IT'S ABOUT CREATING A SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE THAT IS EXCEPTING. FOSTERING THAT UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD FOR ALL STUDENTS AND IT DOES -- IT IS A TOP-DOWN SITUATION AND FROM MY VANTAGE POINT IN THE REALM OF EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS ARE -- YOUR NUMBER ONE INVESTIGATORS IF THERE IS AN ISSUE OR SITUATION THAT'S GOING ON IN -- ON CAMPUS, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE INVESTIGATING IT AND PROBLEM SOLVING AND MAKING SURE THE STATUS QUO AND OVERALL CLIMATE IS SPACE -- SAFE FOR EVERYONE. KURT, YOUR OUTREACH ON THIS ISSUE INVOLVES OFFERING A STRUCTURE AND A SOMETHING CALLED LGBTQ 101. TELL US ABOUT THAT. I DEVELOPED THIS PRESENTATION FOR THE COUNTY PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL. I DEVELOPED IT TOGETHER WITH THE HELP OF THE OX WELLER AMEND OR -- MEMBER OF A TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY IN SAN DIEGO PRESENTING TO THE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITAL THEY WERE LOOKING FOR INFORMATION SENSITIVITY TRAINING AND EDUCATION ON TRANSGENDER ISSUES AND THEY HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN PATIENTS AND THEY NEEDED THE TOOLS TO DO THAT. WE GAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT 23 PEOPLE SOCIAL WORKERS DOCTORS NURSES. SO I PLANNED ON PRESENTING THAT MORE. THERE'S HOSPITALS AND PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT FACILITIES THAT NEED THIS INFORMATION. AND PUTTING THE INFORMATION TOGETHER AND IN THE LIMITED EXPOSURE THAT YOU HAVE HAD TO THIS, PARTICULARLY -- THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION, WHAT DO YOU GET THAT THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO LEARN ABOUT TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE ? TRANSGENDER PEOPLE IS JUST ANOTHER VARIATION OF THE HUMAN CONDITION. THERE ARE PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, ALL OF THE COUNTRY, PROBABLY IN THIS BUILDING THAT MIGHT HAVE GENDER IDENTITY THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT. WE NEED TO BE SENSITIVE AND ASK HOW PEOPLE WANT TO BE ADDRESSED. WE DON'T JUST ASSUME. WE CAN LOOK AT SOMEBODY -- HOW THEY PRESENT THEIR GENDER, THEIR GENDER IDENTITY, GENDER EXPRESSION, WE ALL CHOOSE EVERYDAY HOW WE WANT TO PRESENT OURSELVES TO THE WORLD BY OUR HAIR BY OUR STYLE OF CLOTHING, BUT WE NEED TO RESPECT THEM AND FIND OUT WHAT CAN I DO HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE ADDRESSED, A LITTLE MORE SENSITIVITY. IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE GET HUNG UP ON HOW TO USE CHRONOS. USING SHE FOR BIOLOGICAL MALE WHO IDENTIFIES AS FEMALE. TAYLOR HAD A BUTTON ON HER PURSE WITH THE PRONOUN SHE, HER, AND HERS ON IT. HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT, THEN G, TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THIS GENDER IDENTITY ? IT'S IMPORTANT TO RESPECT HOW THE INDIVIDUAL VIEWS HIMSELF. BY DISMISSING THE NAME THAT THEY CHOOSE TO BE CALLED BY OR THEIR PREFERENCE FOR A PARTICULAR PRONOUN DISMISSES THEM OVERALL AS AN INDIVIDUAL. SPEAKING TO WHAT KURT WAS SAYING ABOUT THE NEED FOR EDUCATION IN THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD AND PSYCHIATRIC FACILITIES, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND AS WE DEAL WITH TRANSGENDERED TEENS, IF YOU THINK ABOUT CURRENT EDUCATORS THAT ARE IN CLASSROOMS TODAY, THERE WAS NO COURSE OR TRAINING RELATED TO LGBTQ ISSUES. AND THERE WAS A NEED FOR TRAINING FOR EDUCATORS. VANGIE, LET'S DO A BIT OF TRANSGENDERED 101. IF WE MAY. HOW EARLY IN LIFE DO TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE BEGIN TO IDENTIFY WITH THE OPPOSITE GENDER ? WELL, I THINK IT IS DIFFERENT FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL, BUT IT'S NOT UNUSUAL AS EARLY AS GRADE SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS OR CHILDREN BEGIN TO MAKE THEM -- SOME DIFFERENCES ABOUT THAT. I'VE SEEN CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS FIVE YEARS OLD EXPRESS THEIR GENDER IDENTITY -- THEIR GENDER PREFERENCE AT THAT POINT THEY WILL TEAR OFF THEIR CLOTHES, IF THEY'RE PUTTING CLOTHES ON THAT ARE FEMALE CLOTHES AND THEY FEEL LIKE A BOY AND THEY DON'T WANT TO WEAR THEM. IT'S BECOMING YOUNGER AND YOUNGER. CHILDREN ARE LEARNING ABOUT THEMSELVES AT A YOUNGER AGE. IS THERE AN INTERNAL STRUGGLE. IS THERE CONFUSION. WHAT I'VE READ IS THAT MOST TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE KNOW THEIR TRUE GENDER. THE STRUGGLE IS WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD. IS THAT CORRECT, KURT ? I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF USE THAT ARE -- THAT'S WHERE THE Q COMES IN IN LGBTQ QUESTIONING THEIR DISCOVERING THEIR IDENTITY, EXPLORING THEIR GENDER IDENTITY. SO WE NEED TO GIVE THEM THE SPACE IN THE ROOM AND THE TOOLS TO DO THAT. BECAUSE -- GO AHEAD, VANGIE. IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT DEVELOP MENTAL STAGE OF BEING AN ADOLESCENT, IDENTITY FORMATION COMES WITH THE TORCH -- TERRITORY ANYWAY. SO TOO HAVE THE ADDED LAYER OF GENDER IDENTITY FORMATION, THERE IN LIES THE EXTRA STRESSORS AND THE NEED FOR UNIQUE SUPPORT FOR THESE GROUP OF TEENS. AND HOW ARE THESE EXTRA STRESSORS INTERNALIZED? WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ? WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ANXIETY AND THE SADNESS OF AGAIN LOOKING INTO THE MIRROR AND SEEING AN IMAGE THAT IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THEY HOPE TO BE MORE THE IMAGE OF THEIR CELLS THAT THEY HAVE. AND ALSO NOT GETTING SUPPORTIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE WORLD AT LARGE ABOUT IF YOU EXPRESS THAT QUESTIONING OR EXPRESS YOUR IDENTITY AS THE OPPOSITE GENDER. ABSOLUTELY. AGAIN, THE NEED FOR THE UNCONDITIONAL POSITIVE REGARD. HOW ARE THE OTHER LGBT TEENS COPING WITH THE DEBTS OF TAYLOR AND SAGE, VANGIE ? I WOULD SAY THE SAN DIEGO COMMUNITY OF THE LGBTQ TEENS AT LARGE ARE STRUGGLING MIGHTILY. I THINK THE COMMUNITY COUNTYWIDE HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THE LOSSES, AND I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THE LOSS. ANY LOSS OF LIFE THAT THE COMMUNITY FEELS THAT COULD BE PREVENTED IN SOME RESPECT AS FAR AS THE LEVEL OF ACCEPTANCE FOR THESE TEENS IS TOUGH. SO I THINK WITH THE EFFORTS THAT ARE BEING MADE BY CURRENT AND THOSE ARE -- THAT ARE WILLING TO COLLABORATE WITH THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS BEGINNING TO WORK WITH SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS WILL BE SUPER IMPORTANT TO PREVENTION. KURT, DOES THIS -- DO EVENTS LIKE THIS PUT AT RISK TRANSGENDERED TEENS AT MORE RISK ? THERE SOMETHING WE CALL CONTAGION CLUSTERS PICK SOMETIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BULLYING TOO MUCH, SOMEBODY MIGHT IDENTIFY WITH THE BULLY AND SAYING THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME. THIS IS HOW I'M SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH THAT. SO THERE IS A RISK OF CONTAGION OF TRANSGENDER -- ANY YOUNG ADULT, LGBT ADULT THINKING THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN EASE THE PAIN. MOST OFTEN, CHILDREN DON'T ACTUALLY WANT TO DIE, THEY JUST WANT TO END THE PAIN. AND THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY KNOW HOW. LET ME WELCOME A PHONE GUEST ON THE LINE. MAX THIS BUSTY IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NORTH COUNTY LGBTQ RESOURCE CENTER. MAX, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME -- HAVING ME. YOU ARE INTENDING TO ATTEND A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TONIGHT. IS THAT CORRECT ? YES. CORRECT. AT THE CENTER TAYLOR WAS ONE OF THE KIDS COMING TO THE CENTER FREQUENTLY AND WE WERE AWARE ABOUT THE STRUGGLE. MANY OF THE KIDS ARE DURING EVERYDAY THROUGH THEIR SCHOOL EXPERIENCE. SO WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE PROGRAMS IN PLACE IN SAN DIEGO SCHOOLS THAT ARE AIMED AT KEEPING KIDS SAFE AND BEING SUPPORTIVE AND YET IT DOESN'T SEEM AS IF THEY ARE HAVING -- MANIFESTED THEMSELVES TO WORK FOR EVERYONE OBVIOUSLY. THEY DIDN'T WORK FOR TAYLOR. YES, CORRECT. WHAT KURT WAS SAYING WAS CORRECT. THE PROBLEM IS WHERE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE PUTTING THE PRIORITIES. FOR INSTANCE, NOW AT THE LGBTQ CENTER WERE CURRENTLY TRAINING THE OCEANSIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE SAME REASONS. THERE WERE TOO MANY ATTEMPTS IN THE PAST THE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE BY KIDS, LGBTQ , THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHOWED INCREDIBLE INTEREST REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITIES AND CONTACTING US AND WE WORKED TOGETHER FOR A FEW YEARS AND NOW WE ARE ACTUALLY TRAINING THE WHOLE DISTRICT. SO THERE ARE TOOLS IN PLACE, IT'S JUST THAT SOMETIMES WE DON'T GET THE TIME -- THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE FOR OUR -- NOT ONLY COUNSELORS WHICH ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THE KIDS WHICH ARE REALLY THE ONES THAT ARE HURTING THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY BUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A WHOLE IN CHANGING THE CULTURE OF INCLUSION. WE ARE NOT THERE YET. MOSTLY, OUR SCHOOLS ARE ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM WHEN THEY HAVE TRANSGENDER PRESENCE WITHIN THE SCHOOL, WHICH IS IN ANY SINGLE SCHOOL. BUT DIDN'T ADDRESS IN A POSITIVE WAY THE NEED TO TALK ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, WHICH ARE -- STATE MINDED PROGRAMS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. SO THIS IS NOTHING NEW. WE JUST NEED TO MAKE IT WORK AND MAKE IT HAPPEN. KURT, WE HEAR THAT THERE IS A DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT IN ATTITUDES THAT IS TOWARD GAYS AND LESBIANS. YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO SUPPORT SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, LGBT RIGHTS. WHY THEN DO YOU THINK THAT SCHOOL BUILDING FOR TRANSGENDERED TEENS IS SUCH A PROBLEM. ? WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY BUT WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. LOOK AT THE NATIONAL NEWS. WE'RE STILL BEING TOLD THAT -- IT'S THE -- IT'S BETTER BUT THE IMAGE OUT THERE FOR PEOPLE TO SEE, THEY FOLLOW WHAT THEY SEE. IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT LAWMAKERS ARE PUTTING OUT THERE, I THINK OUR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO FOLLOW SUIT. WHICH RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS WANT TO KILL THE GAYS ? THERE WAS SOMETHING IN CALIFORNIA, A BILL PROPOSED -- IT'S THE KILL THE GAYS IS WHAT WE CALL IT. I DON'T THINK THE NAME IS ACTUALLY KILL THE GAYS, BUT IT'S OUT THERE. INDIANA. IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE. PRESIDENT. OBAMA HAS CALLED FOR THE END OF CONVERSION THERAPIES. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT. NATIONWIDE, THE CONVERSATION NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. LUCKILY, WE HAVE A PRESIDENT THAT'S ON OUR SIDE. LET ME LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS. REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NORTH COUNTY LGBTQ RESOURCE CENTER WILL ATTEND THE FALLBROOK UNION HIGH SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING TONIGHT AND THEY WILL DISCUSS THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO TAYLOR -- TAYLOR ALESANA FALLBROOK HIGH SCHOOL ROOM 201. I WANT TO TAKE MAX [ INDISCERNIBLE ] THANKED FOR JOINING US. I WANTED TO THANK KURT CUNNINGHAM AND VANGIE ACT RIDGE FOR JOINING ME. THANK YOU SO MUCH.