Re: “Oklahoma instructor removed from teaching for failing a Bible-based gender essay” (Dec. 23, Nation):
Middle school is often where kids first feel real pressure to “act” like a boy or a girl, and research shows those expectations can shape everything from popularity to bullying.
Studies find that students — especially boys — who strongly conform to traditional gender norms are more likely to bully peers who don’t fit those norms. Bullying becomes a way to enforce what the group sees as acceptable masculinity or femininity, and kids who step outside those lines often pay the social price.
This isn’t about how many genders exist; it’s about how children treat one another when they believe there is only one “right” way to be a boy or a girl.
Some community members may hold a sincere biblical belief that God created only two genders. That theological view speaks to identity and faith, not to the social dynamics unfolding in classrooms and hallways. Regardless of one’s beliefs, the evidence is clear: rigid gender expectations can fuel bullying, and students who don’t conform are at greater risk of harm.
We can honor personal faith while still acknowledging the responsibility to create schools where every child — conforming or not — is treated with dignity.
Michael J. Dooley, Olympia
