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Richmond Public Schools’ Chosen Name Practice to Take Effect This Fall

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As part of Richmond Public Schools’ effort to make schools a more inclusive space for the LGBTQ community, starting this fall, it will have an option for students to display their chosen name on virtual platforms.

Richmond Public Schools has introduced the option for transgender and non-binary students to display their chosen name on online platforms for the upcoming virtual school year.

Students who need to change their name on virtual platforms, such as Google Classroom, should contact RPS Chief of Staff Michelle Hudacsko, according to Superintendent Jason Kamras’ Aug. 20 newsletter. While this option does not currently exist due to official policy, Kamras said RPS is working on making it official.

With the assistance of Side By Side, a local advocacy organization dedicated to LGBTQ youth, RPS has been making important changes to its policies over the past year in order to be more inclusive toward LGBTQ students and staff. According to Side By Side, the implementation of a chosen name practice is an important component of that effort.

“It’s such a little thing to be able to consistently use the name [a student goes by],” said Ted Lewis, executive director of Side by Side, “but it goes a long way to the mental health of transgender youth.”

Not only has the organization been working with the school district to update their policies and students’ code of conduct, Lewis said Side by Side has been providing training for counselors and teachers as well as resources such as support groups and mental counseling for RPS staff, students, and their families.

Kamras said RPS revised the Student Code of Responsible Ethics (SCORE) to remove gender-specific guidelines, has removed gender-based color graduation gowns, and is looking to revise bathroom policy to “promote equity.”

“Our motto at RPS is to teach with love, lead with love, and serve with love,” said Kamras. “It’s really hard to live that if we’re not making sure that all of our students and staff feel welcomed or love for who they are.”

RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras. (Photo via rvaschools.net)

According to a University of Texas study, there is a 65 percent decrease in suicide attempt among trans youths who are able to use their chosen names at school in addition to home, work, and with friends; there is also a 71 percent reduction in depression symptoms.

RPS’ example of trans inclusivity may help influence other local school districts to do the same. Lewis said that families in surrounding counties have sent RPS’ practice to their school districts as an example for LGBTQ-inclusive policies.

RPS is not the only institution in the area to offer such service or policies. The Henrico School Board had recently adopted new non-discriminatory policies that extend nondiscrimination to programs, services, and activities on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Virginia Commonwealth University has a program called “Call Me By My Name,” which allows students and employees to update the name, pronoun, and gender identity they associate with on various platforms. The University of Richmond has similar non-discriminatory policies towards their trans students and employees.

Currently, the Virginia Department of Education is developing model policies in regards to treatment of trans students in public schools, ranging from bullying and dress codes to students’ privacy and records maintenance. School boards are required to adopt these guidelines by the 2021-2022 school year. 

While Kamras does not know what the model policies will entail, he said it will support and “give further credibility” to RPS’ inclusivity efforts.

Side by Side also has been involved in conversation with RPS in regards to law enforcement and school resource officers in schools. The organization sent out a letter to the school district calling for the removal of School Resource Officers (SROs) from all Richmond Public Schools, citing that LGBTQ students are more likely to be mistreated by law enforcement.

“This mistreatment and harassment by law enforcement combined with increased surveillance in school leads to more LGBTQ+ youth being incarcerated,” the letter stated.

Superintendent Kamras announced in a “Civic Voice Town Hall” meeting with students in July that he;s recommending to the school board the removal of SROs from schools and reallocating funding for mental health counseling. Kamras said the RPS is still in the review phase, and the school board will consider the hearing testimonies and data to make a decision on removing SROs this fall.

RPS plans to carry their chosen name practice to in-person learning once schools physically reopen, with a similar approach.

“We’ve created a mechanism for students to share their chosen names,” Kamras said, “so we can carry that forward now, once we do return in person.”

Top Photo via rvaschools.net

Lectures And Lashes: The Life Of A Collegiate Drag Queen

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For VCU student Francisco Ramirez, aka Ivanna Vakavich, performing in drag helps him stay confident and express Pride in bold, fearless fashion.

“Drag makes me feel like a superhero.” In front of piles of makeup laid across a bathroom counter, Francisco Ramirez begins to tell me about his own journey. 

“I could care less what anyone tells me. If my own family doesn’t support it, I don’t care,” he said. “I want to follow my dreams, and yes I’m a student, and yes I get stressed, but I love it so much.”

Ramirez is a third-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is majoring in Spanish by day, but by night, he’s a drag queen who goes by the name Ivanna Vakavich. Ramirez describes his drag persona as “stunning and punk at the same time. She proves anyone can be confident in any size.”

Ramirez is a larger than life personality. He can be seen walking around the VCU campus frequently speaking to people, a huge smile always across his face. Unlike his makeup, though, his reasons for starting to do drag aren’t a pretty story.

“I started doing drag because of a major depression,” he said.  “A falling out with my mother had caused me to feel lost, afraid, and alone. A trip to a beauty supply store and buying a wig changed my life forever; I felt like a brand new person.” 

He now performs in different competitions and shows around Richmond, and describes the Richmond drag scene as a “sisterhood.”

“Even though Richmond isn’t as big a city, such as New York City or Los Angeles, we’re a tight-knit unit. We aren’t afraid to help each other and give each other the critiques we need to be better,” he said. “Some people are really good at makeup, some people are good at dancing — it’s all how you work together that matters.”

He also appreciates his double life as a student and a drag queen. “I’m able to grow in more ways than one,” he said. “I have a bunch of different interests, and I’m able to do them and grow holistically. It’s important to get your education. If anything, it might help your drag career!”

According to the National LGBTQ Task Force, “20% of college students fear for their physical safety due to their gender identity or their perceived sexual orientation.” Ramirez understands, but his advice to these students is to “live in your truth.”

“Don’t hold back from who you are, and don’t let people talk you down,” he said. “Hang around people who are supportive and can give you real genuine advice. Help each other out.”

However, Ramirez also feels that VCU offers a more accepting community than students at other colleges might find. “I could go to class in full drag and be like, ‘Yep! I’m here!’ and nobody would say a thing,” he said. “You can’t do that everywhere.”

“For many students, college may be the first opportunity they have to meet other LGBTQ+ people or live authentically,” said Dae Newman, a VCU professor who is one of the co-chairs of Equality VCU. Newman agrees that VCU presents a positive community for LGBTQ students, and emphasizes how important that truly is.

“The presence of inclusive policies, resources, and strong campus communities can also be a consideration for people when selecting a school,” they said. “The success and popularity of events such as Lavender Graduation is a testament to how strong VCU’s LGBTQ+ community is.”

Newman is also very proud of the footsteps VCU is taking to becoming more inclusive going forward. “Equality VCU is particularly excited about the development of the Queer Research and Advocacy Center, known as the Q Collective,” they said. “We think that having a dedicated LGBTQ+ center on campus is a great step in the right direction.”

As the LGBTQ community gains in acceptance every day, LGBTQ culture also becomes more mainstream. Television shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race, Queer Eye, and Pose put the LGBTQ community in the forefront of the nation’s television screens. Now more than ever, Pride festivals, parades, and events are more common across the globe; drag and voguing have become celebrated art forms. More people are coming in contact with the LGBTQ community in their day to day life. However, as Pride season becomes more commercialized, LGBTQ community history is increasingly pushed aside and forgotten.

Ramirez believes it is the community’s responsibility to keep this history alive — and he sees that as especially true of drag queens. “We are literally the representation of Pride,” he said. “We are what comes to people’s mind when they think of pride. Pride is being yourself. Pride is about being proud of who you are.”

Ramirez particularly enjoys when people outside the community comes to performances and Pride events. “People come up to me all the time and say ‘I didn’t know you did drag!’ It’s all about representation. That what changes the game and makes it better and safer for all.”

One of Ramirez’s classmates and coworkers is a testament to this. Josh Robinson, a Junior at VCU studying Mass Communications became friends with Ramirez through working together. “Francisco is an accepting person,” said Robinson. “I grew up in a very limited, closed-minded community. The LGBT+ community was frowned upon, and people were not very accepting.”

However, seeing Ramirez perform in drag opened him up to a whole new world. “Experiencing drag and watching my friend perform gave me a better insight into the culture,” he said. “Seeing Francisco perform only made our friendship stronger, and helped me learn more.”

For anyone trying to juggle their dreams and their day-to-day responsibilities, Ramirez stands an example and inspiration. Ivanna Vakavich can be found performing in different bars in the Richmond area; keep up with her on Facebook.

Photos by Malik Welton

Randolph-Macon College’s LGBTQ+ LLC: A Landing Pad for LGBTQ Students

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A small college in Ashland takes a big step forward by creating a haven for LGBTQ students, especially those who are transgender and non-binary.

At Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, there is a relatively-small brick house shrouded from the world by trees. Outside on the front lawn, a sign says “Special Interest House,” but the house is formally known as the LGBTQ+ LLC  (Living-Learning Community). The house’s RA, Spencer Dillon, feels a sense of pride whenever they walk into the house, because it’s a place for people on the LGBTQ+ spectrum to feel secure and welcome on the Randolph-Macon campus.  

“Other groups of students on campus have places where they congregate and feel safe to them. The international students have the international house,” said Dillon, who is also the President of Randolph-Macon’s Pride Alliance. “And I thought, ‘That would be a good thing to have for our LGBTQ students, since any person, [regardless of] race or ethnicity, can be part of the LGBTQ community.’ It would be a good place for them. A landing pad.” 

The living space previously housed Pre-Health Students and partnered with the Pre-Health Society at R-MC, but beginning in February 2019, it began housing around 16 LGBTQ+ students. The house includes a communal living room, upstairs study room, dining room, and kitchen. Most of the rooms are singles, but there are triples for those who wish to live with roommates. It also features two communal-style bathrooms.

Photo by Helen Alvarez

Dillon had concerns about the communal-style bathrooms at the house; they believed it would be difficult for transitioning folks. “If somebody’s on hormone replacement or something like that, a communal-style bathroom would be weird,” said Dillon. “But it worked out that we got this house, and it seemed to work well.”

Luckily, inside the house, there is a single-stall, private bathroom that serves as the all-gender bathroom and can act as accommodation for transitioning students. After almost a year, the process of settling into the house seems to have gone smoothly.

Bathroom access is one of many issues that college campuses need to address when it comes to housing transgender people. Many housing policies and practices put students in dorms with the assumption that they’d all identify as either male or female; in campus residence halls, the floors, hallways, or buildings are divided by gender, and often feature bathrooms and showers that are divided between male and female. This arrangement fails to serve students that are in the process of transitioning, as well as those who are non-binary.

While R-MC does have Co-ed dorm options, roommates are selected based on a person’s assignment as either male or female. The vast majority of students don’t bat an eye at this living arrangement, but for transgender and non-binary students, it can be difficult to navigate.

Dillon had a difficult time establishing themselves as a non-binary student. “I know that I personally wasn’t comfortable freshman year when I was put into an all-girls communal-style bathroom,” they said. “I didn’t feel like I would be unsafe, but I felt like my presence would make others uncomfortable, and that’s just not something I wanted to do.”

LGBTQ+ LLC RA Spencer Dillon. Photo by Helen Alvarez

Many trans students share a similar feeling. It can be difficult to be in a space where you don’t fit into the binary mold. This can isolate and put pressure on transgender and non-binary students. And for students attempting to transition who’ve been assigned to live in a dorm that matches their assignment at birth, it can be difficult to have their gender taken seriously. Imagine the difficulty a young trans woman would face when she is assigned a male roommate and has to live on all-male dorm floor; it’s easy to imagine how this could put her in uncomfortable situations. 

Having established themselves in a well-respected leadership position, Dillon nonetheless still felt out of place. So they decided to take action. “I didn’t want to be an RA of an all-girls hall again,” they said. “So, I went like ‘Hey I feel this way, there are others that feel this way. Can we do something about it?’”

Dillon then began the process of finding the right space for LGBTQ+ students. They initially spoke to their direct supervisor, Amy Miller, who is Coordinator of Residence Life, to get a second opinion on the matter. Miller believed it was an achievable goal, and was willing to offer support.

 Dillon then spoke to the Assistant Dean of Students, Melissa Leecy, about the possibility of an LGBTQ+ House. “I went to talk to Dean Leecy and she said, ‘I’d hoped that you would come talk to me about this. I think it’s a good idea. Let’s see what we can do.’” This opened up a dialogue between Dillon, Leecy, and members of Pride Alliance, but Dillon wanted to gauge how the RMC student body as a whole felt about the possibility of a queer space. They were pleasantly surprised when many students expressed interest in the idea. The plan was in motion and there was widespread support.

Photo by Helen Alvarez

Dillon then met with Leecy to discuss the available options, which included having pods — groups of room off of a central hallway — or having a floor in a multi-floor dormitory dedicated to LGBTQ+ students. They also did research into the way other campuses went about having LGBTQ+ housing, including VCU’s “Lavender House LLC,” a space open to first year students who are interested in a year-long LGBTQIA+ focused living experience, as well as the LGBTQ+-specific housing that has been established on several campuses outside Virginia. For example, Iowa Western Community College set aside 40 suite-style apartments known as the Pride Q*mmunity Cluster for queer students and to promote gender inclusion.

The process took a few months, and until the end of 2018, Dillon was unsure where they were going to end up. It was a difficult process managing communication and rounding everyone up, but finally, last spring, they were able to obtain a house.

Since this is the first year R-MC is rolling out such a program, it’s been a new experience for Dillon. Their sense so far is that the community at the house is good, but could be better. They hope to continue working with Pride Alliance to improve things.

They also wish to advertise it better. With Dillon’s busy schedule, it can be hard to spread the news of the house through word of mouth. Also, Randolph-Macon’s community is more welcoming to LGBTQ+ students than it once was, but since the LGBTQ house is just down the street from a row of fraternity houses, Dillon feels it’s safer for them not to fly a rainbow flag in front of the house. They’re not worried about someone harming the students because of it, but they think someone may try to take it down.

Photo by Helen Alvarez

Dillon has talked to a few freshmen from Pride Alliance who would like to apply for special housing and have asked for information on doing so. There’s clearly genuine interest on campus in having a space where LGBTQ+ students can coexist.

Starting any new program is exciting and scary. However, Dillon has hope for the future of the LGBTQ+ LLC. It’s a small step, but for current and future LGBTQ+ students at R-MC, it’s an important one.

Top Photo by Helen Alvarez

Richmond Public Schools Adds LGBTQ-Affirming Language to Student Code of Responsible Ethics

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RPS and Side By Side worked together in order to make school a more inclusive place for Richmond’s LGBTQ students.

At last Monday’s meeting of the School Board for Richmond Public Schools, the school district presented the first draft of a revision to the school system’s Student Code of Responsible Ethics (SCORE). And one of the most important changes presented as part of that draft was a passage specifically intended to give LGBTQ RPS students a boost.

In his May 21 newsletter, RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras acknowledged the help of Side By Side, the youth-focused LGBTQ advocacy organization, in drafting the SCORE’s new language. “I want to thank Side by Side for their partnership on the SCORE revision,” he wrote. “It’s been invaluable.”

Kamras referred to the LGBTQ-related passages added to the SCORE as “language specifically designed to affirm and embrace our LGBTQ+ students.” He specifically quoted an addition to the policy’s statement about dress code: “Administration and enforcement of the dress code will be consistent across the student body, regardless of actual or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation, gender expression, race, ethnicity, and body size and/or type.”

During the school board meeting, Side By Side Executive Director Ted Lewis spoke about the need for the policy to also contain a chosen-name policy and an inclusive bathroom policy, in order to “ensure all our RPS students are affirmed in their identity,” according to a facebook status posted by Side By Side on Tuesday. “We are grateful for the support of Superintendent Kamras on making these needed changes to school policy,” Side By Side stated in the post.

In his newsletter, Kamras stated that the chosen-name policy would be added to the current revision of RPS’s SCORE, and said that the inclusive bathroom policy was something the administration would “work on developing policies for… over the course of the 2019-20 school year.”

“The very least we can do when our students come to us every day is ensure they feel welcomed and loved for who they are,” Kamras stated. “I am committed to ensuring that RPS is a national leader on this front.”