Thursday, November 17, 2022

Avoiding Deadnames

Tuesday. I was covering the social studies classes at the continuation high school.

Fifth period. I was walking the room, asking students their names...

(I don't call roll if I can help it. I hate "calling" the roll with a fiery passion. Instead, I take a class roster, walk the room, and ask each student their name.)

Student: "MK. It's at the top." The student's friend said the last name, and then: "Different first name. We don't want to use his deadname." 

Actually, both the student's preferred name and the student's deadname were on the roster. (I printed the screen of the online attendance.) The deadname was the name listed, MK was in parentheses. I marked him present.

I continued asking names around the table.

Student gave his last name, and his last name only.

As I was searching for it on the roster, the girl sitting next to him asked, "What's his first name?"

The student shook his head. 

I located the student's name.

The girl: "It's Charles, isn't it?" 

The boy had two names listed. One of them was Charles. The other was Mason. Charles was in parentheses. I marked him present.

Me: "I'm not getting in the middle of this." Although, I tilted the roster towards the boy so he could see how he was listed. 

As all the students at the table had been accounted for, I walked on to the next table.

23 comments:

  1. Never heard of deadnames.
    Coffee is on and stay safe

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  2. What's a deadname? I probably should know, but I haven't had my coffee yet.

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    Replies
    1. A deadname is the previous name of a trans person, before they transitioned.

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  3. Good that you're being respectful of their names. So many aren't.

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  4. Replies
    1. It's way better than calling out. That's just plain painful.

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  5. I had never heard of a deadname, but then again we do not have any younger generational people at work that can afford the time to play gender games.

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  6. It's extremely important to respect someone's name and not to use their deadname. Thank you for respecting that.

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    1. I avoid using deadnames when I can. Alas, if I must call the roll, I may sometimes stumble onto one.

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  7. That sounds like a great way to make sure you learn the names the kids want to be called, while also taking attendance :)

    Hope you are having a wonderful day :)

    www.awayfromtheblue.blogspot.com.au

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    Replies
    1. And they'll pronounce the weird ones so I don't have to guess. I usually guess wrong.

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  8. Learned something new today. Had no idea what a deadname is.

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  9. I knew someone years ago when my son was younger and I recently found out they had transitioned. It's one of the reasons why I know about deadnames. I'm happy (not surprised) to see how respectful you are to your students, especially as it is one more detail of many you have to pay attention to nowadays.

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    Replies
    1. It's not just with deadnames sometimes. Sometimes the kiddos absolutely hate their given name, and it's better to use the name they prefer. It smooths so many other things over.

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  10. I've never heard it called that. I wonder if it's a term used here? The Barbarians know peers who have transitioned, so it's not as if I haven't been exposed to the conversation.

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    1. Deadname is absolutely a term that is used here in Australia, in exactly the same way. I am the same as Liz (high school teacher) but have known students as young as 5 who have told me what their name is and asked me not to call them by their deadname.

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  11. Hi Liz - I'd never heard of deadnames before - so I thank you for enlightening me! It's good to know - and thus appreciate ... and as the others have said ... I'm pleased you're treating them with respect, they I hope appreciate it. Thanks - Hilary

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  12. I like how you do roll call. It seems more personable.

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  13. I didn't know what a deadname was until you explained!
    I always learn something new whenever I visit your blog, Liz.

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  14. I'd never heard the term before. Now I can't help imagining a much more macabre, paranormal definition. ~grin~ I'll credit you if anything comes of it. lol Be well!

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    Replies
    1. Oh, don't credit me. I did not come up with the term deadname.

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