Life’s Journey of Trans-woman Students: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Transgender-woman students are already visible in both private and public schools in Cebu City. Although their visibility in the schools is a manifestation of the implementation of the Anti-Bullying Act in the country and the Child Protection Policy of the Department of Education, still there are incidents of bullying and even discrimination not just among trans-woman students but also to other members of the LGBTQ. These incidents greatly affect the academic performance and non-academic activities of the students. This phenomenological study explored how the academic and non-academic life of the 17 trans-woman students shifted throughout their student life, impacted by their gender identity and expression and sexual orientation, and the factors that caused them to refocus, change or shift their priorities and perspectives in their lives as students and individuals over time. This study identified 6 themes that aroused from the transcription of the data. The findings of the study showed that to be a transgender-woman student is never easy and whatever ways they inform everyone about their gender identity and expression and orientation still get bullied. It also showed in this study that trans-woman students respect the people in the school for they also want to be respected in return. When they are given the freedom to express themselves, then they have the strong will to do good in their academic tasks and become responsible citizens. But still, trans-woman students do not feel safe and comfortable in some of the educational systems and facilities in the school like the use of the comfort rooms, curriculum and teaching-learning process. The different people in the school play a critical role in the journey of trans-woman students.

Keywords

• sexuality education
• gender and development
• lgbtq
• anti-discrimination