"The School Wasn't Hearing Me": An AssignedFemaleAtBirth Male's Truth of Identity Formation Through Catholic Schooling

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Contemporary Issues in Catholic Education

Abstract

This presentation tells the Catholic K-8 schooling experiences of James, assigned-female-at-birth (AFAB) male. James was caught in the tensions of a Catholic school reinforcing traditional norms of gender and a family that bucked traditional norms of gender. At school James learned about the body and sex but did not feel comfortable in his biological body or his assigned female gender; he did not want to menstruate and birth babies but wanted to grow a mustache and have his voice deepen.
James’ narrative is presented here with two themes emerging from his experience: pushing against norms and gender and biological longing, demonstrating the complexity of navigating through school while trying to understand one’s gendered and also his biological identity and self.

Author

• Michael Bartone, Central Connecticut State University