Flight Of The Puffin

Lack of understanding about and discrimination toward transgender and nonbinary youth exist throughout the US, in both urban and rural areas. While discrimination can always have damaging effects, they are often more pronounced for youths who live in rural areas and thus lack access to broad support and social circles. Discrimination may be more common in rural areas, largely because people may harbor bias against urban life and anything they associate with it. In addition, rural areas may lack broad access to medical care, and transgender youth in these areas may find it more difficult to be discreet or to come out in one area of life without it affecting all others. Approximately 211,000 transgender people live in the northeastern US, where Libby and Jack live in Flight of the Puffin, and on May 11, 2018, Vermont signed into law that any public place (including any school) must have a gender-neutral bathroom. This is the requirement that Jack starts out fighting against but eventually learns is a necessary change.

Discourse around transgender rights has surged, and sociopolitical changes are sweeping the country, both positive and negative. While some states, like Vermont, move to be more inclusive, others are creating laws that discriminate against transgender youth. Because of this conflict in views, open dialogue and education are essential, as are efforts to encourage understanding and foster empathy. Approximately 5% of youth in the US identify as transgender or nonbinary, and a vital error of many (like Jack) is to assume that just because nobody one knows has announced these identities, that means they don’t feel that way inside. The more that people receive understanding and acceptance, the more easily they can live free of persecution.