A transgender student at Assumption College Catholic High School is pushing to have his chosen name on his diploma when he graduates.
Earlier this year, Damien Crowe launched a petition calling on the Ministry of Education and the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board to allow transgender students to go by their chosen names — to date the petition has gathered more than 26,000 signatures.
The Grade 11 student spoke with the school board Tuesday night highlighting the many challenges faced by transgender students.
Crowe says it's been a tough road since coming out as trans in 2018.
"While I was met with support from most of my friends and teachers, I was also met with lots of bullying and I've been called slurs, I've received death threats and I've had to change the way that I walk to and from school out of fear for my safety," says Crowe. "I've even had to delete most of my social media to avoid anonymous online harassment."
He says change is needed at the board.
"I have also received an enormous amount of support and attention from my community," he says. "People are willing to learn more about these issues and want to help us. Making these changes will help pave the way for all transgender and gender non-conforming students coming after me and will create a more progressive, more accepting environment for all students to grow in."
Crowe believes it all comes down to education.
"There is a lack of education within the school board that negatively impacts the way that transgender, non-binary and gender non-conforming students are treated in school," says Crowe. "If we were to change this so that teachers and students alike were actively being taught about transgenderism and gender identity, then more people would be understanding of their transgender and gender non-conforming peers."
Administration with the Catholic school board are currently working on a transgender policy which will be brought to trustees in the near future for a vote.
If approved the changes would be rolled out next school year — meaning Crowe would graduate with his chosen name on his diploma.