You probably haven’t heard about gender identity disorder –
or gender dysphoria. It is a condition where a person feels they are trapped
in the body of the wrong sex. It is not a biological condition – it is
a psychiatric classification – but that doesn’t mean the person
who has it is crazy, just different. Tonight we’ll introduce you to a
young man who says he is a woman trapped in the body of a man. But that’s
not the news tonight – the news is that he might be kicked out of school
because of it. Keith Swift has his story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
At first glance, and that is only if you take a quick look, 19 year old Jose
Garcia might appear normal but he’ll be the first to tell you that he’s
not.
Jose Garcia, Gay
“All my life I have acted more female than man. For example, I consider
myself more female than male. All my life has been like that. Since I remember
I was 7 years old since I remember I am like this.”
But now he is 19 and a student at the Baptist High School’s Adult School
of Continuing Studies in Belmopan where he is facing expulsion – he says
because of his sexuality.
Jose Garcia,
“I don’t know why this exists, why discrimination exists. Why
the principal says he is a pastor and a Christian person and he is discriminating
me. I don’t know why he does that.”
According to these letters – one dated October 1st and the other October 
5th – the Baptist School is threatening to dismiss him is because he acts
like a girl, he dresses effeminately and he uses the female bathroom. Incredibly
Jose Garcia admits to doing all of the above.
One of the issues raised by the school is this purse that he proudly carries
every day as a school bag. He said he’s changing it to this one –
but that’s not likely to stem the tide of complaints.
Keith Swift,
“The complaints are that you dress like a girl. Do you dress like a girl?”
Jose Garcia,
“No. I wear man shirts and just the pants.”
Keith Swift,
“You had a bandoo in your hair though.”
Jose Garcia,
“Just that, nothing wrong with that because I am gay, not man like
unu.”
Keith Swift,
“You use the female bathroom?”
Jose Garcia,
“I just use it one time. I change a lot this year. I agree on some
things with the principals but not on everything. For example I do not agree
with him because he is telling me to cut my hair but lot of males there have
more long hair than me. So why is he telling me to cut my hair and not tell
them to cut their one. I don’t understand.”
Keith Swift,
“In the letter it says you are a distraction to the other students. Do
you agree””
Jose Garcia,
“No. I am not hurting nobody because of the way I dress.”
Keith Swift,
“You might be bothering them though.”
Jose Garcia,
“Well I guess so.”
Still Jose says that doesn’t mean they should expel him.
Jose Garcia,
“You know I am not hurting nobody but myself.”
Keith Swift,
“If it came down to this: either you try to finish your education or you
stop dress like a girl which one would you choose?”
Jose Garcia,
“To finish my education of course.”
Jose Garcia has only one year of school remaining before he earns his diploma.
Some things to stress are that Jose Garcia attends Baptist’s
School of Adult and Continuing Studies –and not the regular high school.
The school’s principal Norman Willacy deferred comment because the matter
is now in the hands of the Ministry of Education. He did say that the school
has tried to work with Jose Garcia but that has been mostly to no avail.
The Ministry of Education’s PR Officer Arlett Gomez told us late
this evening that the Ministry of Education can only advise the school management
because it is a privately run school but it is being investigated and discussed.
A meeting is planned for Monday. We’ll keep following the story.
Email
Print