Made a student re-check their own biases against trans people the other day...

Had students complete a task wherein they were to make a PPT in class having to do with deficiencies with equality across sports along racial or gendered lines. One student and his group were about to bring up Imane Khelif's boxing match for the PPT with the angle that Trans people shouldn't compete in sports due to inequality issues. Topic was about how women are treated differently then men in sports wherein beauty and fragility is valued more than athleticism.

I then had him recheck and re-research Khelif's gender to find out that she is indeed a cis woman. Had to explain what that concept was to him and asked why people would spread this disinformation about this athlete, and why people would take the side of Angela Carini who was seen crying after only lasting 46 seconds in the ring. Saw the years in his head begin to turn and my student basically gave me (read: synthesized) the definition for what trans-misogyny was.

I should clarify that this kid is one of the smartest in our if all my seniors. He's going to college and will find success there. I do not think he is inherently transphobic - rather he got duped by malicious reporting. While I am proud to have caught this before it got worse, encouraging him to err on the side out caution, I could not say the same about the rest of my students who couldn't be brothered to make the exact same argument but still insist otherwise. I did cause some to be puzzled when I told them there is only about 40 collegate trans athletes, but some still persisted in their worldview, being completely inflexible and immature. Most of my students seemed to be bitter about the very idea of equity or equality, but that's a subject for another time. I'll take this small victory.