DECATUR — Alana Banks began realizing she wasn't comfortable in her body at a young age.
“When I was about 5 years old, I began to recognize my femininity,” said Banks. “By 10, I began to question why I was not assigned female at birth. I didn't like how I was expected to act and dress as a 'boy.'"
Banks, who will be 25 on Aug. 6, went through high school identifying as a gay, Black male and endured bullying and name-calling until transitioning at age 22, which in itself was difficult. She is a 2013 graduate of Eisenhower High School.
“I was frightened at first, because I feel that I am destined to be a woman of public service,” she said. “I worried that transitioning would somehow tarnish my chances of ever becoming, say, an elected official. I feared that no one would take me seriously. Today, I am generally accepted among my peers and colleagues. The public realizes that I am indeed a force to be reckoned with, so negative comments are usually kept silent.”
Because of her experience in Decatur schools, she has proposed a policy to the Decatur Board of Education that specifically addresses transgender students.
The board already has a policy that calls for equal educational and extracurricular opportunities for students “without regard to color, race, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, age, religious beliefs, physical or mental disability, gender identity, status of being as homeless, immigration status, order of protection status, or actual or potential marital or parental status, including pregnancy.”
The board agreed to review Banks' proposal, “The DPS 61 Pride Project,” which includes recommendations and rules covering dress codes, extra-curricular activities, student transitions, student privacy, and staff training. It also has recommendations for the creation of gay-straight student alliance groups.
As a young person, Banks "felt that my soul was placed into the wrong body. When trans people are young, we often have a hard time finding the necessary language to explain this to our parents. Especially those of us who were punished for displaying any characteristics of non-normative gender expression and/or sexual orientation.”
A visit to a high school with a Gay-Straight Alliance group for its students prompted Banks to act, she said. In talking to the students, she realized that the LGBTQ students were still facing both passive and active bullying tactics.
“Some students are not able to express themselves freely at home,” Banks said. “School and extracurricular activities are their only escape. I want to change that. I want students to not only be able to receive their education in peace, but to do so authentically without fear of consequence. discrimination, harassment, or worse.”
Denise Swarthout, spokeswoman for the Decatur Public Schools, said the board is considering Banks' proposal and could take a vote at a future meeting. The board has already discussed changes to its policies in light of recent events and Black Lives Matter and appointed a committee to study potential changes and make a recommendation.
“This is an opportunity for district leaders to send the message to transgender students that they are heard, supported, and valued as members of a school family,” Banks said.
21 photos of Decatur high school activities through the years
21 photos of Decatur high school activities through the years
Contact Valerie Wells at (217) 421-7982. Follow her on Twitter: @modgirlreporter