Fred:
I commend you for wanting to understand the situation for your students. It is a very good thing to do. I don’t have direct knowledge as I came out several months before I retired. However, in general trans folks need to know that they have allies. But, I believe that being a bit subtle is important as it may be a bit embarrassing for your students with respect to their peers. I think respect is also significant in terms of using preferred names and pronouns without a hint of reacting oddly. Tone and inflection make a difference, so business as usual. I’m not sure how to do this, but if other kids do or say some untoward things, that obviously needs to be corrected. The “how” is important because if not done well, a backlash could occur.
I lived in Corning for 23 years before I retired and moved to the SoCal desert. The LGBT community in Rochester has been in place for many years. You may find some resources here:
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