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> Dana Rivers
 Bigotry
Becomes Teacher's Pet Peeve
Meet
Colin Higgins Courage Award Winner Dana Rivers
A teacher injects life and excitement into his high school curriculum
and is regarded by students as the one teacher most likely to be
remembered as a major influence in their lives. He develops an innovative
program for unmotivated students to involve them in new extracurricular
activities. He coaches baseball and serves as a role model and educator
inside and outside of the classroom. Nine years into his teaching
career, having been exalted by his community, awarded by his school
and granted funds for his program, all of his hard work and accomplishments
are tossed aside when he informs his colleagues and students that
he'll be returning next fall as a woman - the appropriate gender
role.
Dana
Rivers, formerly David Warfield, had every intention of beginning
a normal school year when she returned to Center High School in
suburban Sacramento last fall. She says of the letter that she sent
to her colleagues announcing her transformation, "I wasn't
trying to make a political statement. I was trying to keep my job.
I am first and foremost a teacher."
She
didn't expect the school board to ask her to resign after four letters
of protest against a transgender educator. She didn't expect to
become an advocate for transgender youth and a spokesperson for
transgender issues. She didn't expect to be honored with a $10,000
grant by the Colin Higgins Foundation for courage in the face of
discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation.
Since
being forced to resign, Rivers has kept busy serving on the boards
of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and transgender organizations, educating
herself on the discrimination and hardships that transgenders face,
and speaking to the media. Recently the California State Credentialing
Commission closed her file without comment, clearing her to teach
again. "By nature, I've always been a person who is willing
to stand up for what is right …But this time it's about me
and people like me and I'm able to use my activist skills for something
very personal."
Her
willingness to stand up for what is right is exactly the attitude
that established her as a loved and respected teacher in her small
community of 1500 families. It was the attitude that led her to
explain her condition - known as gender identity dysphoria - and
warn her colleagues of her gender change rather than just report
to school with a different name and face. It was the reason that
she chose to address circulating rumors and speculation with a school
newspaper interview that explained frankly (the Board determined
too frankly and improperly) her 44-year battle with gender dysphoria
and the procedure she was undertaking to overcome it. These days
it is the motivation for her to continue to give interviews to journalists,
to speak at events such as the Millennium March on Washington, and
to help design better programs to serve the needs of transgender
youth around the country.
Last
fall when Center High's favorite teacher wasn't in class, the students
united in a full campaign to publicly protest the suspension of
Dana Rivers. They canvassed around the community on her behalf and
they hounded the local Top 40 radio station with phone calls that
led to daily monitoring of the story by popular djs. Their campaign
put them before the school board and finally to the steps of the
state capitol where they rallied to keep the member of their community
that had given so much. Though she was accused of violating parent
rights and improperly imparting information to the students at Center
High, Dana Rivers contends that she did -- and continues to -- act
responsibly by speaking out against discrimination.
In
the face of unemployment, homophobia, and divorce, Rivers feels
that she still hasn't a choice but to continue to be true to herself,
saying, "I'm driving my attorney crazy because I think it's
important to keep telling my story, to keep talking to people. I'm
not trying to be a martyr but I'm not going to pass up the opportunity
to let people understand the struggle of gender dysphoria."
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