Photo: TikTok
The students had some very creative suggestions and the teacher proved that it's fun to deviate from gender norms!
By Alexandra Blogier — Written on Mar 27, 2023
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation estimates that there are over 2 million transgender and non-binary people in the United States. While the US political system is mounting attacks on trans rights, the reality is that trans and non-binary people exist within all parts of society, as neighbors, friends, and community leaders.
One trans, non-binary high school teacher let their students decide what to call them in class.
The teacher went on TikTok to share the list of titles their students call them, instead of Mr. or Ms.
A common gender-neutral honorific that can take the place of Mr or Ms is the title “Mx,” pronounced “mix.”
According to the Human Rights Campaign’s definition, non-binary “is an identity embraced by some people who do not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between or as falling completely outside of these categories. The HRC clarified that “while many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do.”
The high school teacher said that “since coming out, a lot of people have asked me, ‘if students don’t use Mr or Ms with me, what do they put in front of my name?’”
“The answer is nothing. I don’t put anything in front of my name, and students just call me ‘Flint,’” the teacher explained. “But recently, some of my students stayed behind after class to tell me that they do not like this arrangement anymore.”
Flint's students compiled alternate, gender-neutral honorifics to call them in class.
The first title the students came up with was “Captain.” Of the title Captain, Flint said, “I like this because it sounds like I’m leading a ship on the Enterprise instead of begging students to care about literature.”
The next one was Sargeant, or Sarge, which Flint said, “It’s masculine, commanding, but I don’t think I could be counted on to reliably spell it.”
“Next is Lord, which made me immediately uncomfortable,” Flint said. “Fun in principle, but I think in practice I would be immediately alarmed if I heard somebody calling their teacher ‘Lord.’”
“Fourth is Coach, which I do hear as a coach for roller derby,” Flint explained. “But the only thing I actually coach at school is academic decathlon, which I don’t think qualifies me for this.” The other options included Doc and Chef, which Flint said was “unquestionably my favorite.”
“I teach English and Film. My day doesn’t deal with food at all. But the absurdity I think is its charm.” Flint did note that their film students are obsessed with the movie “The Menu,” which may have inspired the choice of “Chef” as an honorific.
“A late entry today was ‘Your Honor,’” Flint finished. “I think it might put students in a defensive position immediately, but sometimes they deserve it.”
The fun and lighthearted take on titles that Flint’s students have is, as one person said in the comments, “proof that high school-aged people are actually really accepting and can have a sense of humor about things while appreciating them.”
Like a true English teacher, Flint stated in the caption to their TikTok, "call me whatever you want, just please read the book."
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.