A new law in Arkansas is going to force teachers to “deadname” their trans students when school starts next month, unless we have parental consent to use their new, preferred name. To say I’m angry about this would be an understatement. I’m caught between doing the right thing for the students I serve, and staying out of trouble because of extremist anti-trans laws the Arkansas Legislature passed just a few weeks ago. This is not a comfortable situation.

However, there is a way we teachers can legally show our support for our trans kids: by putting the stuffed shark Blåhaj (pronounced “blaw-high”), a new trans icon, on display in our classrooms. It marks our classrooms as safe places for trans students. For more detail regarding this soft, plushy, stuffed shark, simply follow this link: https://www.newsweek.com/how-ikea-shark-became-trans-icon-1753400?fbclid=IwAR3HSIw2l6fgV-zjkvuLsBkjClva_ACuZkPY4x3xcmLCPLJBLXzarC9XA9o.