As is stated in the article the school officials were not interested in working the situation out by using other neutral terms, they wanted to force a nonbinary person to go by female pronouns and titles. Hugs. Scottie
A Florida state law that went into effect in July 2023 prevents public school teachers from using pronouns that do not align with their sex assigned at birth.
AV Vary became a teacher to help teenagers through the painful experience of growing up and to teach some science along the way.
Over the course of 15 years, Vary has taught in the Orlando area and in Maryland. Most recently, Vary taught at the Florida Virtual School, a statewide online public school for kindergarten through 12th grade students.
But on Oct. 24, Vary was terminated from FLVS after refusing to change the courtesy title used on school materials and communications from “Mx.” to “Ms.,” “Mrs.” or “Miss.”
Vary is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. AV Vary is not their full legal name, but they requested to only be referred to as such out of concern for their privacy.
FLVS issued a statement in response to USA TODAY’s request for an interview about Vary’s termination.
“As a Florida public school, FLVS is obligated to follow Florida laws and regulations pertaining to public education. This includes laws such as section 1000.071(3) of the Florida Statutes pertaining to the use of Personal Titles and Pronouns within Florida’s public school system,” the statement read.
Vary’s termination came as a lawsuit challenging Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law sits in an appeals court and districts struggle to fill vacant teaching positions.
Vary told USA TODAY in an interview that they have filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over the matter and are seeking legal counsel. They said their fight to get back into the classroom is not just for them, but for the students too.
“I am a human being… I have feelings and my goals in life are positive ones. I want to see my students be successful in however they define success,” Vary said. “Yeah, this is a fight for my rights. But this is also a fight for the kindness, compassion and respect for every individual in the country.”
Florida statute requires teachers to use titles and pronouns corresponding to biological sex
Documentation reviewed by USA TODAY showed that leadership at FLVS asked Vary to change their courtesy title from Mx. to Ms., Mrs., or Miss in accordance with Florida Statue 1000.071.
The statute states that every public K-12 educational institute must operate under the understanding that a person’s sex is biological and unchangeable. As such, employees may not provide pronouns that do not align with their biological sex.
The law went into effect in July 2023 after Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB1069, which is considered an expansion of the 2022 “Don’t Say Gay” bill. A lawsuit on behalf of Family Equality and Florida families challenging the 2022 bill went to an appeals court in March 2023 after a Florida judge dismissed the original suits for not showing direct harm from the bill.
Vary said that, before termination, they offered other gender-neutral suggestions for courtesy titles.
While Vary does not hold a PhD., “Dr.” is a gender-neutral title that other teachers and administrators in Florida schools use. But Vary said FLVS wouldn’t allow Vary to use it on the grounds that they did not hold a PhD. The school said Vary could go without a courtesy title, but they were not comfortable with that.
Vary also recommended “professor,” “teacher” and “coach” as alternatives. The school did not permit those either.
“Clearly, to me FLVS is not simply concerned with following the law. There’s something more to it,” they said.
Vary said being visibly nonbinary was a safety signal for Florida students
Vary’s students have known them as Mrs. Vary, Professor Vary or Mx. Vary, depending on when they worked together.
When Vary started at FLVS in July 2021, they felt that “misunderstood female” was the best way to describe their gender. They have also truncated their legal name for students, as a way to protect their boundaries as a teacher. But over time, Vary learned more about what it means to be nonbinary and it resonated with them, as they don’t identify entirely with women’s or men’s social norms.
Vary also said there was more to their decision to use Mx. than reflecting their own identity. In the face of anti-LGBTQ laws being passed in Florida, Vary wanted to signal to students that they were an ally.
“I needed a way for my students’ first impressions of me to be that I was safe, because underrepresented minority communities need people who can protect them, especially when they’re teenagers,” Vary said.
Vary worried for colleagues amid teacher shortage
Vary said they have never lost a job before FLVS. They got into science in part because the teachers are in such high demand. They have a partner with a good salary that can help cushion the job loss as they try to get reinstated.
But in the meantime, Vary worries for colleagues.
“When I got the voicemail that I was suspended, my first thought was, ‘Oh, my colleagues, they’re now going to have way more students than they should. They’re gonna have to put in more hours than they’re getting paid for,'” Vary said. “Teacher overwork all over again.”
Vary said they felt that school leaders tried to remain neutral in the weeks leading up to their termination. But their final call became heated and Vary said the school hung up on them.
“I recognize that FLVS is in a tough position. They have to uphold Florida State law. At the same time, they’re committed to upholding the U.S. Constitution,” Vary said. “Right now, those two things are mutually exclusive.”
Vary’s complaint to the EEOC alleges that the school discriminated against them because of their sex and gender identity.
They have contacted some lawyers who said that the case may have some merit, but would be too big or too expensive to take on. Vary is exploring advocacy groups as well, or possibly joining with other people who have experienced the same thing.
“It would be unrealistic to expect any individual to cover this on their own,” Vary said. “But with a community of like minded individuals who believe in civil rights, I think that we can take it as far as it needs to go.”
Florida test scores are abysmal, teachers are fleeing the state and profession, books are banned, Black history is whitewashed, kids are doing heil hitler to my children, but a nonbinary teacher at Florida school fired for using 'Mx.' as courtesy title https://t.co/jdJS0GruMZ
First they came for the Drag Queens Then they came for the Gender Non Conforming and Non Binary Then they came for the Transgender Then they came for the Lesbians and Gays
Right to work state, so the easy answer says there isn’t a case to be had. If plaintiff wants to find a lawyer that’s willing to argue Title IX gender discrimination, that might work but it will take decades and more money than any teacher will earn in a lifetime.
“Florida test scores are abysmal, teachers are fleeing the state and profession, books are banned, Black history is whitewashed, kids are doing heil hitler to my children, but a nonbinary teacher at Florida school fired for using ‘Mx.’ as courtesy title”
And every day DeSantis goes onto a stage to polish his turds, pretends that he is a friend to all Jews. Going so far as to make threats against tiny island nations in the Caribbean.
Yet every single day that passes he fails to say so much as one word against real-life neo-Nazis who chant his name and wave his banners. Nazis love him and not only does he know it… they know it, too.
And of course while Putin supports all the actual attackers of democracy and Republicans support him attacking Ukraine while pretending he’s not behind Iran using Hamas to pick this very fight with intolerable atrocities…. in hopes of solidifying Netanyahu turning Israeli democracy into fascism as they hope to do here, and not just in Florida.
And the media make no issue of it. If they cared about democracy, they’d keep after him about it. But every outrage is allowed to slide, just as they let them slide with Trump, are STILL letting them slide. There is no rightist outrage which the media aren’t normalizing.
What DO they talk about? They busy themselves spreading GOP talking points as if they were the truth. They ignore or belittle election results and harp on polls, the way they did in the lead-up to the Midterms, pushing the “red wave is coming” BS. “Biden is too old!” They never mention Trump is just a few years younger AND showing clear signs of losing it. They shrug their shoulders over his ongoing threats to establish an obvious dictatorship if he regains the Oval Office. THAT’S their laughable IDEA of how to do their jobs as the “Guardians of Democracy.”
If Trump were still in office and the economic numbers were what they are under Biden, the media would be in ecstasies, trying 24/7 to convince everyone how GREAT things were. With Biden, they sneer and talk only about how people are “unhappy with high prices,” as though they wouldn’t be, for the same reasons, just as high if a Republican were in the White House. And, of course, they never mention that things are much worse everywhere else in the world. These dishonest men and women don’t report the news–they manipulate it to harm Democrats and help the GOP, the party their oligarch owners want in charge, the party, led by an evil MADMAN, that will establish the dictatorship THEY want.
I love the Majority Report with Sam Seder and Emma Vigeland. Here are some clips. People might wonder why so many at once. Because I have two monitors / computers. One I normally blog with and the other I constantly stream videos. Mostly news. If I am not in my Pink Palace I have my apple earbuds in listening to podcasts. I rarely do music. Those that follow me and know my history know that I have to constantly have that stream of new data, of idea and sound in to my head to stop the thoughts I don’t want. Granted, it has gotten less urgent over the last few years as I am getting better at coping, but I can not stand longish periods of only my own memories. The first thing I do when I leave my bed to get up is pull my hair back and put in my ear buds. At night when I go to bed I fill my mind with my own stories written based on the characters of books, movies, TV shows that I can fill my mind with writing my self into those stories, keeping the memories from coming up to the front of my mind or having a say. I had these videos ready to post for a while, but never found the time. Today is the time. I don’t expect everyone to watch all of them, but maybe bits or sections, or just the ones that interest you. Thank you for understanding. Hugs. Scottie
CNN’s Abby Phillip asks Sen. Lindsey Graham if there’s a threshold for him where he’d be supportive of holding off on offensives in Gaza to prevent further civilian casualties. Sen. Graham responds in part: “No, no, no!” He then compares the current state of affairs to World War II.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer spoke with international IDF spokesperson Richard Hecht about the Israeli strike carried out on the Jabalia refugee camp, and Blitzer asked whether the IDF was aware of the amount of Palestinian civilians in the area, despite the potential for a Hamas leader to be there as well. Hecht responds by saying: “This is the tragedy of war. We told them to move south.”
Ilan Pappe, professor of history at the University of Exeter and Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies, to discuss the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Sen. John Fetterman is confronted at an event by human rights attorney Dan Kovalik about Fetterman’s unwillingness to call for a ceasefire in Israel/Gaza. Kovalik is then forcibly removed from the event by staff,
Jodan Peterson seemed to have a moment of clarity during this interview with comedian Jim Jeffries. Too bad it didn’t stick.
Ilan Pappe, professor of history at the University of Exeter and Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies, to discuss the ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Homicides in the U.S. have seen a significant drop in 2022, and this trend has continued into 2023, placing the country on course for one of the largest recorded declines in homicides; although crime rose across the nation in 2020 and 2021 due to various factors including the pandemic and increased gun availability, there has been a notable decline in these figures in recent times. According to the FBI’s annual report on national crime statistics, homicides saw a 6% decrease in 2022, which surpassed expectations. Jeff Asher, a crime data analyst and consultant, indicates that so far in 2023, homicides have fallen by 11% to 12%. This trend extends to violent crime overall, aligning the U.S. with 2019 levels, although certain crime categories, such as auto thefts, have experienced increases in specific areas.
Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, to discuss the ongoing situation on the ground in the Gaza Strip.
After briefly touching on the international politics around the 2007 blockade and election of Hamas in Gaza, Shakir explores how the Israeli government has supported and maintained Hamas’ rule as a part of their “policy of separation” between Gaza and the West Bank, and a central tool against the establishment of a Palestinian state. Wrapping up, Omar explores the obvious parallels between the current assault on Palestinians in Gaza and the 1948 Nakba that began the occupation, the recent discovery of Israel’s use of white phosphorus, and what a push for a ceasefire and an end to apartheid could look like.
9News Colorado’s reports on Republican State Rep. Ron Weinberg telling a group of students that allowing trans kids to go by their preferred names could confuse police during a mass shooting.
Rep. Ilhan Omar was asked by a reporter why she wants a to push the Israelis to ceasefire their bombing of Gaza. Omar asks: “How many more killings is enough for you?” She says that’s a question that the press should ask New York Rep. Ritchie Torres that.
Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch, to discuss the ongoing situation on the ground in the Gaza Strip.
Omar Shakir then joins as he jumps right into the history of the Gaza Strip, from the beginning of its occupation by Israel in 1967, through the establishment of their full blockade on people, goods, and aid in the wake of their military withdrawal in 2005, which launched the current era of strict apartheid and de facto Hamas rule.
Let’s talk about the crisis at the US border with Mexico. Is it as bad as conservatives say it is? Turns out when you look at the data, immigrants aren’t the boogeyman that Fox News would have you believe. Let’s talk about what’s ACTUALLY happening at the border.
Right from the start my day has been on my feet with little pauses. During those pauses, I quickly posted a few things I felt important. I got up at 3:30 am. I feed the cats, did all that stuff, handled a few things on the computers. Ron got up and informed me he had two appointments he failed to put into the calendar, one a doctor’s appointment and the other a Zoom meeting I needed to set my computer system up for. Ok, I got a quick shower and started doing the dishes from last night, kept dealing with cats. Then Ron left for his appointment and called me from the grocery store he stopped at on the way home. He had forgotten to take the cane he uses, and he was struggling to walk. I asked if he needed me to come get him. Nope.
When he got home, I had already set up the computer system, just needed him to sit and do a sound check. But when he pulled in to the driveway, he couldn’t walk, so I got his cane and helped him inside. Then I brought the few groceries in. I put them away. I got him settled in my Pink Palace and ready for the Zoom meeting with family and his brother in the nursing home.
As he did that, I started a red spaghetti sauce for supper. After his meeting He came out and I got him some lunch. I was struggling my self by now so I took even more medications. After he ate he went to bed, I finished making the sauce and got my own lunch.
After eating a great meal of Chicken Supreme with egg noodles and lots of the gravy, I took the remainder out of the large baking dish and put it into smaller containers, then washed all my dishes, his dishes, and the stuff I used to cook the meal. I then got stuff ready for Ron, who wants to make meatballs for the sauce.
I am beat, I am done. At this point, I don’t even care if we eat tonight. I have clenched my teeth so much my own teeth and jaw aches. My back won’t hold me well, my legs hurt and are so shaky. I have four open windows with many tabs, I did not answer any comments or read any other people’s blogs. I keep having pain shocks and muscle spasms, and I am afraid Ron is going to want me to help him more when he gets up. I have 10 minutes left of The Majority Report with Sam Seder and Emma Vigeland. Then I will shut the computers down and go to playing Halo. If you don’t hear from me tonight or you had something you needed a response to, I hope I can get to it tomorrow, but for today I have reached the end of Scotties rope. I know that has happened a lot lately, but the fact is with Ron hurting himself and us not having access to needed healthcare, and being rather lowering income, hell just say it we are poor now, things are much more demanding on me at this time in my life than ever before it seems. Plus I also am old, disabled, in bad health, and today very tired. Hugs, loves, Best wishes. Scottie
Great history lesson on how Israel was created and the people already in Palestine. The person being interviewed, Bassem Youssef, goes back to 1914. Lance gives more information towards the 42 minute mark. This is a great listen if you want to know about this conflict. Hugs. Scottie
While most (myself included) thought this would be another satire filled embarrassment for Piers Morgan, Bassem Youssef uses the platform to educate the world on Palestine.
Tried to write this three times from the ER. My old tablet simply wouldn’t let me log in to my blog. My phone would, but each time I finished typing I would try to set the categories and lost it all three times. So my morning.
I did not get much sleep but that is OK, I did not expect to the day after steroid shots. I woke at 3 am, rolled over to see Ron was laying there awake. I moved to snuggle, and he said he was in trouble. I asked him what was going on, thinking his leg he twisted several weeks ago was acting up from the four hours or more of going shopping at only three stores yesterday morning. Spent over 400 dollars on groceries, but we hit good sales on large packages of meats that Ron could split up and wrap, then put in the large freezer. We will have thick pork chops, pork strips, steaks, ham steaks, different kinds of chicken, ribs, hamburg, and a lot of other meat I can not remember. But Ron couldn’t walk by the time we headed home and I had to help in the house while I carried the bags in with my damaged shoulders I just Thursday had steroid shots in, my back, and my legs. But I had made sure the bags were light enough, except the freezer insulated bags Ron shoved all the meats packages in. Those were single two handed carrying while walking slowly. Couldn’t use my cane with both hands full.
But that was not his main problem. A couple of years before Ron retired and while we had dental insurance Ron’s dentist retired. I was having a lot of dental work done with the idea of having it finished before he retired. But he had to retire a year early. But Ron refused to see my dentist or get another. Recently he broke a tooth and still wouldn’t see a dentist. On and off it has been bothering him, he doesn’t eat hard food much, and used a lot of tooth pain stuff.
This morning at 3 am he told me he couldn’t swallow and his mouth, gums, and teeth were really hurting bad. He was sure he had an infected mouth. First he said he wanted to go to convenient care. We got up, I started the coffee and fed the outside cats, Tupac came in for the morning. Ron called the closest ER, which was the Cape Coral hospital, and asked if convenient care was open and would handle his need. They told him no, he would have to come to the ER. So at 4 am we pulled into the ER parking lot. We were the only people in the waiting room, and Ron got triaged right away. After about 30 minutes, Ron and I were taken to an exam room. After the nurse checked him in for both his infected mouth and his twisted leg we had a short wait until the doctor came in. He looked at Ron’s mouth saying it was very inflamed and infected, and then looked at Ron’s leg. He said he did not think Ron had anything broken but the leg was swollen. He ordered X-rays, and a prescription for antibiotics such as penicillin. We waited for the portable X-ray person. Soon she arrived and took the X-ray, so then we waited for the doctor to read it and come back. The doctor said it was not broken but as he suspected there was soft tissue damage. He recommended a dentist and an orthopedic doctor check. He left and we waited for the nurse. She came in with pills for Ron and his discharge orders, along with a couple pages of dentist places for low income people along with regular dentist offices and the same with orthopedic doctors. We left with Ron hobbling out using one of my canes. We arrived home at 7 am.
I helped Ron into bed, made a new pot of coffee and sat to type this. Ron’s stubborn refusal to do what is needed is seriously affecting our money situation. I have tried to address that with him, but as he has aged he has gotten more anxieties and more reluctant to take care of things that need doing. Especially about his healthcare. But now I am going to get something to eat. Hugs. Scottie
Scottie's Playtime 