“Ladies and gentlemen”, my teacher would say to his class. This conventional way of addressing an audience had been bothering me as a friend and family of many people in the queer community. Although it may not seem so, addressing a group of people based on two genders can be detrimental to young non-binary people who are still developing a sense of identity. Many of those people in my community were reluctant to fully voice the effect the saying had on them because of social and peer norms. This caused me to be their voice, to contribute to refining our learning environment into one that was inclusive and encouraging, leaving space for teens to navigate their identity without having to go against what was considered “normal”. 

My teacher had been aware of his use of exclusive language. He had been voicing his will to stop, but with no action put into the intent. For months following, I had doubts about what I could do to mitigate the situation. The situation wasn’t his fault; his other actions showed inclusivity and kindness. It was the skewed social norm that a person had to be either female or male that had caused him to repeatedly address his class in the way that he was. This was the arising of my moral dilemma and realization.

As much as I wanted to protect my queer peers from feeling like they didn’t belong, I didn’t want to upset my teacher. Would I be poking my nose into other people’s business by correcting him? Would my queer peers feel uncomfortable in reverse, thinking that I’m pitying them? Would my teacher be mad at me for interrupting his class? These thoughts circled around my mind until I made the decision to remind him whenever he failed to use gender-inclusive language. My morals and values had won over my greed for reputation and likeableness.

So the next time he said “Ladies and gentlemen”, I gathered my last granules of confidence and corrected him. Despite my assumptions about what he would think of such action, he simply rephrased his words and kept teaching. He would repeat his mistake for the following weeks, and I would correct him every time. He never got upset over my continuous corrections. In reverse, he showed his appreciation for reminding him each time. In a matter of months, he would even fully refrain from using the language. 

My action may have been small, but it changed the way a teacher, a strong factor in a student's growth, communicated with them. The change I helped him make to become a better educator hopefully made his classroom one of inclusivity and kindness rather than of intolerance. The action I chose to take also led to my growth. Through making a change in my school community, I learned that my voice matters as much as everyone else’s and that even the smallest actions I take can have life-changing effects on some.