A New York teacher has been suspended for teaching and informing students about gender identity.

Transgender children and teens are bullied for their gender identity in and outside of school and officials are arguing that by teaching about this issues will reduce the number of bullied children. Parents were concerned when their children came home with handout that had educational information about transgender issues. This topic was taught to a group of seventh and tenth graders.

The handouts were given from a presentation by an employee form the Pride Center of the Capital Region. The school district’s superintendent Vince Canini spoke about the issue saying: “The parents have concerns, and they are mine as well,” he said, adding “we have never had this issue before. We may have to make some policy changes because of it.”

Some believe that it is logical and reasonable to teach about this issue to educate their students about gender identity. A percentage of parents and even doctors found that their children knew their true gender identity by the age of three. Other transgenders stated that they knew by puberty that the gender they where born into was not the real them.