'my voice has been drowned out'

I go to a Catholic high school. I’m not very academic but I’ve always loved singing. My favourite part about school is the choir.

Recently one of the male students announced that he was actually a female. We were all told that we have to use female pronouns when talking about him and use his new female name. At first it didn’t really bother me because I didn’t realise how much everyone and everything else would have to change to protect him from noticing that he has a male body.

Obviously, our choir is sorted into high, medium and low vocal ranges. It has nothing to do with sex or gender, just sound. But even in my choir, this boy’s ‘identity’ had to be made the most important thing.

Obviously the highest vocal section is all girls. So this boy, who has a standard low vocal range that comes with his male body, demanded to be put in my section with all the girls. His voice was totally unsuitable to sing the high notes, but the teacher said yes.

The angelic sounds of soprano were drowned out by a random baritone for the rest of the year. It was ridiculous. All us girls stayed silent about it. We all knew we’d be accused being transphobic if we pointed out reality. My friend described it like us all being “unwilling puppets in his play”.

Later in the year, one of the other male students who is not trans asked if he could move just from the low to the medium voice category. That same teacher said no because his voice didn’t match.

I feel like we are all being forced to pretend we don’t notice, that we don’t care. But we do notice and we do care. My Catholic school doesn’t force me to pray if I don’t believe in it, but it forces me to speak and act as though I have faith in transgenderism when I don’t.

I feel like my voice has been drowned out- not just literally in the choir but because I feel like I have no say in anything that impacts me now.