Sarah Dettmer

sdettmer@greatfallstribune.com

Echo Sundstrom defies the statistics.

Echo is transgender.

Echo identifies as queer and a-gender and prefers people use they/them pronouns over he/him.

A junior at C.M. Russell High School, Echo participates in different clubs and organizations, both in school and in the community.

The 16-year-old is thriving.

Echo largely has been accepted and hasn’t been the victim of bullying. Occasionally someone slips and uses “he” or “him,” but Echo doesn’t mind when it is an honest mistake.

But there’s more to the story than meets the eyes of Echo’s peers.

In December 2016, the National LGBTQ Task Force released the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, the largest survey examination of the transgender experience in the United States. Thirty-nine percent of those surveyed reported experiencing serious psychological distress in the month prior to the survey. Forty percent said they had attempted suicide in their lifetime.

Specifically in school, 77 percent of those who were open with their gender identity or were perceived as transgender were harassed in some way in K-12. Twenty-four percent were physically assaulted. Thirteen percent were sexually assaulted.

With many trans-centric conversations, the topic of bathroom and locker room access inevitably arises, as well.

The topic resurfaced in the local political sphere on March 15 when State Representative Carl Glimm, R-Kila, joined with Montana Family Foundations, a nonprofit family advocacy group, in the debate over transgender bathrooms. Glimm introduce a bill into the House of Representatives March 17 to create a ballot referendum to ensure that “biological” men are not allowed to enter into women’s facilities.

Lawmaker seeks vote on transgender bathrooms

Given the statistics and political efforts to keep specific facilities gendered, how has Echo, a trans student in Montana, escaped the ridicule that plagues the LGBTQ community?

“I definitely think that me identifying as agender (internally ungendered or does not identify with the male or female gender) can affect the way people perceive me,” Echo said. “A lot of people don’t really realize what it is, they just kind of dismiss me as like a flamboyant gay guy sometimes. I think for me it’s because a lot of people just don’t really understand or realize that I am transgender.”

Queens of Great Falls

Echo has a transgender friend at school, more clearly presenting as transgender, who faced bullying at CMR. Echo said no one would talk to the student. The teen, new to CMR was instead insulted and called “tranny” in the hallway.

“When they first started going here, nobody really talked to them and they were making fun of them because no one knew if they were a boy or a girl,” Echo said.

Echo and a group of “queer” friends offered support to the new student.

“We decided that maybe we should be like ‘Hey, just so you know, there is this community here. We all got your back and we’re not saying you have to be friends with us, but we’re here if you want to talk.’”

Echo has a theory — since the teen’s appearance isn’t obviously transgender, people leave Echo alone. They are more comfortable with the idea of homosexuality than they are with a spectrum of gender identities and defying the gender binary, Echo theorizes.

“I think because the topic of sexuality has been around for longer and discussed for longer, people are more progressive with their views about it and more open towards that,” Echo said. “People think that this is the way you were born and that’s not anything you can change, which is one of the main arguments for being gay or lesbian and one of the main arguments against being trans. This is the way that you’re born so that’s the way you are.”

Though born Elijah, Echo has been Echo since before picking the name out from a gender-neutral, baby-naming website.

When Echo could finally put words to what the then-sophomore had been feeling — not male nor female — Echo decided to fully reflect a newly defined self.

“Identifying as non-binary and growing up in a heavily binary-based society is kind of frustrating just because gender-neutral clothing like jeans and t-shirts just immediately get transitioned to masculine and male because I do have a masculine body,” Echo said. “It can be frustrating because I don’t really entirely know how to go about presenting the way that I want to look and making people realize I don’t identify as either male or female.”

Instead, Echo expresses gender neutrality by embracing masculine and feminine qualities, often wearing sweaters, slouchy hats and jeans — appearing as a standard high school boy to those who don’t know better.

But then, Echo will casually answer the door in a midriff-baring crop top and denim capris. Or play the viola in the orchestra while wearing black heels and dangling rose quartz earrings.

In Echo’s eyes, education and accessibility is the best tool LGBTQ people have to gain equality — but it’s still frustrating.

“I don’t think all of the pressure should be put on trans people to educate cisgendered people (heterosexual people identifying with the gender/sex assigned to them at birth),” Echo said. “I think that they should be willing to seek that information out for themselves.”

But Echo isn’t slowed down by the situation. Instead, the 16-year-old has stepped out to control the narrative and act as an accessible ambassador for transgender teens and the LGBTQ community.

Echo is an active member in CMR’s Rustler Allies group and Planned Parenthood’s Teen Council. Both clubs offer a forum for all students to come together to share their stories and ideas and learn how to properly communicate with those who may not understand what it means to be LGBTQ.

“So currently I’m just thinking my part of the movement would probably be just day-to-day interaction with people,” Echo said. “Because if they’re friends with me, they’re more likely to listen to what I have to say and they’re more likely to be open to how I feel and the way I express myself.”

Students are invited to both groups to learn about different ways they can discuss LGBTQ topics while spreading respectful and accurate information.

“I think for a lot of people it’s just because they don’t really understand or they’re scared that they’re going to offend someone by asking questions,” Echo said. “So they proceed without the knowledge that they need which leads to more problems. I think that we all have to be kind of patient with each other.”

On Sept. 28, 2015, the Tribune reported on a school board meeting in which approximately 100 community members attended to speak about Great Falls Public School’s Policy 3210, the policy number for the equal education, non-discrimination and sex equity policy.

Though many attended the meeting in favor of the policy, some came wearing “Rescind 3210” buttons and sharing their opinions about transgender usage of bathrooms and locker rooms.

Following the meeting, Superintendent Tammy Lacey told the Tribune, “In my conversations with many (people), many had not read that policy. There’s no mention of bathrooms or locker rooms or curriculum in this policy.”

Representative Glimm’s recently introduced LC 2373, known as the Montana Locker Room Privacy Act by supporters, addresses just that. Glimm said it allows school jurisdictions to come up with accommodations that take the needs of all students into consideration.

“The government has a duty to protect the privacy, safety and dignity of all people,” Glimm said in a news release. “It’s just common sense. Women shouldn’t have to shower and change clothes next to men.”

The Montana Human Rights Network stood in opposition.

“Any effort to divide our communities by using fear mongering against LGBT people just perpetuates hateful ideas against our friends, family and co-workers,” MHRN co-director Rachel Carroll Rivas said.

Bathrooms continue to be a hot-button topic for both sides of the issue and Echo, too, has an opinion for how it should be handled, again attributing opposition to trans-friendly facilities to misinformation.

“I do like the idea of having unisex bathrooms, but I think a nice transition point would be going from male and female bathrooms to having a unisex bathroom on each floor,” Echo said. “Just so that anyone would feel comfortable going in there … ultimately I would prefer all unisex bathrooms, but I do realize that that’s kind of a more radical change.”

Echo said there are already two female and two male bathrooms on the second and third floor of CMR, in addition to one of each on the first floor. Echo said turning one of those bathrooms on each floor into a unisex facility would make the trans-population more comfortable and be a good starting point.

Echo also would like to see an LGBTQ studies class introduced into GFPS. The teen imagines it as an elective teaching history on the LGBTQ movement and enlightening students with definitions.

Echo’s fallback is always education — getting the information out will foster more understanding and support.

Even on the home front, Echo has had to be patient. Echo’s family has been supportive but there have been some hurdles along the way.

Echo’s parents didn’t completely understand what transgender meant when their teen first introduced the subject. However, Echo said the more they’ve talked about it, the more normalized it has become in their home.

“I was a little shocked, I think the first time he came down,” Amy Sundstrom, Echo’s mom, said. “Just more surprised than anything. Then second, kind of surprised that he was so nervous to tell me because, you know, he’s my son, I don’t care.”

While she supports Echo, Amy said she does have concerns.

“I think just him being harassed, him being bullied,” Amy said. “I feel like he’s strong enough mentally and comfortable in his skin and who he is to be able to handle any verbal abuse. I do sometimes worry physically if he was ever to be attacked … I worry about that. He’s pretty open about who he is and I think that’s fantastic, that’s the way I want him to be, but I would also really hope he would be aware of his surroundings just, you know, I would never want him to be physically hurt.”

After Echo came out to Amy, the family’s political awareness changed. Suddenly things that they didn’t have to directly worry about became primary concerns.

The 2016 presidential election became a huge point of interest in their house — not just for the implications that President Donald Trump would have on their household, but for how Echo would then handle the changing political landscape.

The entire family immersed themselves in learning about different issues affecting the LGBTQ community.

“Our biggest thing with him is to make sure he’s educated and that he’s doing his research and looking into the facts and not just repeating what he’s heard,” Amy said. “I think you can go any way and color anything to be for or against. We really wanted him to at least educate himself and in that process, we’ve also become a lot more educated and a lot more aware of stuff like that.”

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Amy said she remembers when gay marriage was legalized. At that point in her life, she didn’t care much. She wasn’t invested in the issue. She never had to think about it.

Now, things are more personal.

“I want him to have the right to do whatever it is that he wants to do,” Amy said. “I want him to be married if that’s what he wants, and I don’t want him to catch any grief or crap from anybody for it.”

But Amy still struggles with many aspects of Echo’s transition. For her, Echo is still Elijah. Echo is still her son.

“I haven’t embraced the Echo,” Amy said. “It’s probably very selfish, but we spent a lot of time picking his name when I was pregnant with him. His dad and I spent months. That has been hard to adjust to. The other thing that’s come up is the ‘him’ and ‘her.’ His friend refers to him as ‘they’ or ‘their’ and that I cannot, I struggle with that, too. Half the time I don’t know what (the friend) is talking about when she says that. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to refer to him as ‘they.’ But I’m trying.”

Amy said she thinks the they/them pronouns would be difficult to adopt for any child, not just her son.

Echo wants to be part of the movement that makes these difficulties less commonplace. Echo hopes to someday live in a world where the LGBTQ community is a normalized part of society, but there’s still a long road ahead.

During the 2017 legislative session, Representative Kelly McCarthy, D-Billings, introduced House Bill 417. The bill added the LGBTQ community to the list of persons that cannot be discriminated against for housing, employment or services. McCarthy stressed HB 417 didn’t change or give greater protections, it only added LGBTQ people to the list.

The bill failed on Feb. 21 on the House floor with a 43-55 vote. The vote was preceded with heated commentary from proponents and opponents.

Rick Vaught, chairman of the Christian Education Association in Montana, spoke out against HB 417. His speech followed testimony of several LGBTQ people who described the discrimination they have faced for their identity and sexuality.

In his testimony, Vaught said the bill was “attacking the root of freedom,” that it “reputes wisdom, morality and heritage” and would “target, attack and possibly destroy people who actually have a conscience and still have character.”

Emotions run high as committee tables LGBTQ bill

In contrast, Anna Doran, owner of Big Dipper Ice Cream Helena, said she was attending the hearing on behalf of more 60 business leaders in Montana with a letter in hand containing signatures reaffirming their commitment to LGBTQ community.

So far, 23 states have passed statewide nondiscrimination laws for LGBTQ community members.

Echo sees the possibility for change in Montana and in the country.

Will Echo be on the forefront?

“Hell yeah,” Echo said.

Follow Sarah Dettmer on Twitter @GFTrib_SDettmer

This story is the first installment of the Arbiters of Change series describing efforts made by progressive and conservative young people to enact change in their community. The next installment will feature a young woman who is redefining what it means to be pro-life.

The new pro-life generation: Carroll student's beliefs rooted in science