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Lars Larson has been talking about West Linn’s transgender teacher for 2 days now and KATU is the first news outlet to finally report the story. Nicholas Kintz has taught in West Linn for 20 years but is just now coming out as a man who lives as a women when not teaching. Well, starting this year he….she will be living as a woman full time.
From the KATU story:
Kintz said she’s felt this way since she was a child and decided to finally be true to herself by living life as a woman, which means she’ll greet the new school year at West Linn High School as Ms. Kintz.
Read the whole story at KATU.com
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[...] to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry We reported recently that a male teacher in the West Linn School District was going to live as a woman. Actually, she is [...]
As a parent of a West Linn High School student, I am saddened to learn of Nick's struggle and his decision to live as Nicole. I am saddened in the same manner that I am when I hear of anyone's else's struggle. Whether it be alcohol, drugs, pornography, etc. I think we need to ask ourselves if we would allow an alcoholic teacher to come to school drunk, or a teacher that struggles with drug addiction to come to school high. Yes, this probably has happened, but if we as parents and administrators knew about it, would we be so easily accepting of it?? I don't think so!!! Mostly, I am worried about a teacher setting a bad example for my child….to me a teacher is and should be a good role model. I feel sorry for Nick in the same way that I feel sorry for anyone trapped in an unhealthy lifestyle. It also saddens me that many of you are going to call me a bigot or gay-basher….The truth is many people in the world are afraid to speak out against this type of issue for fear of this very same thing.
Being GLBT is not something to compare to a drug addiction or alcohol problem. Are you also a racist? The only comparison I can see here is that this teacher is different from you. So, do you think that all people who are different from you are a bad influence on your child. Do you want to shelter you child, so he/she does not know all the unique individuals that live in this world. If your son or daughter was "struggling" as you call, would abandon him/her if one day he/she realized that the reason they had been conflicted as a child is because they were born one sex and identified another?
Ann, I feel sorry for you because you have a misguided understanding of Nicole's struggle. Her struggle is not being "trapped in an unhealthy lifestyle" as you put it; her struggle is with ignorant people like you who assume that being transgender is akin to being a drug addict. That is incredibly offensive to the thousands of people who are strong enough and brave enough to tell the world that they are happier being a different gender. There is no crime in that. It is a personal choice, it does not hurt anyone, and it certainly does not automatically make someone a bad teacher.
Don't get confused. I don't dislike Nick, but I dislike his lifestyle and choices, and I feel sorry for his confusion over the past 20 years. I'm not denying that he has had these "feelings"…just like I would not deny an alcoholic of "feeling" the need to drink. But do we let our feelings rule us?? I know that God is our judge and I believe in the Bible and that it IS God's word. So for those of you who are going to dislike what I'm saying, God gives us this warning in His word…"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." Now the questions are: which is evil and which is good?' which is darkness and which is light?; which is bitter and which is sweet? I am praying for you Nick just as I am praying for all of us!!!
Obviously, Ann, you don't understand anything about Alcoholism OR transgendered individuals. It honestly makes me sick that you think this is a choice, or that the ''feelings'' have anything to do with it. Go do some research and learn a thing or two before you decide to voice your ''opinions''. That's all these are. They are how you feel about, and that's fine, but you really should learn a thing or two about what you think you know.
Ann, are you familiar with what the Bible has to say about eunuchs? "Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people” ; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. – Isaiah 56:3-5
The Bible also says, "Jesus says, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs
who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
Perhaps this would be a good resource for you to help you understand transgender issues from a Christian perspective: http://www.welcomingresources.org/transaction_fin...
hey Ann.. who do you think you are?
Good for you Ann and for all other parents(Lars included!) speaking up on this issue! He wants everyone to respect him for his choice to do this? What about his respect for the families choice of not wanting to be subjected to that. How selfish is he? Could he not take himself to another district or even higher level of education that does not know him or that accepts this type of behaviour? Of course he could- but then he might not get paid as much as the WLWV district pays.
I really like how you refer to it as a choice. You're just as bad as Ann. You don't know anything about what you're talking about. Why should SHE have to go to another school district. How about this. Maybe if you don't like it, pull your kids out so you can keep them 'protected' (ignorant like yourself). Put them in a new school where there is nothing like this. I guarantee that there is something like this in every school and district. Whether or not it's come out yet, it's bound to happen. Maybe not in the teachers, but you know that some students are probably struggling with their 'identities'. Don't you think life would be a lot more enjoyable if you were educated? I don't mean educated like college. I mean educated like NOT ignorant.
This is why movies, books ,etc are rated(catagorized)- so that you, as a parent, can sensor what your child is subjected to. There are permission slips that are sent home from school when there are social issues involved whether it be a movie they are going to watch or literature on sex, religion, etc. that they will be exposed to. So, if we, as parents of these minors, do not want our children exposed to this type of dysfunctional behaviour where are the permission slips from the school asking if it is ok for our child to participate in his class? Children and this society are exposed way to much to deviant and violent behaviour which is making a lot of people numb to everything that is wrong in this society today. People wake up before it is too late!
WOW… Just because you live in West Linn does not mean that you are any better than another district.. Why do you think he shouldn't teach in your child's district but it would be okay to have him at another? I am a former student from West Linn class of 2001 and I had "Nicole" as a teacher. He/she was a very good teacher, so why is it going to be any different now that he is dress as a female? People in West Linn think they are so much better than anyone else and I know at one point in my life I did too.
I thought that I was better than other people because yes my parents had money, we had a big house, they bought me a brand new car, I didn't have to work until I was 22 and done with college. Its sad that you would look down upon someone because they are living what they believe is right for them….. Just becuase he/she now dresses as a female does not mean that he is not a good teacher anymore. He was the one for me that kept pushing me along when I wanted to give up. He was the one that believed in me when I felt nobody else did….. I was failing his math class and was going to lose some credits because I hated math….. But he took the extra time to help me and I ended up passing. I don't agree with his decison, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't support him. You know that you were talking about the bible and everything, why didn't you but up the verse about where God is telling us to love everyone??
Don't take the Bible out of context. God says we are to "love the sinner,hate the sin" and He calls homosexuality an "abomination". If you're going to quote scripture, you have to look at the whole context in which it was written.
FormerStudent, where in the Holy Bible is that verse you speak of? God accepts us as we are…sinners, but His love commands us to be transformed into a new person. Check out out Romans 12:1-2. Here's another verse for you, Psalms 12:8…"The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men."
I'm praying for Nick and everyone else…
Hey, you realize that The Bible is a BOOK written by a handful of MEN right? Just like the Greeks, Romans, etc, it is a collection of stories conjured by the imagination of MEN to explain the world around them during a time period where science wasn't up to speed on these things. Just because you've been brainwashed into believing all of it as actual FACT doesn't necessarily mean it is. At one point in time people thought earthquakes were caused by Posiden's anger. Now we know they're caused by the shifting of tectonic plates. Why can't you morons figure this out? IT'S MAKE- BELIEVE!!! That's why Christians are constantly having to contradict themselves and their beliefs. IE: Love thy neighbor… unless said neighbor is a gay/lesbian/trans person.
Right… and a flood really washed over the whole Earth and ONE MAN gathered 2 of EVERY animal and herded them onto a boat before tranquilizers were invented. Yeah… you go try herding even ONE of every known animal on the planet. NOT HAPPENING. Let people live their lives and stop trying to push your religious propoganda on people. Honestly, it's Ms. Kintz who should feel sorry for you. At least she seems to have some semblance of her own identity outside of what some text written ages ago tells her to be. You sorry sorry hypocritical fanatic…
That's funny, NWLR. You say we are inherently flawed, and His love commands us to be transformed into a new person? Sounds like Nicole did exactly that.
So, Ann/Anonymous/others, should parents also have the right to oust a gay teacher? A black teacher?
Why is it that the teacher has to find a new job, a new school? Why don't you elect to send your kids to private school, or home school them for that matter, so you can control who they are around?
Why are you judging someone who has spent years living a lie with herself and at the same time teaching your child Math?
Holding to these feelings is not healthy for the teacher or anyone else who had gender identifcation issues. I know this for a fact, for I am transgender too!
Judge Nicole for her teaching ability and not what is or not between her legs.
Being transgender is not something that is airborne or passed on by contact. Ask the health department!
I am sure that Nicole is not setting an agenda to convert your child into a transgender person. She is trying to live her life that makes her confortable and at the same time teaching your students Math.
Remember that GOD judges a person`s inner-motives and not what condition a person`s body looks from the outside.
For those who are sceptical on any transgender person able to function professioanlly, look at the following site: http://ai.eecs.umich.edu/people/conway/TSsuccesse...
Interesting comments. I can definitely see two sides to this. On one hand, having a gay, transgender, alcoholic, or whatever teacher shouldn't be an issue if those things aren't brought into the classroom. But if the teacher uses their position to proclaim their lifestyle as morally "right", I would think that would be an issue for most people.
If an alcoholic teacher can function professionally, but their personal life is a mess, would they be allowed to continue to teach? I honestly don't know how the school district handles these situations, but would be curious to know…
Two of my children had Mr Kintz for math, one had him twice so our family has 3 years with him. He is an ok math teacher, not a great math teacher. The one who understands math got good grades, the one who struggles got a C. Neither of them disliked him, but both thought he was "weird". He talked about believing in aliens, not believing in God, and showed strange videos in class. They watched Oprah in class and he cried. None of that has anything to do with math. So based on that alone I would not want any of my kids in his class again.
Apparently my post was too long, here's the rest: Now that he has "protected status" as a transgender, that would be out of my control if one of my kids was in his/her class. Personally, I t hink kids this age are too distractable and immature to focus on important concepts in a classroom when the teacher is infusing his/her own agenda and beliefs into the class. I don't think a transgender teacher should be denied the ability to earn a living any more than I think a gay or black or communist or catholic or jewish or muslim teacher should, AS LONG AS THE STUDENTS ARE NOT AWARE OF A PARTICULAR BIAS. His/her history of talking about personal beliefs and feelings to his students leads me to believe he/she will share her journey with them and I think parents should have the right to say they don't want their kids in that environment at such an impressionable age…just as they could if a teacher was vocal about his religious beliefs in a math class. Oregon is a liberal place, surely his/her classes can be filled up with volunteers who are willing to take a chance on a classroom environment…let the parents who don't want their children's math education compromised have a say!
So basically Maggie, You'd like to keep your children in your 'Ignorance Bubble' right along with yourself. You're children are going to be exposed to alot of things that you don't agree with. They may grow up to believe in things that you don't, Or they could grow up and choose NOT to believe what you believe in. Either way I don't think that someones physical identity should change how they are viewed, especially someone who has been teaching in the same classroom for 20 years. It wasn't a problem when she was 'Nick'. Do you think she's a different person on the inside and that her beliefs are any different now then they have been? No. If you think that, then you really are ignorant and there is no hope to educate you.
you missed my point entirely, Kay. Math teachers should teach math, and this particular math teacher has a history of weaving his own personal agendas into the classroom. i might be more forgiving if he were a great math teacher, but he's only fair. so if 100% of the class focus is not on math he's not doing his job. and you'd be very surprised at what my children have been exposed to. the physical identity of a teacher is of no importance to me, the quality of the education is.
If you didn't approve of her teaching methods when your children were students, why rhen are you just complaining now? Why go through three years with "him", yet only bring up your objections when the transgender issue comes up? Seems a bit hypocritical to me.
Kay said " Either way I don't think that someones physical identity should change how they are viewed, especially someone who has been teaching in the same classroom for 20 years. It wasn't a problem when she was 'Nick'. " she missed my point – "Nick" had issues he brought into the classroom, so it WAS a problem. maybe now that he's Nicole those issues won't come with hin to class, but anyone who thinks he doesn't have an agenda should check out crossdressers.com where he posted notes from students using initials for their names – anyone with a yearbook could figure out who they are, and one student specifically asked him not to post. that's irresponsible.
I just tried to look on crossdressers.com and i couldn't find anything about him. I heard he deleted all his posts..and even his facebook. I can't speak for him but if I was getting more negative then positive feedback for my choice to be happy, then I would delete them too. All the teachers I ever had taught me more then the subject I had them for. I.e, life lessons. I know that children are suppose to learn life lessons at home, and it's great if parents are open enough to do that, but a lot aren't. I just think that people who are negative about this, are wasting their breath. Obviously you or anyone else are not going to change her mind about her decision to live the way she needs to in order to be happy. I say, Live and Let Live. In my experience, there has never been one teacher who wasn't willing to work with a student if they didn't understand what was being taught. No teacher WANTS to fail a student. I've known Nicole since she was Nick. So I guess I'm a little biased, but one thing I know about her, is that she is still the same person she's always been. The only difference is that now she is genuinely happy. Who wants to be taught by a miserable man who isn't happy with his own life? Answer me that
I don't blame him for deleting his posts, but then I question the wisdom of putting them out there for all to see in the first place. In one of the many now deleted posts on crossdressers.com he went into great detail about how although he was dressed as a man in the classroom he'd been wearing women's underwear. How he slept in women's nighties. Why do any of us need to know that? And it was apparently very easy to locate this info since it seems half the students in WL had read it before it was deleted, it was a freshman boy who found it via google. I'm glad he's happy and sorry he wasn't before, but my point is that nobody in his classroom should know anything at all about his personal life, and he's got a history of sharing all sorts of personal things with his students. No one deserves to live miserably, but in answer to your question, the misery should be dealt with privately and professionally and not in the public arena. Imagine if every unhappy teacher aired his depression or despair on the internet!
Maggie, maybe if Nicole was fifteen years older and had been drafted into the military, she would have been taught about how to keep things secret. Maybe she should have left out initials in the letters from students and parents. Maybe the initials are bogus; changed from the real ones. But the people who post on crossdressers.com don't do it to provide grist for bigots. They do it to provide information and support for other people who are also struggling with gender issues. Have other people transitioned on the job with a better announcement package? Yes. But she seems to be writing her own material and doing the best she can.
that's a lot of maybes, Ingrid. Maybe if Nicole needed to post on crossdressers to provide information and support she should have been a little more discreet and not put her photo and real name on it. Maybe Nicole is an exhibitionist. Maybe not. Maybe the internet is a good place to express one's opinion, maybe it's not a cheap way to get counseling for a very complex issue. Maybe you think I"m a bigot. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Maybe Nicole should keep her private life private. Maybe she should have thought of that before.
Everyone can have an opinion but ask Nick/Nicole or whatever he/she chooses to call him/herself but the bottom line no matter what he/she does, wears or looks like, this person will never be able to change who they are on the inside. God created us in His image as a male or a female and we need to seek peace from Him, not trying to change how He created us….
I do have one interesting comment to Kay who says to Ann that she should do "research" about it being a choice, but Kay I would suggest you do your own "research" and talk to the people that have come out of a Gay lifestyle and they will tell you "it was a choice". Why are those people always silenced?
I do pray for Nick that he will find TRUE peace in his heart….with God, through Jesus Christ.
First of all. It is not a choice. Have you ever looked up anything about Transgender? Those people who say it's a choice are lying. Who would honestly choose to be ridiculed or outcasts? That is my comment to you
It may surprise you Kay to learn that I agree with you 100% – people don't choose to be transgender any more than they choose to have blue eyes or freckles. But people choose to air their personal lives for all the world to read about and therefore deserve the criticism they get for it. Any teacher who blogs about very personal issues for their students to read is as irresponsible as a teacher who tries to weave his religious beliefs into a public school classroom. I've taught my children to be very tolerant and respectful of other people's lifestyles and beliefs and I hope the "teachable moment" for them right now is to keep your private life private and your agenda to yourself – teach the kids math, let the parents teach them about alternate lifestyles – at least while they're still children living at home
I tried reading other peoples posts on Crossdressers.com and I couldn't because I don't have an account. You can't just get on the website and read anything you want to. I can't speak for Nick/Nicole, but I'm sure that like everyone else who is transgender, tried to suppress it all, and it got to be too much. He obviously loves to teach. He also deserves to be happy, In my book. It does surprise me that you agree with me. From what you have been saying, you disagree with this 100%.
As far as him airing personal stuff on the website, whether his students can read it or not. I commend him for being able to be this raw and honest. At least he's not lying to himself anymore. He knows what he has to do in order to be happy, and he's finally doing it after 50+ years of knowing this is what he needed to do. That takes guts. I'm proud.
I do agree with you. He should stick to math. Parents should be the ones teaching their kids about alternative lifestyles.
Sigh. Most people are almost all male or female, but there is also a whole spectrum of people that are neither or both, either genetically, hormonally or structurally. And that includes people whose sense-of-self structure and/or body map in their brains developed opposite to their genitals or genetics, and those that are a mix. There are now well over 200 published medical and neurological papers on transsexual brains that confirm that key parts of trans brains are physically and functionally that of the gender opposite the one assigned at birth based only on a quick peek at a newborn's genitals. Even the American Medical Association has stated that it is a condition to be treated medically. So this is not a choice, nor is it a chosen "lifestyle". It simply is what it is, a medical condition that has transition as it's medical treatment. To say that the students need to be protected from transsexuals is analogous to saying that they should not be taught by someone in a wheelchair or a diabetic. Choosing to make the comparison to an alcoholic is disingenuous at best and purposely misleading.
This is about gender, nothing else, and about someone who happens to need to live as the gender opposite the one they were forced to live as for much of her life. This has nothing to do with sex, sexuality or any of the other things that happen in private between adults. Nothing. Some trans folk are gay, but so are some non trans folk. Most are not. Has nothing to do with it.
Regarding Christianity and gender: Both the Old and New Testaments specifically mention transgender people as the much older translation, "self made eunichs". These have been confirmed by other texts to have dressed as female, and guess what? Both God (OT) and Jesus (NT) say that it's okay and that they will have a "special place in Heaven". I'll let you find the three places they are mentioned; if you are as good a Christian as you profess this should be trivial. Much of organized modern Christianity has distorted God's message for political gain; persecuting transsexuals is a perfect example and it is a sin.
This is off topic since the story is about gender and not about sexuality, but regarding "research"; that famous Masters and Johnson study and book, you know, the one that started the idea that gays could be "reformed"? It was faked. Not one bit of data was recorded or presented. Which means that the religious conviction that gays can choose is likewise faulty as it was built on nothing else.
Again, remember that this is about gender, and only gender. Most transsexuals, just like most non-transexuals, just want to live their daily lives, including making a living. Specifically and exactly what harm will come by letting them do so?
Wow. Talk about selective reading. You too are distorting Christianity to make a political point.
I remember when Mr. Kintz came back from a break in school, and had hair implants place. As teenage jerks some many boys made so much fun of him, and he took it very well. He never waivered. I truly will pray for Nicole and hope that she can deal with the ridicule that she WILL get.
Why do people that simply have an opinion or belief that trans or gay is bad, or they believe have the right to take away or prevent someones right to be married, do they have the power to take basic civil rights and freedom away from someone else. I don't fear anyones choices rubbing off on me, like I don't fear a homeless person, or pastors. I am lucky my choices are more traditional but I don't hunt, drink beer, gamble or porn. But I maintain I have rights to be me. Most student – teacher sexual relationships are hetro. See the point. All teachers pass a battery of evaluations and testing to be a teacher, and stay a teacher. Teaching tolerance maybe the most valuable lesson these students learn.
I just happen to be a student Of "Mr. Kintz" 16 years ago, class of 1994. He was and will always be my favorite math teacher no matter what his lifestyle is. I honestly just found out about this whole thing today when I asked a couple of kids that go there if Mr. Kintz was still there and they said "umm yeah but it's Ms. Kintz". Although shocked beyond belief, and after removing my jaw from the floor, I thought, that doesn't change the knowledge he passes onto his class. It's unfortunate that someone like Ann feels the need to preach as though what Ms. Kintz has is a disease like alcoholism. Unfortunately no matter what anyone says, Ann has her own oppinion and it comes straight from a Bible that many millions warship everyday. So you really can't slam her for her feelings or oppinions, however, being religiously closed minded as she is, it would probably be best to homeschool your child or put them in a strict private school, because we all know that kids that go to private school are less likely to become gay, lesbian, transgendered, or mollested. (where is the sarcasm font when you need it).
Good luck with that point of view though Ann. Pray for me too, I'm about to have me a bottle of chardonay, a feeling I plan on acting on.
On a happier note: It's good to know that a wonderful teacher is still enriching the minds of our upcoming generation. Love ya Ms. Kintz!!
Ask doctors what they think. I know that these cases can be even more confusing because as state Medicaid workers know, some of these males don't like the new person and/or the new lifestyle after they try it and then they want to go back.
I suppose it is a sign of the times. But, I think we have some more stable people that could be hired as role models for children.
It is as though they are "playing". I think another type of workplace would be better for this individual.
They don't just live their lifestyle. They want expensive operations and then want to reverse them two years later, and so on. It is more complicated than presented.
Also, some are born into a confused state, but some are just sex maniacs who claim to be "bi".
From your comment it is obvious that you have never actually met any of "them" in real life and are completely ignorant to the reality of being transgender. How about you stop assuming you know what other people want and need, and maybe other folks will extend you the same courtesy.