Confronting Propaganda: Performative Pedagogy as Transgender Resistance

Abstract

Education is facing a critical threat as those in positions of authority utilize propaganda to advance and promote an exclusionary worldview that serves their own interests. This essay focuses on one such misinformation campaign, which seeks to limit the rights of transgender individuals, including their very existence—a cause championed by right-wing politicians. The paper investigates how the American educational system fuels discrimination towards marginalized bodies, particularly transgender people, and suggests performative pedagogy as a strategy to counteract this oppression. The essay begins by examining how the concept of performative pedagogy is used in contemporary drag shows and how deeply ingrained the idea of white supremacy is in transgender oppression. Through case studies, the paper shows how performative pedagogy serves as a powerful counter to the fundamental ideology of hatred. It explains how, through performative pedagogy, marginalized voices can be strengthened and serve as an effective communication tool for influencing society’s future by expressing what cannot be spoken through actions. This study argues that equipping today’s children with performative pedagogy enables them to withstand the challenges that they may face and helps them become more resilient in the face of difficulties. It draws attention to the fundamental responsibility of educators to teach for the benefit of society and to provide students with the skills necessary to face and overcome the challenges that will be used against them. Through the embracement of performative pedagogy, contemporary society can raise and foster a generation that actively opposes the oppressive forces that are reinforced and perpetuated by those in power.