Embedded Files
About Me:
About Me:
Sebastian Ayala is a junior at Laguna Blanca School. He loves music, has been playing bass since the 8th grade, and can be seen spending his free time in the driveway working on his car (a 2001 Lexus IS300). He is interested in philosophy and language, specifically etymology and the history of words and phrases. He is the lead attorney on the Mock Trial team and is researching how the Bible is misused to perpetuate sexual prejudice, which has been an opportunity to apply his interests in etymology. He wishes to become an attorney in the future.
About The Project:
The Premise:
The Premise:
Research Questions:
Research Questions:
Description
Description
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in anti-trans rhetoric in the United States, such as the impact of transgender people in sports and the “trans shooter epidemic,” both of which are topics surrounded by misinformation vilifying transgender people. To understand why transgender people in particular are being targeted, we need to understand the history of sexual prejudice and how inferiority is artificial, not bound in science or fact.
Why have we as a society been conditioned to view non heterosexual relationships as inherently “evil”?
-To answer this question, I looked into the history of sexuality and found that, for the most part, relationships as we define them today differ from ancient history, and for this reason, Scriptures from the Bible describe concepts foreign to us, which leads to misinterpretation
Why have we started to blame various social issues on transgender individuals?
-To answer this question, I looked into how statistics regarding transgender people are largely blown out of proportion by the media, creating fearmongering that is then used by politicians to gain influence.
Throughout my capstone project, I have combined my interest in etymology and the context behind old phrases and words with a deep sense of wrongness I have always felt towards sexual prejudice, as it is a concept I have never been able to understand. Creating a final project that covers how the Bible is typically interpreted versus how the Bible could be more accurately interpreted then a look into how the Scripture used to promote sexual prejudice has no bearing in context culminating into a look into how these Scriptures and sexual prejudice in general have been used by people in positions of power as a means to grow their influence helping understand why the increase in anti trans rhetoric has occured.
My Research Process:
Dan McClellen -
Dan McClellen -
The Bible Says So (2025)
The Bible Says So (2025)
McClellan is a religious scholar who focuses on interpreting religious texts in the context in which they were written, examining the linguistic history of phrases that are misinterpreted. He mainly posts on social media, debunking common misinterpretations of the bible.
His book, The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture’s Most Controversial Issues, as the title says, covers misinterpretations of the Bible. The key chapters used in my research covered the nature of interpreting the Bible (How did we get the Bible and The Bible says the Bible is inspired) and the Scriptures that are misinterpreted when perpetuating sexual prejudice (The Bible says homosexuality is a sin)
"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination."
"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination."
(Leviticus 18:22)
(Leviticus 18:22)
To even begin to understand these two verses, one needs to understand how sexual relationships worked in ancient Babylonian society (the time period in which Leviticus was written) in this time period, sexual relations were separate from romantic relationships, and that the dominant party has total control over what is seen as a transaction, and the other party is seen almost as a victim that cannot consent this transaction Thus, this man, who is being condemned, is being condemned for something beyond his control.
“‘If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death: their blood shall be upon them.”
“‘If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death: their blood shall be upon them.”
(Leviticus 20:13)
(Leviticus 20:13)
Transgender Media Coverage:
Transgender Media Coverage:
VICTORY -- America First Legal Breaks Nashville's Years-Long Stonewalling Over Covenant School Shooter "Manifesto"
and
Nashville shooter Audrey Hale allegedly used federal student aid to buy guns for school attack
and
Trans school shooter Audrey Hale wrote twisted pro-and-cons list before deadly rampage: "White people I hate"
These are all headlines from articles surrounding the 2023 Covenant School Shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, where the shooter, Aiden Hale, attacked the Covenant School, a private elementary school. The media surrounding the shooting focused on the identity of the attacker more than the attack itself, where many headlines and articles deadnamed the shooter and speculated on the motive before any statements from the police investigation were released. The motive was for notoriety and was not tied to any political motive or motive of vengeance. A study by Roanoke College Professor Daisy Ball on media coverage of the issue found that 91.4% of references used the names Audrey or Audrey Elizabeth rather than the shooter's chosen name, Aiden Hale. Ball noted that "One could have easily read coverage of the Covenant School shooting and not learned Hale’s chosen name.” The reluctance to use the shooter's chosen name is part of a larger move to delegitimize transgender people, causing them to be taken less seriously in our discourse.
Interview:
My work included interviewing highschooler David K. about his expirence with how gender and sexuality has been treated around him.
David
David
David is a current high schooler who is openly gay. he wrestles for his high school team and has Armenian Heritage. Speaking to David was a great experience; he's an incredibly positive person, as reflected in his responses, and provides an interesting perspective, as coming out to his family was definitely a process due to the culture his father upholds. He's been able to see his identity online and on social media, which has really helped him feel represented. Everyone deserves to be able to feel comfortable in their own skin, and David's story demonstrates the impact others have on making somone feel comfortable.
Gender and sexuality in your social life:
How do your friends treat gender and sexuality?
"So when it comes to gender and sexuality they are super accepting it literally doesn’t matter who you are as long as your chill and a good person we get along just fine."
Would you be able to comfortably express your identity around them(if you've tried, how did they react)?
"when it comes to our friend group and outside we are all pretty accepting of all people. I already act myself around them it’s so nice to have people who love you for you."
Do they act differently depending on the people they are around? Do you act differently depending on the group of people you are around? If so, could you explain why
"They would only act differently if there’s someone we don’t like but other than that we love and tolerate all. I usually act the same around everyone cuz I ain’t fake type shi but obviously I only act different with people who I don’t like but I’m still kind to them as to not hurt feelings."
Gender and sexuality in your family life:
What does your family think about non-heteronormative identities?
"My father is very vocal about me being out he’s said numerous times that I’m confused and don’t know what I want. He’s more or less against it."
What have they taught you to believe?
"I was raised to believe being gay was disgusting and against god and how people who are gay weird."
Do you feel comfortable expressing your identity around them? If you have attempted to, how did they react?
"I feel pretty comfortable around my mom for the most part but not my father."
Are there any cultural/religious reasons for why they hold these beliefs?
It’s not very religious but more cultural because Armenians are very prideful and are against any kind of gay culture.
Gender and sexuality in the media you consume
Do you see a variety of sexual and gender identities in the media you consume?
"Yes I tend to see all kinds of sexual orientations and identities on my main social media instagram."
Did the media you consumed growing up have an influence on your beliefs regarding gender and sexuality?
"I definitely became way more open to gay people and gay culture as I now saw how it’s not so evil."
Do you feel represented by the media you consume?
"It’s definitely nice to see gay people out there on insta cuz I used to think I’m alone but there’s so many gay people about there being themselves."
Do you feel represented in popular media?
"Yes I do when I see gay people on the internet it’s pretty cool to see how many gay people there are just like me."
Capstone Slide Deck and Essay
Slide Deck:
Essay:
Research Resources and Works Cited:
American Psychological Association. Resolution on Gender Identity Change Efforts. Feb. 2021,
https://www.apa.org/about/policy/resolution-gender-identity-change-efforts.pdf
Ball, Daisy, and James Suleyman. "The Covenant School Shooting: Media Coverage and Backlash against the Transgender Community." Laws, vol. 12, no. 6, 2023, p. 88, https://doi.org/10.3390/laws12060088.
McClellan, Dan. The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) About Scripture’s Most Controversial Issues: St. Martin’s Press, 2023.
Truman, Jennifer L., and Rachel E. Morgan. Violent Victimization by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 2017–2020. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, June 2022.
United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Minority Staff. “Trump’s War on Science.” 13 May 2025, sanders.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/HELP-Committee-Minority-Report-Trumps-War-on-Science.pdf.
Woolf, Virginia. Orlando: A Biography. Vintage Classics, 2004.
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