For those with kids (or selves) heading back to school this week: How was the first day? My son’s first day of preschool was uneventful, although it was a special day of only an hour and I was able to stay with him. He was also somewhat used to it because he did two weeks […]
I interviewed children’s musicians Erin Lee and Marci after meeting them on the R Family cruise in July, and posted about their inclusive approach to children’s music as well as their escapades with an illegal Elmo. They’ve kindly agreed to do a regular guest post with thematic recommendations for kid-friendly music, as well as ways
Two sets of parents in Lexington, Massachusetts are appealing a U.S. District Court dismissal of their claim that the local public school district violated their constitutional rights by teaching their children about families headed by same-sex parents. The District Court judge had said (PDF link): Public schools are entitled to teach anything that is reasonably
The Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) today released its 2007 Gender Equality National Index for Universities & Schools (GENIUS Index). The index evaluates how well colleges, universities, and K-12 school districts are doing in ending gender discrimination and raising awareness of gender identity and expression. It looks at non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies as well as
My son is starting preschool in two weeks, and I’m viewing the event with a mixture of excitement and hesitation. As a reformed academic myself, who always saw September, rather than January, as the real start of the year, I can’t help thinking that he’s embarking on the first steps of an adventure that will
(Originally published in Bay Windows, June 28, 2007.) Is your child’s school inclusive of LGBT families? If not, how can you improve it? Jennifer Chrisler, Executive Director of the Family Pride Coalition, recently spoke with me about their new interactive tool that helps parents answer these critical questions. What is the Rainbow Report Card (RRC)?
Garden State Equality reports an ultimately positive outcome to the tragic saga of Newark high-school student Andre Jackson and the photo of him and his boyfriend that was excised from the school yearbook. They explain in an e-mail: Newark Schools Superintendent Marion Bolden today attended the final graduation rehearsal at East Side High School in
A sobering new study of secondary schools in Britain concluded that homophobic bullying is “almost epidemic.” The School Report study, conducted by the Schools Health Education Unit for LGBT-rights organization Stonewall, found: 65% of young LGB people experience homophobic bullying in Britain’s schools. 97% of gay pupils hear derogatory phrases such as “dyke” or “poof”
Newark School Superintendent Marion Bolden apologized to student Andre Jackson for blacking out a yearbook photo of him and his boyfriend David Escobales kissing. She said the district would reissue an “un-redacted version” of the yearbook to any student at the school who wants one. Jackson is disappointed about the apology, however, since it was
