GLSEN’s latest biennial National School Climate Survey, released yesterday, looks at the challenges that LGBTQ students face in school, the effects of a hostile climate, and the supports that can offset those effects—while also looking back at trends over two decades.
I wrote yesterday about the many attempts to ban LGBTQ-inclusive children’s books from schools and libraries—so here’s a story to counter that, about three different initiatives that are now offering free (yes, free!) LGBTQ-inclusive books and resources to educators and schools throughout the U.S.
In a moving new short film, a gay dad prepares lunches for his daughter during her first weeks of school and reflects on starting his family, his own difficult school days, and his hopes for the future. Along with the film is a short documentary that looks more broadly at what family means to LGBTQ people.
It’s a school year like no other, so here’s my updated annual collection of back-to-school resources for LGBTQ parents, parents of LGBTQ children, and educators! I hope it remains useful, regardless of the age of your children and whether they are learning in-person, virtually, or both.
Award-winning author Phil Bildner was set to do a virtual visit with a group of fourth graders this month, when the school’s parents’ association suddenly informed him that he couldn’t talk about his latest book—a middle-grade novel about a boy coming out as gay. They then canceled his event. Bildner’s response, in which he chooses not to publicly name the school, reminds us that there are many factors to consider in keeping LGBTQ youth safe—especially in a time of pandemic.
Welcoming Schools, a project of the HRC Foundation, is now offering “Welcoming Schools Wednesdays”—a book and lesson plan for parents to use at home, based on the themes of “embracing all families, being an ally and respecting differences inclusive of LGBTQ identities.”
A South Carolina law banning any discussion of same-sex relationships in public school health classes (except in the context of sexually transmitted diseases) is unconstitutional, a federal court said yesterday.
Family-tree assignments given to elementary school children don’t always make room for all families. And biology classes may use language and concepts that ignore the full range of genders and relationships found in nature. Here are some ideas for more inclusive alternatives.
Just before Thanksgiving, when a fifth-grade boy in Utah shared in class that he was thankful he was going to be adopted by his two dads, the substitute teacher went on a 10-minute tirade against “homosexuality.” She has now been fired.
I don’t have to convince regular readers of the need for LGBTQ-inclusive books and other media in schools. That’s why I’m excited about a new project that is donating boxes of such books to rural public schools, and providing coaching and curriculum guides to help educators use them effectively.
