Teaching lgbtq in schools
Teachers Are Divided on Teaching LGBTQ Topics
A little more than half of educators believe they should teach about LGBTQ topics, according to a recent Teaching Week poll. That’s even though surveys have found guard and academic benefits to LGBTQ youth when having access to inclusive curriculum at school.
There can be a number of reasons for the hesitation specifically to teach about things like LGBTQ history, and major court cases tied to LGBTQ identities, experts said. Teachers fear parental pushback; they face a dearth of curriculum options, and even when there are resources available, they may not understand what to gaze for; they may not have received training on the subject; or they simply don’t crave to get something wrong.
One estimate from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Regulation found that shut to 10 percent of the U.S. population of teens ages 13-17 are LGBTQ youth. At a time when these students’ identities are being targeted by legislation across the country—such as bathroom bills, laws limiting classroom discussions on gender and sex, banned books featuring same-sex couples—advocates say there is a need for students to participate in conversations in class that append
What is age-appropriate LGBTQ+ education?
LGBTQ+ education can help advance a safe and affirming learning environment for all students.
On February 24, 2022, Florida’s House of Representatives passed HB 1557. It prohibits instruction about sexuality or gender from grades K-3, and any instruction on LGBTQ issues “in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.”
The bill does not provide any further guidance on what is and is not developmentally appropriate for 4th-12th graders, leaving it up to districts and schools to interpret, and leaving clear the possibility for parents to sue for any instruction that they touch doesn’t adhere to the law.
Many organizations pledged to the safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ students have outlined that students need to feel guarded at school and spot themselves reflected in the curriculum in order to develop a positive self-perception.
So for many teachers, especially of younger grades, the question remains — what does it look enjoy to teach about the LGBTQ community in an age-appropriate way? And how do we find the time within already packed curriculum maps to devote to these lessons?
Below, I’m sharing t
5 Ways Educators Can Help Support Diverse Students
At least 20 states have introduced their versions of a “Don’t State Gay” bill, limiting the discussion of gender and sexual orientation in classrooms, with Flordia and Alabama signing bills into law earlier this year. A national version of these laws now looms in Congress, and trans students face additional limits related to athletics in more than fifteen states.
But as LGBTQ+ students and schools remain trapped in the crosshairs of political battles across the nation, educators — whether able to be upright up against policy or empowered by a more inclusive climate — can make a meaningful difference in supporting students and preventing bias. Here’s how:
Create space for sharing pronouns.
This allows individuals to “self-identify instead of assuming someone’s identity based on their appearance”, explains TC’s Oren Pizmony-Levy, who as the Principal Investigator at the College’s Global Observatory and Advocacy on LGBTQ+ Education leads efforts to study and assemble Diverse school climate indicators and educational initiatives.
“The more we normalize sharing pronouns, the more it will help people ‘come out’ wit
LGBTQ+ in Schools: Outlining Why it is So Important
Dr Eleanor Draeger shares her thoughts on the importance of teaching LGBTQ+ in schools.
LGBTQ + in Schools: Outlining the Latest Developments
I've been thinking a lot over the past scant weeks about the outcry that has ensued over some aspects of the new Relationships and Sex Education guidance that has just been approved by the UK parliament. From September 2020 all first schools will have to teach children about other families, including LGBTQ families, as part of mandatory Relationships Education. And all secondary schools will acquire to teach children about sexual orientation and gender identity, as part of Relationships and Sex Learning. This has caused outrage among some parents, with protests outside Parkfield Society School in Birmingham, where some of the parents are furious that the No Outsiders programme has been delivered there. This programme teaches children about the equalities act, and includes picture books that depict same sex families, and some parents own been concerned that 'exposing' children to lgbtq in schools will 'sexualise them'. Ofsted, meanwhile, have no such c
Actions against LGBTQ+ students also threaten K-12 teachers
Investigate
- LGBTQ+ rights are creature newly challenged after a decade of advances, with recent state and federal anti-LGBTQ+ policy changes impacting students.
- The K-12 teacher workforce in the U.S. has a higher share of lesbian, gay, and bi-curious individuals than the general adult population, based on the most recent statistics available.
- Evidence suggests LGBTQ+ teachers can make a positive impact on LGBTQ+ students, a growing subgroup of students with documented vulnerabilities.
President Trump’s return to the White House portends an intensification of culture wars in the classroom. In the six weeks since his inauguration, Trump has issuedmultipleexecutive ordersaffecting students and young people in pursuit of his agenda. Many of these orders are expected to attract legal challenges as they counter prior congressional and judicial decisions; though in the meantime, Trump’s flurry of actions are creating fresh pressures on schools.
The LGBTQ+ community, and especially transgender individuals, are among the key targets of these recent actions. The rapidly shifting political and legal climate not only imp