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Organizations and guidance for the support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ+) students, educators, and families in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Solano Counties.

Counseling Services
For local physical and mental health providers with experience in treating and supporting LGBTQ+ students.

ALAMEDA

CONTRA COSTA

MARIN

NAPA

SAN FRANCISCO

SAN MATEO

SOLANO

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Organizations and guidance for the support of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ+) students, educators, and families in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Solano Counties.

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Training

American Psychological Association: The Respect Online Course
The Respect Online Course includes three self-paced modules that provide school staff (educators, school counselors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers) with the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to make schools safe and supportive for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning students.

The Trevor Project
The Lifeguard Workshop is a free online learning module with a video, curriculum, and teacher resources for middle school and high school classrooms. The Trevor Project's Trainings for Professionals include in-person Ally and CARE trainings designed for adults who work with youth. These trainings help counselors, educators, administrators, school nurses, and social workers discuss LGBTQ+ competent suicide prevention.

California Health Education
The primary purpose of this website and the Health Education Framework is to offer guidance to teachers of health education that will assist them in addressing significant changes to health instruction as reflected in the 2008 Health Education Standards, as well as more recent key initiatives and legislation. This includes guidance and professional learning on being inclusive to LGBTQ+ youth in the classroom in Module One . Creating safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments, including for LGBTQ+ youth.

Resources for Schools
Curriculum Materials that are Inclusive of LGBTQ+ Youth Peer Support or Affinity Clubs and Organizations Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ Students Counseling Services School Staff Antibias Training Aimed at Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth
Resources for Families and Communities Organized by Region

A curated list of regional organizations and guidance for the support of LGBTQ+ students, educators, and families; and strategies to increase support for LGBTQ+ students.

Region 1 - North Coast
Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma

Region 2 -Northeastern
Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Plumas, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity

Region 3 - Capital Service Region
Alpine, Colusa, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sierra, Sutter, Yolo, Yuba

Region 4 - Bay
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Solano

Region 5 - South Bay
Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito

Region 6 - Delta Sierra
Amador, Calaveras, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne

Region 7 - Central Valley
Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Tulare

Region 8 - Costa Del Sur
Kern, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura

Region 9 - Southern
Imperial, Orange, San Diego

Region 10 - RIMS
Riverside, Inyo, Mono, San Bernardino

Region 11 - Los Angeles
Los Angeles

Statewide Resources for Families and Communities

Counseling Services
For local physical and mental health providers with experience in treating and supporting LGBTQ+ students.

Support Groups for Adults and Youth around Gender Diversity
Gender Spectrum hosts free online groups for pre-teens, teens, parents, caregivers, and other family members and adults. These groups provide you with the opportunity to connect with others, share experiences, and feel the comfort of a supportive community.

Laws and Policies

Laws and policies for local educational agencies to support LGBTQ+ students and provide safe learning environments that protect the health and safety of LGBTQ+ students

Laws Related to Supporting LGBTQ+ Students

The FAIR Education Act

California Education Code ( EC) Section 51204.5-the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act-(formerly Senate Bill 48) prescribes inclusion of the contributions of groups previously excluded in the history of California and the U.S. This section previously included men and women and numerous ethnic groups; the expanded language requires inclusion of the contributions of LGBT Americans to California and U.S. history as well as their roles in contemporary society.

To review the Fair Act statute, please visit the California Legislative Information web page. Frequently Asked Questions: regarding Senate Bill 48 are also available.

The California Healthy Youth Act

The California Healthy Youth Act, which took effect January 1, 2016, requires school districts to provide students with integrated, comprehensive, accurate, and comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education, at least once in high school and once in middle school.

All instruction and materials in grades K-12 must be inclusive of LGBTQ students. Instruction shall affirmatively recognize that people have different sexual orientations and, when discussing or providing examples of relationships and couples, must be inclusive of same-sex relationships. ( EC Section 51933[d][5] ). Instruction shall affirmatively recognize that people have different sexual orientations and, when discussing or providing examples of relationships and couples, must be inclusive of same-sex relationships. ( EC Section 51933[d][5] ). Instruction must also teach students about gender, gender expression, gender identity, and explore the harm of negative gender stereotypes. ( EC Section 51933[d][6] ). This means that schools must teach about all sexual orientations and what being LGBTQ means. The California Healthy Youth Act also prohibits sexual health education classes from promoting bias against anyone on the basis of any category protected by EC Section 220, which includes actual or perceived gender and sexual orientation.

For information on the California Healthy Youth Act, EC sections 51930-51939, please visit the California Legislative Information web page.

More information regarding the implementation of The California Healthy Youth Act is available on the California Department of Education (CDE) Frequently Asked Questions: California Healthy Youth Act web page.

Additional information and resources regarding the California Healthy Youth Act, is available on the CDE Comprehensive Sexual Health & HIV/AIDS Instruction web page.

School Success and Opportunity Act

EC Section 221.5(f) (formerly Assembly Bill 1266), requires that pupils be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs, activities, and use facilities consistent with their gender identity, without respect to the gender listed in a pupil's records.

Please visit the CDE Frequently Asked Questions related to the implementation of School Success and Opportunity Act web page for more information.

Legal Advisory

The CDE has issued a Legal Advisory regarding application of California's antidiscrimination statutes to transgender youth in schools.

Policies Related to Supporting LBGTQ+ Students

Research, Data, and Reports

Research, Data and Reports on supporting LGBTQ+ students and improving overall school climate for LGBTQ+ students, their educators and their families.

Questions:

Teacher and Leader Policy Office | 916-445-7331
School Health and Safety Office | 916-319-0914

Last Reviewed: Thursday, June 08, 2023

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Instructional guidance, law, and policies for local educational agencies to support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ+) students and provide safe learning environments that protect the health and safety of LGBTQ+ students.

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Who we are Our Family Coalition advances equity for the full and expanding spectrum of LGBTQ families and children through support, education, and advocacy. Learn more about us 2023 By the numbers 0 Events Held 0 Family Program Engagements 0 Educator Trainings $ 0 Direct Food Support & Aid to Bay Area Families Programs & ...

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Men Chun is a Hong Kong Chinese, born in The Netherlands, who is determined to make a difference in the communities, and extended communities he identifies with. He has lived in and around the Bay Area for over 15 years. His passion for the creative process, and curiosity for human psychology steered him towards obtaining a BA in Psychology and Art from UC Davis.

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Men Chun is a Hong Kong Chinese, born in The Netherlands, who is determined to make a difference in the communities, and extended communities he identifies with. He has lived in and around the Bay Area for over 15 years.

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Teaching Tolerance's LGBTQ Best Practices Guide 

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Teaching Tolerance's LGBTQ Best Practices Guide 

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This timeline is organized in units that are typically taught in middle school and high school U.S. History classrooms and is consistent with the people and events listed in the new California History-Social Science Framework (2016). Our Family Coalition will be updating the timeline over time.
It is important to note that there existed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, communities, and relationships long before these terms became commonplace. Gay and lesbian relationships existed in ancient Rome and Greece communities and are shown in a variety of art from that time. The years when common terms began to be used are listed first followed by important LGBTQ history events:

Lesbian - 1732 - the term lesbian first used by William King in his book, The Toast, published in England which meant women who loved women.

Homosexual - 1869 - Hungarian journalist Karl-Maria Kertheny first used the term homosexual.

Bisexual - 1894/1967. 1872 - the pamphlet, "Psychopathia Sexualis" was translated from German and one of the first times the term bisexual is used. 1967: Sexual Freedom League formed in San Francisco in support of bisexual people.

Gay - 1955 - the term gay was used throughout Europe earlier, but this is the year most agree that gay came to mean same-sex relationships between men.

Transgender - 1965 - John Oliven, in his book, Sexual Hygiene and Pathology, used the term transgender to mean a person who identifies with a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth.

Colonial Life and Founding of the Nation (1607-1770)

1607 - Founding of Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in America.

1619 - Approximately 20 Africans sold into slavery in Jamestown, Virginia.

1624 - Richard Cornish of the Virginia Colony is tried and hanged for sodomy.

1630 - Massachusetts Bay Colony was established believing they had made a "covenant with God to build an ideal Christian community."

1631 - Massachusetts Bay General Court, in accordance with Puritan religious and moral beliefs, declared that the following were considered sex crimes and were punishable by whipping, banishment or execution: fornication, adultery, rape, and sodomy.

1637, 1638 - Trials of Anne Hutchinson in the Massachusetts colony for holding religious meetings in her home since she was not allowed to hold these types of meetings in the male-dominated churches. She was banned from the community.

1687 - New England Primer published and used in colonial schools (90 pages). Some consider this as the first school-based textbook. Content included letters and words, as well as religious-based prayers and instruction such as, "God created man, male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures."

1714 - Sodomy laws in place in the early colonies and in the colonial militia. These laws remained in place until challenged in 1925.

American Revolution, Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution (1770-1787)

1776 - Declaration of Independence.

1778 - Lieutenant Gotthold Frederick Enslin of the Continental Army becomes the first documented service member to be dismissed from the U.S. military for homosexuality. Read more at U.S. History Naval Institute Blog / Timeline of Military Gay History.

1779 - Thomas Jefferson proposes Virginia law to make sodomy punishable by mutilation rather than death. It was rejected by the Virginia legislature

The New Republic / Divergent Paths of the American People (1787-1850)

1788 - U.S. Constitution adopted. Includes a three-fifths clause that counted each slave as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of congressional representation and tax apportionment.

1839 - Margaret Fuller begins hosting conversations about the "great questions" regarding their role and gender around Boston.

1848 - Seneca Falls Convention held in Seneca, NY. First women's rights convention of 300 men and women. Many signed the "Declaration of Sentiments" which listed the variety of ways women had been disenfranchised from American society.

1848 - The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed between the U.S. and Mexico that ended the Mexican-American War and added land which is today California, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.

1848 - Gold discovered in California, which begins the gold rush. The non-native population in California grew from 1000 to 100,000 by 1849 and was mostly men. The population of San Francisco grew from 850 in 1848 to 25,000 in 1850.

1849 - Lifelong partners Jason Chamberlain and John Chaffee sail from Boston to California to seek their fortunes in the California gold rush. They lived together in Groveland, Ca until Chamberlain died in 1903.

1850 - California becomes a state.

Civil War and Civil Rights (1850-1870)

1861 - 1865 - Civil War. Read more at U.S. History Naval Institute Blog / Timeline of Military Gay History

1868 - Fourteenth Amendment Ratified. This is the most cited amendment in Supreme Court civil rights cases and has been the basis for landmark civil rights cases such as Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade and Obergefell v. Hodges. Gay rights advocates cite this amendment in support of equality for future court cases.

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law, which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

1868 - Two-Spirit, We'wha, a Zuni Native American, meets with President Grover Cleveland.

Industrialization, Westward Expansion, Immigration and Religion (1870-1890)

1870 - Nearly 500,000 Americans had crossed the continental U.S. to the western territories since 1840. Just 10% of these travelers were women.

1879 - Death of Charley Parkhurst, well-known stagecoach driver in Central California who was born a woman, but lived as a man. Buried in Watsonville, Ca.

1889 - Jane Addams, along with other women, open Hull House in Chicago that provided daycare, libraries, classes and an employment bureau for women.

1890 - The term, Lesbian, first used in a medical dictionary.

1890 - Hull House, founded by Jane Addams and other women opens in Chicago, IL with funding from her partner, Mary Rozet Smith.

1890 - Birth of Alan Hart who pioneered the use of the X-Ray for tuberculosis diagnosis and one of the first transgender men in history.

U.S. Rise as a World Power, World War 1, Harlem Renaissance and the Great Depression (1890 - 1939)

1892 - The pamphlet, "Psychopathia Sexualis" is translated from German and one of the first times the term bisexual is used. Written by Richard van Kraft-Ebbing. Translated by Charles Gilbert Chaddock.

1895 - Trial of Oscar Wilde (writer and novelist) in London, England and convicted for gross indecency (relationships with other men) and served two years in jail.

1896 - Magnus Hirschfeld, a Jewish German physician and sexologist issued a pamphlet, Sappho and Socrates, on homosexual love (under the pseudonym Th. Ramien).

1907 - Hirschfeld, a Jewish German physician and sexologist, testified at a trial in Germany about a gay relationship and stated, "homosexuality was part of the plan of nature and creation just like normal love."

1914 - 1918 - World War I

Read more at U.S. History Naval Institute Blog / Timeline of Military Gay History

1917-1935 - The Harlem Renaissance. Historians have stated that the renaissance was "as gay as it was black." Some of the lesbian, gay or bisexual people of this movement included writers and poets such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and Zora Neale Hurston; Professor Alain Locke; music critic and photographer Carl Van Vechten, and entertainers Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters and Gladys Bentley.

1924 - The Society for Human Rights, the first gay rights organization, was founded by Henry Gerber in Chicago who had emigrated from Germany. The organization ceased to exist after most of its members were arrested.

World War II (1930-1945)

1944-1945 - As the war came to an end, U.S., British and Soviet forces liberated people held in Nazi concentration camps in Germany.

1945 - German Homosexual men, designated by a pink triangle on their clothing, were the last group to be released from the Nazi concentration camps after liberation by the Allied forces because Paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code stated that homosexual relations between males to be illegal.

Social Transformation and Foreign Policy Post WW2 / Lavender Scare (1945-1960)

1948 - Alfred Kinsey, an American biologist and sexologist at Indiana University issues the first report, Sexual Behavior of the Human Male, was published and discussed male homosexuality (Also known as the Kinsey report).

1950 - U.S. Congress issues the report entitled " Employment of Homosexuals and Other Sex Perverts in Government " is distributed to members of Congress after the federal government had covertly investigated employees' sexual orientation. The report states that since homosexuality is a mental illness, homosexuals "constitute security risks" to the nation.

1950 - The Mattachine Society formed in Los Angeles, California by activist Harry Hay and is one of the first sustained gay rights groups in the United States. The Society focused on social acceptance and other support for homosexuals. Various branches formed in other cities. The organization continues today with different objectives.

1952 - Christine Jorgensen became one of the most famous transgender people when she underwent a sex change operation and went on to a successful career in show business.

1952 - The American Psychiatric Association' s diagnostic manual lists homosexuality as a sociopathic personality disturbance that could be treated.

1952 - U.S. Congress passed and President Harry S. Truman signed into law the Immigration Act that barred "aliens afflicted with a psychopathic personality, epilepsy or mental defect." Congress made clear that this was meant to exclude "homosexuals and sex perverts."

1953 - Kinsey Report, Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, was published and discussed female homosexuality.

1953 (April 27) - Executive Order 10450 issued by President Dwight D. Eisenhower banning homosexuals from working for the federal government stating they are a security risk. This order stays in place until 1993 when President Bill Clinton and the U.S. Congress enact the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law.

Read more at U.S. History Naval Institute Blog / Timeline of Military Gay History

1955 - Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian rights organization is founded in San Francisco, California by Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin. They hosted private social functions, fearing police raids, threats of violence and discrimination in bars and clubs. The organization lasted until 1969.

1957 - Frank Kameny, an astronomer for the U.S. Army Map Service, was released from government service because of his homosexuality, an outgrowth of Executive Order 10450. He had earned his doctorate in astronomy from Harvard University and was a professor of astronomy at Georgetown University before taking a government position. Kameny appealed the decision to the Supreme Court but was rejected.

Civil Rights, Space Race, Vietnam and Protests (1960-1975)

1962 - Illinois becomes the first state to decriminalize homosexual acts between two consenting adults in private.

1963 - Bayard Rustin, an associate of Martin Luther King, and a gay African American man helped organize the March on Washington that culminated with King's 'I Have a Dream' speech.

1967 - The Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop opened in New York City by Craig Rodwell. The bookshop was the first of its kind in the U.S. that was devoted to gay history and gay rights.

1969 - Gay Liberation Front organization formed in New York following the Stonewall Riots to advocate for sexual liberation for all people.

1969 - The Gay Activist Alliance formed in New York by a group who were not satisfied with the direction of the Gay Liberation Front. Their purpose was more political and they wanted to "secure basic human rights, dignity and freedom for all gay people."

1970 - The first gay pride marches were held in multiple cities across the United States on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, including San Francisco and Los Angeles / West Hollywood.

1971 - The "Body Politic" Magazine began publishing in Toronto, Canada. Became one of the most widely read publication regarding LGBT rights.

1972 - The National Bisexual Liberation Group formed in New York.

1972 - The play, "Coming Out!" written by Jonathan Ned Katz, is performed for the first time in New York and provides a historical perspective of gay life from the colonial period to the present.

1973 - The American Psychiatric Association, after considerable advocacy by Frank Kameny and members of the Mattachine Society, changed the classification of homosexuality as a mental disorder. It was not until 1987 that homosexuality was completely removed from the APA list of mental disorders. The APA found that "the latest and best scientific evidence shows that sexual orientation and expressions of gender identity occur naturally...and that in short, there is no scientific evidence that sexual orientation, be it heterosexual, homosexual or otherwise, is a freewill choice."

1974 - Elaine Noble becomes the first openly gay person to be elected as a state legislator; she served in the Massachusetts State House of Representatives for two terms.

The Conservative Resurgence (1975-2000)

1977 - Anita Bryant, former American singer and Miss America Pageant winner formed a group called "Save Our Children" to protest against a Dade County, Florida ordinance preventing discrimination against homosexuals. Her campaign was successful and the law was repealed. Gay and lesbian activists and organizations, including Harvey Milk, condemned the action and in response, boycotted Florida Citrus Commission products, for which Bryant was a spokesperson. In 1980, Bryant was fired as the spokesperson for the Florida Citrus Commission and in 1998, a new gay and lesbian rights ordinance was passed. This was one of the first times the LGBT community realized the political power they possessed.

1978 - The Briggs Initiative, a statewide proposition in California, was defeated by 58% of the voters. The initiative would have banned gays and lesbians from working in California's public schools.

1976 - The book, Gay American History: Lesbians and Gay Men in the U.S.A., is written by Jonathan Ned Katz based on his play of 1972. This was the first book that documented gay history in the U.S.

1978 (June 25) - In San Francisco, the Rainbow Flag is first flown during the Gay Freedom Parade; the flag becomes a symbol of gay and lesbian pride.

1978 (Nov. 27) - San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk is assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone. Supervisor Dan White is convicted of voluntary manslaughter and is sentenced to seven years in prison.

1979 - National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Over 100,000 people gathered in support of gay and lesbian rights.

1979 - Chapters of the national organization of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) are founded across the United States.

1981 (June 5) - AIDS Epidemic begins. The U.S. Center for Disease Control reported the first cases of a rare lung disease, which would be named AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) the following year. There were a total of 583, 298 U.S. men women and children who would die from AIDS through 2007.

1983 - San Francisco AIDS Foundation co-founded by Cleve Jones, Marcus Conant, Frank Jacobson and Richard Keller.

1983 - Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Watkins v. United States Army. The New York Times published an article in 1991 detailing Perry Watkins' settlement with the U.S. Army following his win in the courts.

1985 - Rock Hudson dies. He was a leading actor in many movies in the 1950s and 1960s. He died of complications related to AIDS. After his death, it was revealed that he was gay and had several male relationships.

1985 - The AIDS Quilt concept was conceived and implemented by Cleve Jones, an LGBT activist in San Francisco.

1987 - The organization, ACT UP formed in New York. The purpose of ACT UP was to impact the lives of people living with AIDS, to advocate for legislation, medical research and treatment, and to bring an end to the disease. The organization is still active today.

1988 (Dec. 1) - The World Health Organization (WHO) declared December 1 as the first World AIDS Day.

1993 - The U.S. Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed "Don't Ask Don't Tell" that allowed gay and lesbian people to serve in the military. They would not be asked their sexual orientation during enlistment screening.

1994 - Greg Louganis, four-time Olympic gold medalist and considered one of the greatest divers in history, publicly came out as gay as part of the Gay Games in New York City. He subsequently wrote a book entitled Breaking the Surface that was published in 1996. In it he revealed his Olympic experiences, coming out journey, and that he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988.

1997 - Ellen DeGeneres, a comedian, TV actor and television host was one of the first popular entertainers who publicly came out as a lesbian during an interview on the Oprah Winfrey show and then became the first openly gay character on the TV show, "Ellen." She was then highlighted on the cover of Time Magazine and other news organizations.

1998 - Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old student at the University of Wyoming, was brutally attacked and tied to a fence in a field outside of Laramie, Wyo. and left to die because he was gay. He died from his wounds several days later. This was one of the most notorious anti-gay hate crimes in America and resulted in a federal law passed 10 years later in 2009 called the "Hate Crimes Prevention Act", a federal law against bias crimes directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.

The 21st Century Transformation (2000-Present)

2008 (November) - Proposition 8 passes with a 52% yes vote in California declaring that marriage is between a man and a woman.

2010 - The U.S. Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed the repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" so that gay and lesbian people could serve openly in the military. One person present at the signing ceremony in the White House was Frank Kameny who had been released from military service in 1958 because of discriminatory policies against gay and lesbian people.

Read more at U.S. History Naval Institute Blog / Timeline of Military Gay History

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LGBTQ Rights Timeline in American History " Teaching LGBTQ History

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LGBTQ Rights Timeline in American History This timeline is organized in units that are typically taught in middle school and high school U.S. History classrooms and is consistent with the people and events listed in the new California History-Social Science Framework (2016). Our Family Coalition will be updating the timeline over time.

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Welcoming Schools teacher-friendly lesson plans were designed to help educators create classrooms and schools that foster a sense of belonging for all of your students and their families and caregivers.

A key focus of our program is to provide comprehensive resources for educators to teach about all kinds of families inclusive of LGBTQ+ families and to affirm all identities across the gender spectrum.

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Lesson Plans to Embrace All Families in Your Elementary School

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Welcoming Schools teacher-friendly lesson plans were designed to help educators create classrooms and schools that foster a sense of belonging for all of your students and their families and caregivers. A key focus of our program is to provide comprehensive resources for educators to teach about all kinds of families inclusive of LGBTQ+ families and to affirm all identities across the gender spectrum.

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Definitions:
Gender Identity: One's internal sense of being male, female, neither of these, both, or another gender(s). Everyone has a gender identity, including you. For transgender people, their sex assigned at birth and their own internal sense of gender identity are not the same. Female, woman, and girl and male, man, and boy are also not necessarily linked to each other but are just six common gender identities.
Gender Expression/Presentation: The physical manifestation of one's gender identity through clothing, hairstyle, voice, body shape, etc. Many transgender people seek to make their gender expression (how they look) match their gender identity (who they are), rather than their sex assigned at birth.
Sex Assigned at Birth: The assignment and classification of people as male, female, intersex, or another sex based on a combination of anatomy, hormones, chromosomes. It is important we don't simply use "sex" because of the vagueness of the definition of sex and its place in transphobia. Chromosomes are frequently used to determine sex from prenatal karyotyping (although not as often as genitalia). Chromosomes do not always determine genitalia, sex, or gender.
Physically Attracted To: Sexual orientation. It is important to note that sexual and romantic/emotional attraction can be from a variety of factors including but not limited to gender identity, gender expression/presentation, and sex assigned at birth.
Emotionally Attracted To: Romantic/emotional orientation. It is important to note that sexual and romantic/emotional attraction can be from a variety of factors including but not limited to gender identity, gender expression/presentation, and sex assigned at birth. There are other types of attraction related to gender such as aesthetical or platonic. These are simply two common forms of attraction.

The Gender Unicorn uses a Creative Commons License. This means you can share the infographic with credit, even for commercial purposes. You do not have to request permission to use it.

Recommended citation:
Trans Student Educational Resources, 2015. "The Gender Unicorn." http://www.transstudent.org/gender.
Example of how to fill out your own Gender Unicorn:
Many people were curious if agender and asexual people were included in this graphic. In short, they are. For example, identifying on the left of the sexuality spectra would indicate no attraction. Each arrow is a sliding scale, not a checkbox.

Changes from The Genderbread Person
You may recognize this graphic as similar to The Genderbread Person
by itspronouncedmetrosexual. We created this graphic with significant changes to more accurately portray the distinction between gender, sex assigned at birth, and sexuality. Ultimately, we wanted to recognize genders outside of the western gender binary, which the Genderbread Person does not. Not all trans people exist on a scale of womanhood and manhood. There are several other issues with this graphic such as the use of the inaccurate term " biological sex, " the use of "asex" (which fails to recognize that everyone has sex characteristics prescribed to them), and several other issues with terminology and presentation.

Sources:
Queer and trans organizers have been making the distinction between gender identity, gender presentation/expression, sex, and attraction for decades. No one person or organization has created the concept. However, similar gender mapping concepts to the unicorn seem to have originated on social media sites like Tumblr. https://www.reddit.com/r/transgender/comments/ipgod/oversimplified_diagram_but_still_a_good_way_to/

Illustrations by Anna Moore. Design by Landyn Pan, Eli Erlick, and many others.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at TSER [at] transstudent.org!

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English Interactive (English) Coloring Book (English) Español (Spanish) Português (Portuguese) ру́сский язы́к (Russian) 日本語 (Japanese) Deutsch (German) Français (French) italiano (Italian) ภาษาไทย (Thai) Türkçe (Turkish) Nederlands (Dutch) ភាសាខ្មែរ (Khmer) magyar (Hungarian) dansk (Danish) íslenska (Icelandic) English Interactive (English) Source Coloring Book (English) Español (Spanish) Português (Portuguese) ру́сский язы́к (Russian) 日本語 (Japanese) Deutsch (German) Français (French) ...

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UCBHSSP and the FAIR Act

UCBHSSP has worked with teachers and scholars over the last few years to think about how we can support teachers in implementing the FAIR Act. Above are links to lessons we have developed for classroom use. While the FAIR Act applies explicitly to US History, we have also worked with world history teachers on asking questions of gender and sexuality about the past. Consequently, you can find a link to world history lessons as well. Our work has been informed by this advocacy document authored by scholars of the history of gender and sexuality, and particularly the work of Professor Don Romesburg.

UCBHSSP's LGBTQ Lesson Plans
Recommended LGBTQ History Resources Disability Resources

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UCBHSSP has worked with teachers and scholars over the last few years to think about how we can support teachers in implementing the FAIR Act. Above are links to lessons we have developed for classroom use. While the FAIR Act applies explicitly to US History, we have also worked with world history teachers on asking questions of gender and sexuality about the past.

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Even if you face rejections, know that you're never alone.

Parents, family and friends can have a big impact, especially in the lives of LGBTQ youth. Sometimes, these people are the ones who help us get the support we need - other times, it's us who connect them with life-affirming resources.

For some LGBTQ young people, family and friends aren't a part of their support system at all because of things like rejection, discrimination, or a lack of understanding. That can be really difficult, but we want you to know that you aren't alone. No matter how your friends and family affect your life, or how you make a difference in theirs, The Trevor Project is always here to support you. You are a worthwhile person and deserve to be treated with respect and love!

FAQ

1. My friend told me that he felt like killing himself. I told him not to, but I don't know what else to do. Please help!

2. My parent's won't let me see my boyfriend, who I love very much. They say I'm not gay, and that I'm just confused. It's so frustrating! I am openly gay at school and have really supportive friends, but how do I help my parents understand?

3. I think my younger sister may be transgender. I was wondering, are there things I can do to support her?

4. I came out to my dad about 2 years ago, and he's been terrible ever since. What can I do to heal an already tattered relationship?

Question:
1. My friend told me that he felt like killing himself. I told him not to, but I don't know what else to do. Please help!
Answer:
We're glad you reached out for help! That is a brave and important thing to do. Your friend is lucky to have someone who cares so much about his future.

Suicide is a very serious issue. Let your friend know that he is not alone, and that his life is worth fighting for. If he's between the ages of 13 and 24, please encourage him to reach out to The Trevor Project's 24/7 Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386. You two can even call together. Our counselors are always standing-by to listen and talk through any problems he may be having. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is also available any time at 1-800-273-8255.

If there is ever a time when you feel like your friend is going to act on his feelings, call 911 immediately or get him to a hospital. Even if he's upset, he will be grateful that you helped save his life in the long-run.

You can also read through the warning signs of suicide on Trevor's website. If you recognize any of these in someone you know, like your friend, there are steps you can take to help. Connect the person to resources, like The Trevor Project. Accept that their feelings are real, and take them seriously. Respond if you're concerned and tell a trusted adult right away, whether it's a teacher, parent, counselor, doctor, or relative. Lastly, empower the person to get help, like by calling the Trevor Lifeline. It is not an easy thing to do, but it may be life-saving. Remember, you are not responsible for anyone who chooses to take their own life.
Question:
2. My parent's won't let me see my boyfriend, who I love very much. They say I'm not gay, and that I'm just confused. It's so frustrating! I am openly gay at school and have really supportive friends, but how do I help my parents understand?
Answer:
First, we're so happy to hear that you are out and proud at school. It sounds like you have some solid support from your friends and from your boyfriend. That's great! It's also brave that you've come out to your parents - we know that isn't always easy.

The situation with your parents is a tough one, but we hope you know that you are not alone. Every parent takes a different amount of time to understand and accept their LGBTQ child. Some may take longer than others, and in certain worst-case scenarios a parent may choose not to become accepting. Have you heard about PFLAG? It stands for Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and it's an awesome organization that helps families grow to support their LGBTQ child. Since you've told your parents that you're gay, maybe you can try to share some PFLAG resources with them. It might help them feel less alone, too. Here are some PFLAG tools that we recommend:

We know this is hard. Keep being proud of who you are, and continue to spend with your supportive friends and boyfriend. The people in our lives who accept us for who we are can really help us get through tough times like these.
Question:
3. I think my younger sister may be transgender. I was wondering, are there things I can do to support her?
Answer:
Your sister is lucky to have such an observant and caring person like you in her life. Please know that your support will help her so much, however she decides to identify when she is ready.

Keep in mind that your sister may not be sure about her identity yet, and there is no rush for her to figure it out. The best thing to do right now would be to show her you're there for her no matter what, and educate yourself about gender identity and what it means to be transgender.

For instance, starting a conversation with her about well-known transgender people, or transgender characters on TV or in movies, might give your sister a chance to talk about how she feels. Having discussions about gender identity can demonstrate your openness and support and help pave the way if or when she is ready to come out. Also, just offering a nonjudgmental ear for listening can go a long way.

You can also learn more about gender identity and transgender identities through online resources like The Gender Spectrum and The Gender Book. How awesome would it be if you could be there for her if she ever has a question, or when she isn't sure who will understand what she's going through? As your sister explores her own identity, your love and support will make a world of difference.
Question:
4. I came out to my dad about 2 years ago, and he's been terrible ever since. He says things like: "I love my son but not the f** inside him." Thankfully I live with my mom now, who is super supportive, but I can't forgive him for the way he has treated me. People tell me that I need to have a relationship with him because he is my father, but I just can't. What can I do to heal an already tattered relationship?
Answer:
It's a wonderful thing when our parents treat us with love, support and respect; but it can be terrible when they act in ways that are cruel and disrespectful. Despite what people have said, you don't need to have a relationship with your father if you don't want one. No one can force you to change your mind.

You're the only person who can set boundaries for the relationship you want with your father. It's hard to do, especially with our parents, because we're not used to saying, "I want us to communicate in this way," or "I'm not going to stand for that kind of language."

It's important to know that your dad's hurtful words and actions reflect his issues, not yours. You may not be able to change his behavior - what he chooses to say or do is up to him. However, you can control whether or not you want to involve him in your life.

Have you talked to him about wanting to heal your relationship? If you're leaning toward having no contact with him until he can be more supportive and less homophobic, you might want to let him know. Talking over the phone, with email, or through a letter are all good ways to share your thoughts in a safe way. Be clear about what he is doing that is causing you pain, what you want to see change, and what you're going to do until he changes. Consider giving him a date when you'll contact him again to hear his thoughts. Then, it's up to him to decide whether or not he's going to change how he's been acting.

Do you think you might want a relationship with him, even if he's being homophobic? Maybe you'll decide to give him a chance, while setting up some protections for yourself in case things get difficult - one of these protections might be setting limits for how long you're willing to be around him, or explaining that you'll leave the room if he starts to get verbally abusive. As always, it's up to you to determine how you want to handle your relationship with your dad.

After you've thought about it, you may decide to just keep away from him until something changes. That's ok too. The most important thing is to make a decision that keeps you as safe and supported as possible. Are you able to talk to your mom or another trusted adult about your concerns about your dad? Teachers, co-workers, or counselors are also good people to reach out to. Going through this stuff is hard, and everyone needs someone that can stand by their side. You can also always call the Trevor Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386 to speak with a trained counselor, or go on www.TrevorChat.org (instant messaging online) or www.TrevorSpace.org (our safe, secure social network site). You are not alone!

Resources

Through The Trevor Support Center you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of The Trevor Project. The Trevor Project does not review or ensure the accuracy of the content on other sites.

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Even if you face rejections, know that you're never alone. Parents, family and friends can have a big impact, especially in the lives of LGBTQ youth. Sometimes, these people are the ones who help us get the support we need - other times, it's us who connect them with life-affirming resources.

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Who we are Our Family Coalition advances equity for the full and expanding spectrum of LGBTQ families and children through support, education, and advocacy. Learn more about us 2023 By the numbers 0 Events Held 0 Family Program Engagements 0 Educator Trainings $ 0 Direct Food Support & Aid to Bay Area Families Programs & ...

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338 books based on 252 votes: And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Red: A Crayon's Story by Michael Hall, Strong by Rob Kearney, Goblinheart by Br...

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Common Sense Media editors help you choose LGBTQ Books. Stories with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning characters.

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Start the school year with confidence to create LGBTQ+ and gender inclusive classrooms with the Welcoming Schools 2022-2023 Back-to-School Kit! This year's kit includes two new discussion guides for Gender and SOGIE videos created in partnership with Advocates for Youth.

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Welcoming Schools - Gender and LGBTQ+ Inclusive Schools

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Start the school year with confidence to create LGBTQ+ and gender inclusive classrooms with the Welcoming Schools 2022-2023 Back-to-School Kit! This year's kit includes two new discussion guides for Gender and SOGIE videos created in partnership with Advocates for Youth.

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trans and queer youth uniting for racial and gender justice

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Introduction

Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Recommended Literature List) is a searchable database of books for children and teens which helps students, teachers, and families find books that entertain, inform, and explore new ideas and experiences.

Each book has a description called an "annotation" that explains what the book is about. The annotation can help someone decide if the title is interesting and appropriate to read.

Literature used in a school is determined by the district. Each district should have a selection policy that explains the procedures it uses for selecting literature that reflects the school's education mission, program, and the ages and interests of its students. The selection policy should describe the process for reconsidering the use of a title. The Recommended Literature List is intended as a tool to assist districts as they select literature, but the list only recommends titles. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the district to select literature according to the selection policies that are in place.

Many of the literature selections available within the Recommended Literature List contain material that can be considered provocative or controversial. By its very nature, literature can stimulate debate and disagreement about important issues. The Recommended Literature List is designed to give local educational agencies a range of materials to choose from to meet the needs of local teachers and students. In California, specific decisions about classroom instruction are made at the local level by teachers and local administrators, rather than in Sacramento. It should be understood that inclusion of a variety of diverse materials on the Recommended Literature List does not preclude local teachers and administrators from selecting those specific materials that best suit the needs and interests of their local students.

In 2014, Assembly Bill (AB) 484 eliminated the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program of which the California Reading List (CRL) was a resource. The CRL identified leveled reading materials appropriate to a student's reading level using Lexile numbers provided on a student's STAR results report. Although it does not include Lexile numbers, the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve list is still available to aid students, teachers, parents, and other education stakeholders in discovering quality literature through a variety of criteria including, but not limited to, grade level, topic, genre, and culture.

Search the List

Recommended Literature List Search
Search the online database for books by grade level spans or other criteria. Some books may be out of print and not readily available through most sellers, but they may be available in libraries and through used bookstores.

Recommended Literature List Search Instructional Webinar
This webinar explains the purpose of the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve, and demonstrates search techniques in order to access quality literature quickly.

Recommended Literature List Title Suggestion Survey
This survey may be filled out to suggest to the Recommended Literature List Committee titles to be included in future updates of the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

Recommended Literature List Title Reconsideration Survey
This survey may be filled out to request that the Recommended Literature List Committee reconsider a title included within the Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

List Resources

Recommended Literature List Resources
Information about the list including search categories, acknowledgements, awards, district selection policies, literary genres, classifications, connections to standards, cultural designations, frequently asked questions, and previously published literature lists.

Last Reviewed: Friday, December 18, 2020

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Recommended Literature: Prekindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Recommended Literature List) is a searchable database of books for children and teens which helps students, teachers, and families find books that entertain, inform, and explore new ideas and experiences. Each book has a description called an "annotation" that explains what the book is about.

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You may have noticed that people are sharing their pronouns in introductions, on name tags, and when GSA meetings begin. This is happening to make spaces more inclusive of transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender non-binary people. Including pronouns is a first step toward respecting people's gender identity, working against cisnormativity, and creating a more welcoming space for people of all genders.
How is this more inclusive?
People's pronouns relate to their gender identity. For example, someone who identifies as a woman may use the pronouns "she/her." We do not want to assume people's gender identity based on gender expression (typically shown through clothing, hairstyle, mannerisms, etc.) By providing an opportunity for people to share their pronouns, you're showing that you're not assuming what their gender identity is based on their appearance. If this is the first time you're thinking about your pronoun, you may want to reflect on the privilege of having a gender identity that is the same as the sex assigned to you at birth.
Tips for Gender-neutral Language:

If you feel comfortable, introduce yourself with your pronouns as a model. For example: "Hi, I'm Anjelique. I use she/her and they/them pronouns" or "I'm Milo, and I use they/them pronouns."

Practice, practice, practice! Use gender-neutral pronouns such as "they" and "ze" while visualizing the person who uses them.

Whenever possible, take the lead from the transgender and GNC students and educators in your school, especially during the planning stages.

Welcome feedback, and be ready to make adjustments as you continue to make your spaces more inclusive: "If you have any feedback for us on how to make this GSA a more welcoming space for transgender, gender nonconforming and gender non-binary people, please let us know!"

When addressing groups of people or people whose pronouns you haven't been told, use gender-neutral language such as, "friends," "folks," "all," or "y'all," rather than "guys," "ladies," "ma'am," or "sir."

Other resources from GLSEN for supporting Trans/GNC Youth Leading Organizations for Transgender Advocacy:

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You may have noticed that people are sharing their pronouns in introductions, on name tags, and when GSA meetings begin. This is happening to make spaces more inclusive of transgender, gender nonconforming, and gender non-binary people. Including pronouns is a first step toward respecting people's gender identity, working against cisnormativity, and creating a more welcoming space for people of all genders.

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Enacted January 1, 2016, this law integrates the instruction of comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education. The bill renamed the California Comprehensive Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Act to the California Healthy Youth Act. The bill requires school districts to ensure that all pupils in grades seven to twelve, inclusive, receive comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education.
California Healthy Youth Act

The California Healthy Youth Act has five primary purposes:

To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their sexual and reproductive health from HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and from unintended pregnancy;

To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to develop healthy attitudes concerning adolescent growth and development, body image, gender, sexual orientation, relationships, marriage, and family;

To promote understanding of sexuality as a normal part of human development;

To ensure pupils receive integrated, comprehensive, accurate, and unbiased sexual health and HIV prevention instruction and provide educators with clear tools and guidance to accomplish that end;

To provide pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to have healthy, positive, and safe relationships and behaviors

For information on the California Healthy Youth Act, California Education Code (EC) sections 51930-51939, please visit the California Legislative Information Web Page .

These sections of the EC address both comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education. The law requires that both comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education are taught once in middle school and once in high school.

A school district must provide comprehensive sexual health education or HIV prevention education consisting of age-appropriate instruction earlier than grade seven using instructors trained in the appropriate courses. A school district that elects to offer comprehensive sexual health education or HIV prevention education earlier than grade seven may provide age appropriate and medically accurate information on any of the general topics contained in paragraphs (51934(1) to (10), inclusive, of subdivision (a).

"Comprehensive sexual health education" means education regarding human development and sexuality, including education on pregnancy, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections ( EC 51931).

"HIV prevention education" means instruction on the nature of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and AIDS, methods of transmission, strategies to reduce the risk of HIV infection, and social and public health issues related to HIV and AIDS ( EC 51931).

Abstinence from sexual activity and injection drug use shall be taught within the context of comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education ( EC 51934[3]), however, abstinence-only education is not permitted in California public schools.

The following do not qualify as comprehensive sexual health or HIV prevention education, and therefore, are not subject to the same rules that govern comprehensive sexual health and HIV prevention education ( EC 51932):

This chapter does not apply to description or illustration of human reproductive organs that may appear in a textbook, adopted pursuant to law, if the textbook does not include other elements of comprehensive sexual health education or HIV prevention education as defined in EC Section 51931.

This chapter does not apply to instruction, materials, presentations, or programming that discuss gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, discrimination, harassment, bullying, intimidation, relationships, or family and do not discuss human reproductive organs and their functions.

Superintendent Letter Clarifying The California Health Youth Act
The purpose of the California Healthy Youth Act is to provide every student with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their sexual and reproductive health from unintended pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Frequently Asked Questions
Questions and answers regarding the California Healthy Youth Act on the California Department of Education Web page.

California Health Youth Act PowerPoint Presentation (PPT)
Provides information regarding new laws for comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education.

Sexual Health Education Accountability Act
Provides information on the requirements of the Sexual Health Education Accountability Act.

Curriculum Guidance

Curriculum Guidance
Provides information on curriculum and how to obtain curriculum for loan.

Checklist for Guest Speakers
EC Section 51936 permits school districts to contract with guest speakers to provide comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education. All outside consultants and guest speakers shall have expertise in comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education and have knowledge of the most recent medically accurate research on the relevant topic or topics covered in the instruction. If school districts do use outside consultants, their instruction shall comply with all requirements listed in EC sections 51930-51939.

For information on this section of the CHYA, ( EC Section 51936), please visit the California Legislative Web page .

For information on determining if an outside speaker is adhering to EC for comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education. Please visit the CDE Checklist for Guest Speakers Web page.

Data

California Youth Risk Behavior Survey
The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) provides data on health-risk behaviors among ninth through twelfth grade students, including behaviors that contribute to injuries and violence; alcohol or other drug use; tobacco use; sexual risk behaviors; unhealthy dietary behaviors; and physical inactivity. You can find information about California's YRBS results as well as compare to other states and other Local Education Agencies within California on the California Department of Education (CDE) Web page.

Resources for High Priority Counties
Resources for teachers and students that include local clinical sites and, if available, local 24/7 emergency hotlines for youth based on environmental scans of the high priority counties as identified by STD rates, Unintended Teen Birth Rates, and HIV rates.

Statewide & National Sexual Health Resources
A list of statewide and national resources for students and teachers on clinical services, medically accurate sexuality information, and comprehensive sexual health educational materials, including 24/7 emergency hotlines.You can find information about statewide and national sexual health resources on the CDE Statewide & National Sexual Health Resources Web page.

Adolescent Sexual Health Work Group
The California Adolescent Sexual Health Work Group provides data tables and charts for adolescent births, AIDS and STDs.

California Department of Public Health

Adolescent Health Data and Statistics
Surveillance and program data and statistics related to adolescent health in California.

Sexually Transmitted Disease California Data
Provides statewide data as well as local health jurisdiction data rankings for better program planning, and improved planning for resource allocation and interventions.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

School Health Profiles Data
A system of surveys assessing school health policies and practices in states, large urban school districts, and territories.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS)
The YRBSS monitors six types of health-risk behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of death and disability among youth and adults.

Funding

HIV prevention instruction and training is mandated by Education Code sections 51933, 51934 and 51935. Local educational agencies make an annual choice to receive funding for various mandated programs and activities through either the Mandate Block Grant or through the claim reimbursement process administered by the State Controller's Office pursuant to Government Code Section 17560.

For information on the Mandate Block Grant, please visit the California Department of Education Web page.

For information on the mandated claim reimbursement process administered by the State Controller's Office pursuant to GC Section 17560. Please visit the State Controller's Office web page.

Local educational agencies that elect the claim reimbursement process may recover costs for:

Providing parental notification regarding HIV instruction:

Printing and postage for the required notification

In-service training

Developing in-service training programs and materials

Developing/updating curricula and materials

Selecting and purchasing curricula and instructional materials

Planning HIV prevention instruction

Holding curriculum reviews for parents

Making alternative education activities available

Non-classroom teacher costs of instructing students on HIV prevention in mandated grade levels (includes nurses, resource teachers, consultants, and outside speakers)

Instructional Resources

Guidelines for HIV/AIDS Prevention Instruction
This California Department of Education publication provides guidelines for state-mandated HIV/AIDS prevention education in California middle and high schools.

Parent Notification

Prior to providing instruction in comprehensive sexual health education or HIV prevention education, Education Code ( EC) 51938 requires school districts to notify parents of the instruction and to make materials available for parents to review. School districts may notify parents/guardians at the beginning of the school year or at least 14 days prior to instruction. Districts shall allow parents to withdraw their child from class upon receiving a signed, written request, using a passive consent or "opt-out" policy for required comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention instruction. Districts shall not adopt an active consent or "opt-in" policy for parental consent for required comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention instruction.

For information on the California Healthy Youth Act, Notice and Parental Excuse, Education Code section 51938, please visit the California Legislative Information Web page.

Schools may administer assessments relating to students' health behaviors and risks, including tests, questionnaires, and surveys. Parents/guardians shall be given prior notice of these assessments, the opportunity to review the assessment instrument, and may withdraw their child from the assessment. In grades seven through twelve, schools may use either a passive consent ("opt-out" policy) for parental consent for assessments or prior written consent. In earlier grades, schools shall use an active consent or ("opt-in" policy) for parental consent for assessments.

Sample Notification Letter

The sample parent/guardian notification letter (DOCX) is available here.

Teacher Training

Comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education shall be taught by instructors trained in the appropriate courses. Education Code ( EC) 51935 requires school districts to cooperatively plan and conduct in-service training for all teachers and school employees who provide HIV prevention instruction. This in-service training shall be conducted periodically to enable staff to remain current with new developments in the scientific understanding of HIV as well as with new prevention education techniques. This training may be expanded to cover comprehensive sexual health education.

For information on the California Healthy Youth Act, In-Service Training, Education Code section 51935, please visit the California Legislative Information Web page .

The California Department of Public Health, STD Control Branch, in collaboration with the California Department of Education, Coordinated School Health and Safety Office, can offer free local in-person trainings for LEA staff and community partners. Please e-mail STDHealthEd@cdph.ca.gov to inquire.

Your local county office of education may also be available to provide local trainings, especially as part of a Comprehensive Sexual Education Network (CSE Network). Please contact your local county office of education to inquire.

Also, in partnership with the California Department of Public Health, STD Control Branch, and the California Prevention Training Center, trainings are available for those who want to build their knowledge and capacity in sexual health and sexuality education. And yes, The California Healthy Youth Act is part of this training. Upon the successful completion of required and elective modules, participants will receive a Sexual Health Educator (SHE) Training Program Certificate of Completion.

EC 51936 permits school districts to contract with guest speakers to provide comprehensive sexual health education and HIV/AIDS prevention education. If school districts do use outside consultants, their instruction shall comply with all requirements listed in EC 51933 and 51934.

Please refer to the Checklist for Guest Speakers.

Questions: School Health and Safety Office | 916-319-0914

Last Reviewed: Monday, September 28, 2020

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Comprehensive Sexual Health & HIV/AIDS Instruction

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Enacted January 1, 2016, this law integrates the instruction of comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education. The bill renamed the California Comprehensive Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Act to the California Healthy Youth Act. The bill requires school districts to ensure that all pupils in grades seven to twelve, inclusive, receive comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education.

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The Fair Education Act amends the California Education Code for Elementary and Secondary School's chapters on Required Courses of Study and Instructional Materials:

§ 51204.5. Instruction in social sciences shall include the early history of California and a study of the role and contributions of both men and women, Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups, to the economic, political, and social development of California and the United States of America, with particular emphasis on portraying the role of these groups in contemporary society.

§ 51500. A teacher shall not give instruction and a school district shall not sponsor any activity that promotes a discriminatory bias on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual orientation, or because of a characteristic listed in Section 220.

§ 51501. The state board and any governing board shall not adopt any textbooks or other instructional materials for use in the public schools that contain any matter reflecting adversely upon persons on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual orientation, or because of a characteristic listed in Section 220.

§ 60040. When adopting instructional materials for use in the schools, governing boards shall include only instructional materials which, in their determination, accurately portray the cultural and racial diversity of our society, including: (a) The contributions of both men and women in all types of roles, including professional, vocational, and executive roles.

(b) The role and contributions of Native Americans, African Americans, Mexican Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, European Americans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, persons with disabilities, and members of other ethnic and cultural groups to the total development of California and the United States.

(c) The role and contributions of the entrepreneur and labor in the total development of California and the United States.

§ 60044. A governing board shall not adopt any instructional materials for use in the schools that, in its determination, contain: (a) Any matter reflecting adversely upon persons on the basis of race or ethnicity, gender, religion, disability, nationality, or sexual orientation, occupation, or because of a characteristic listed in Section 220.

(b) Any sectarian or denominational doctrine or propaganda contrary to law.

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About the FAIR Education Act " Teaching LGBTQ History

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About the FAIR Education Act The FAIR Education Act*, SB 48 (Leno), was signed into law on July 14, 2011, and went into effect on January 1, 2012. It amends the California Education Code to include the Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful reference to contributions by people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community ...

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Our programs for grades 5-12 are medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive. Our newest curriculum, Teen Talk Adapted for All Abilities , is uniquely designed for students with special needs. to learn more!

Our suite of programs for parents and guardians helps adults gain comfort and confidence in talking with their young person, while building community amongst other parents.

Want the latest news in sexuality? Interested in tips to talk with your kids about sex and relationships? Sign up for our newsletter!

A decade of sexual health education experience in California.

What does "inclusive" mean when it comes to sex ed? Learn how our staff are working towards expanding on this ever important topic, institutionally and in the classroom.

Immigrant Youth Deserve Equal Access to Quality Sex Ed

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Our programs for grades 5-12 are medically accurate, age-appropriate, and inclusive. Our newest curriculum, Teen Talk Adapted for All Abilities , is uniquely designed for students with special needs. to learn more! Our suite of programs for parents and guardians helps adults gain comfort and confidence in talking with their young person, while building community amongst other parents.

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Contributions of LGBT individuals

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Legislatively Required Topic Summaries (2) (1)

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Inside Game: Work with Yourself * Learn more about prejudice and discrimination based on such differences as race, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and religion * Treat diversity among teammates as a team strength * Judge teammates and coaches on the basis of their character, not their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression * Do not make assumptions about teammates' or coaches' sexual orientation or gender identity based on appearance or stereotypes * Do not make assumptions about teammates or coaches based on their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression * Wear a pin, tee shirt or wrist band supporting respect for LGBT people * Understand the important role that allies can play in making athletics safe and welcoming for everyone * Put a Safe Sports Space sticker on your locker or on the locker room door One on One: Work with Others * Treat teammates as you would like to be treated: Be respectful * Respect the rights of all teammates to be safe * Do not make anti-LGBT slurs, jokes or comments * If you are a team leader, use your leadership role to set an example of fairness and respect for other members of the team, including LGBT teammates * Use your visibility and leadership role as an athlete in your school to promote respect for diversity. If you or someone you know is targeted by anti-LGBT discrimination, harassment or violence, tell someone who can help (your parents, a school counselor, a coach, a teacher) * Support LGBT teammates who choose to identify themselves to others Team Work: Policy Changes * Encourage your athletic department or coach to schedule workshops on LGBT issues in sport * Encourage your team to take the GLSEN Sports Project Team Respect Challenge * Start a Safe Sports Space Campaign in your school * Report anti-LGBT comments or actions by coaches or other athletic staff to athletic administrators

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Inside Game: Work with Yourself * Learn more about prejudice and discrimination based on such differences as race, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and religion * Treat diversity among teammates as a team strength * Judge teammates and coaches on the basis of their character, not their sexual orientation or gender

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Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, Transgender Awareness Week from November 13 to 19, and Transgender Day of Remembrance/Resilience on November 20, are important moments for trans inclusion, to create safe and inclusive schools for trans students. But making school trans-inclusive is a year-round effort.
According to GLSEN research, compared to other students in the LGBTQ community, transgender and nonbinary students face more hostile school climates. To learn more, see GLSEN's full research report and webinar on trans student experiences, and our report on trans students and school facilities, co-authored with Movement Advancement Project.

Below is a wealth of resources that center trans, including nonbinary students and educators. These resources share personal experiences and can help students and educators learn about gender diversity, pronoun visibility, trans students' rights, inclusive curriculum, and GSA practices.
For the many types of events throughout the year around transgender and nonbinary issues, we have put together an action kit to give you ideas that you can use at your school.
March

Transgender Day of Visibility

Highlight Trans historical figures. You can use the LGBTQ History Cards to share stories and the impact figures made!

Trans and nonbinary centered conversation. Ask trans and nonbinary folks if they are comfortable sharing their stories and their needs from allies. This is a great time to pass the mic and listen.

Social Media visibility: Share your photo or video on social media channels. Disrupt threads typically dominated by cis folks like #LGBTQ #Pride #Beautiful etc. Add to threads such as #tdov, #TransIsBeautiful to see the amazing community that pops up throughout the day. (Always consider your safety before posting anything public) ***if you are not able to be visible, that is ok, you are still valid.

June

Pride

LGBTQ History Cards: Select the cards in the deck about transgender people and share with your GSA, write about them in a class, or print out the biography and share them on a poster at school. You can purchase a deck of cards from our store or you can print out the cards from our website.

Make a playlist that highlights trans artists and play it in your GSA or classroom.

Host a fun Pride Party with your GSA!

Use this as an opportunity to wear statement items to show solidarity with Trans and LGBQ students, such as a rainbow lanyard or pin.

October

International Pronouns Day

Intersex Awareness Day

Educate yourself: Learn about intersex identities and unpack the harmful ways societal practices have limited our autonomy over our bodies that especially impact intersex people. "People who are intersex are more common than you think! Experts estimate that as many as 1.7% of people are born with intersex traits - that's about the same number of people who are born with red hair. People with intersex traits aren't all the same, and some people may not even know they are intersex unless they receive genetic testing (this may happen, for example, with athletes). Intersex people are not that uncommon - they just have been mostly invisible." There are ways to take action and advocate from our friends at InterACT.

November

Transgender Awareness Week

Transgender and nonbinary student and staff panel: Ask for volunteers who identify as transgender, nonbinary, agender, two-spirit, gender queer etc. to be on a panel. This could be held at your GSA meeting, District-wide event, community center, assembly, or library. It is important that the panelists feel safe sharing their stories. Participants should never be forced to answer questions they do not want to answer. Create questions ahead of time and share them with the panelists, this will give them an opportunity to give you feedback and let you know if they do not want to answer any of the suggested questions.

Film screening with discussion: Select a film based on transgender issues to screen in your GSA, community center, class, district-wide event, or library. Here is a list of recommended films: Major!, Gender Revolution, Paris is Burning (has adult content), Happy Birthday Marsha, Pose, Kiki, etc. After the film, have some questions prepared to engage attendees such as "Could you relate to any of the characters in the film? If so, how or why?"

Centering trans and nonbinary voices: "Centering" means actively listening to what trans and nonbinary people are saying. If you are planning an event for Transgender Awareness Week, ask the folks who identify as trans and nonbinary what activities they would like to happen, what solidarity and allyship look like in these spaces. Offer if they would like to take the lead on anything you are involved in organizing.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Say their names: Hold a memorial during your GSA or at an appropriate time at school. Write out their names and ages on a 3x5 postcard and encourage folks in the room to take one and read the name out loud. You can hold a moment of silence for each name or at the end of the reading. After, you can tape the names to a poster and have it hanging in your GSA room or a designated space somewhere at school.

Honor their lives: Along with saying their names out loud, instead of reading how they died, you can do some research and say something about their life. For example, "Paris Cameron was a vibrant and beautiful young Black trans woman. She lived in Detroit with her friends." This humanizes the victims and allows for deeper connection and responsibility to each other. Remembering the lives of the victims reminds us to continue fighting for those still alive.

Build an altar: Build an altar in a designated space where you can display the names and photos of those whose lives were taken. You can decorate the altar and share a short write up about what the altar is about and who it is honoring. Do not use real flammable candles, instead, you can use battery-operated or you can make candles out of paper for symbolic purposes.

Commit to advocacy: Learning about systems of oppression and the impact it has on certain identity groups will help focus your activism and advocacy. Fighting for the rights of transgender people helps them access basic human necessities like education, safety, employment, love and friendships, family, housing, medical care etc. Every small action, whether good or bad, has a lasting impact. Build a community and environment where violence and discrimination against anyone is not tolerated. Commit to making your school inclusive for transgender and nonbinary people.

Misc. Blogs

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Transgender Day of Visibility on March 31, Transgender Awareness Week from November 13 to 19, and Transgender Day of Remembrance/Resilience on November 20, are important moments for trans inclusion, to create safe and inclusive schools for trans students. But making school trans-inclusive is a year-round effort.

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There are many ways to push for change in your community- GLSEN is here to help you get started, or come up with ideas on the way.

Make a powerful statement by participating in the Day of Silence. Bring your school community together with Ally Week. Teach respect by celebrating No Name Calling Week. Foster connections and organize together year-round by starting a Gender and Sexuality Alliance at your school.

Student leaders are the most valuable, powerful base of action that exists in our country today. When students lead the way, real change happens. Use these resources to work for positive change and build community in your school!

Want to make a lasting difference in your school?

GLSEN proudly supports student organizers in schools across the country. As a student, you have the power to make change in your school and community.

Need some ideas for inspiring GSA meetings, information to provide to teachers, or suggestions for events to engage the entire student body? We have resources to help make your GSA an awesome engine for change as well as a fun, safe space for LGBTQ youth and allies.

GLSEN Programs

GLSEN's Day of Silence, Ally Week, and No Name Calling Week are designed to give you the tools that you need to urge your school to address and help end anti-LGBTQ bullying and help build a school community around solidarity and respect for all.

GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliances)

You can make a difference! LGBTQ student-led clubs and GSAs (Gender and Sexuality Alliances) are leading the work to create safe and LGBTQ-inclusive schools, and student organizers are the nation's most powerful base for creating change. Along with providing space to organize, GSAs are spaces where students can receive support, socialize, and find community together.

GLSEN research indicates that students at schools with a GSA were less likely to feel unsafe because of their sexual orientation or gender expression and missed less school than their peers who attended schools without a GSA. LGBTQ students with a GSA at their school also reported less anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

Find out how to start a GSA, get free resources to support your GSA's work, take part in the Day of Silence, Ally Week, and No Name-Calling Week, and join the national network of more than GSAs by registering your student club today!

Check out our Jump-Start Guide and other GSA tools, and make sure to connect with other student organizers on social media for support and ideas.

National Student Council

GLSEN's Mission

GLSEN strives to ensure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression. We believe that such an atmosphere engenders a positive sense of self, which is the basis of educational achievement and personal growth. Since homophobia and heterosexism undermine a healthy school climate, we work to educate teachers, students and the public at large about the damaging effects these forces have on youth and adults alike.

We recognize that forces such as racism and sexism have similarly adverse impacts on communities and we support schools in seeking to redress all such inequities.
GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes in creating a more vibrant and diverse community. We welcome any and all individuals as members, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and/or occupation, who are committed to seeing this philosophy realized in K-12 schools.

Summary of NSC

The National Student Council is a GLSEN-sponsored youth leadership and engagement program. It is open to all youth currently enrolled in high school in the United States. Members of the National Student Council dedicate their time, passion, and commitment to safer schools while also elevating the voices of marginalized groups within the LGBTQ community, including - but not limited to - youth of color, youth with different abilities, immigrant and undocumented youth, youth who are HIV positive, youth in rural communities, and transgender, non binary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming youth.

Goals of NSC

The National Student Council members advise GLSEN programming and campaigns, offer valuable insight to GLSEN's staff and Board of Directors, and share their stories with leaders in the LGBTQ movement, from policymakers to media to donors. Their role is to be the experts of their experiences and to bring depth and breadth into GLSEN's student work to create safer K-12 schools for LGBTQ students and staff.

Responsibilities

Meet biweekly via video call with the entire National Student Council.

Attend an all-expenses-paid, four-day leadership summit in New York City, NY where you'll participate in workshops and gain valuable leadership experience through group exercises and thoughtful discussions about power, privilege, oppression, and intersectionality.

Advise and participate in creating and curating resources for GLSEN Days of Action, including Ally Week, No Name-Calling Week, and Day of Silence.

Share your truth and network with influencers and talent within the LGBTQ movement at the biannual GLSEN Respect Awards.

Benefits

Travel to GLSEN and partner-sponsored events and programs

Network and organize with student leaders, community organizers, and influencers from across the country.

Gain professional development through mentorship and workshops

Resumé building for college and work applications

Build leadership skills

Be a part of a national movement focused on creating safer schools for LGBTQ youth K-12

Meet the 2019-2020 National Student Council!

Supporting LGBTQ Youth Of Color

All students deserve a safe and affirming school environment. More than 20 years of work and research has led to GLSEN's four supports model, which says that improved school climate, academic achievement, and student well-being is achieved through:

1. Supportive school staff

2. Inclusive curriculum

3. GSAs and other student-led clubs

4. Comprehensive and enumerated policies

When working with LGBT students of color, there are a number of additional concerns that should be taken into consideration. It is crucial to see students through a holistic lens, one that recognizes and tries to understand the complex identities and experiences that shape each individual.

Student Action Resources
Want to make a lasting difference in your school?
GLSEN is proud to support student organizers in schools across the country. As a student, you have the power to enact change in many ways in your school and community.

GLSEN's Day of Silence, and Ally Week, and No Name Calling Week are designed to give you the tools that you need to move your school to address and help end anti-LGBT bullying.

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Make a powerful statement by participating in the Day of Silence. Bring your school community together with Ally Week. Teach respect by celebrating No Name Calling Week. Foster connections and organize together year-round by starting a Gender and Sexuality Alliance at your school.

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For all of us, learning an LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculum can help us better understand our world and our differences. For LGBTQ+ students in particular, it can mean feeling safer at school and hearing homophobic and transphobic remarks less frequently, according to GLSEN research. That's why we're sharing the resources below, from an interactive timeline and coloring book to many other classroom resources.

Recognizing these benefits, former GLSEN Chapter leader Rodney Wilson, with the support of GLSEN's founder Kevin Jennings and many others, founded LGBTQ+ History Month in October 1994. While you can use these resources every October, they're perfect for use all year, so that students see the benefits year round.

A great resource you can use to learn and teach about LGBTQ+ history is Making Gay History, the critically acclaimed and award-winning podcast that brings LGBTQ +history to life through the voices of the people who lived it. Listen to the podcasts below to hear about the lives and legacies of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who were participants in the New York Stonewall riots in 1969.

LGBTQ History Coloring Book

A perfect activity for elementary school students and adults alike, this coloring book features leaders and groundbreaking events in LGBTQ+ American history.

This book features these fearless leaders:

We'Wha

Bayard Rustin

Compton Cafeteria Riots

Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera

Marriage Equality and Edie Windsor

Laverne Cox

Student Resources

These LGBTQ+ students shared their stories about how their identities are affected and represented historically.

Educator Resources

One LGBTQ+ icon to include in class is Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the history of California. Sign up to gain free access to a short animated film about his life and other educational resources, offered by our partner BrainPOP.

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For all of us, learning an LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculum can help us better understand our world and our differences. For LGBTQ+ students in particular, it can mean feeling safer at school and hearing homophobic and transphobic remarks less frequently, according to GLSEN research.

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Supportive educators save students' lives. Having just one visibly supportive educator in a school can ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to learn.

Show your support by displaying a Safe Space sticker and poster in your classroom. Learn how to discuss bullying, gender roles, or family diversity with elementary-aged students. Include positive representation of LGBTQ people in your curriculum. Inspire your students of all ages and all identities to be kind, support others, and speak up when they see bullying.

GLSEN's education team has created educator guides for each of our days of action, along with other resources for increasing LGBTQ visibility and affirmation in any curriculum. While GLSEN celebrates these days of action nationally at specific times during the year, all of our lessons, resources, and activities found here can be implemented at any time.

Check out the resources in the sections below for specific guides and tools related to GLSEN programs, days of action and more!

Join the thousands of educators who are helping GLSEN change schools across the country.

As a member of the GLSEN Educator Network, you'll receive emails that highlight GLSEN's resources and provide up-to-date information on GLSEN research. You will also receive current information on LGBTQ events and celebrations to help you plan for and implement a more inclusive curriculum, including direct information and new resources for GLSEN days of action like Solidarity Week.

Register to receive free GSA & school resources.

Join a national movement creating inclusive schools for all.

Educator Guides

Looking for ways to support Solidarity Week or the Day of Silence? Interested in finding ways to bring LGBTQ-visibility into your curriculum? You've come to the right place!

GLSEN's education team has created educator guides for each of our Days of Action, along with other resources for increasing LGBTQ visibility and affirmation into any curriculum. While GLSEN celebrates these Days of Action nationally at specific times throughout the year, the lessons, resources, and activities found here can be implemented at any time.

Check out the resources below for specific guides and tool related to GLSEN programs, days of action and more! Ready to supplement your curriculum? Explore our LGBTQ-Inclusive and Bullying, Bias & Diversity lesson plans.

Educator Guides and Resources

Policy and Advocacy Resources

Lesson Plans

Implementing GLSEN's free lesson plans and resources can help students develop the skills to interact in our diverse world with greater respect, empathy, and understanding.

Incorporate our lessons, found below, to:

Foster respect and understanding

Promote LGBTQ visibility and affirmation

Improve school climate

Build leadership

Encourage ally behavior

Ready for LGBTQ-specific lessons? Explore GLSEN's LGBTQ-inclusive curricular resources.

Teachers can be that figure you look up to. And when they are accepting of you, it means the world to you. To know that you're ok and that they are there for you. - Ximena, 9th grade

When educators are visibly supportive of LGBTQ students, everyone benefits. Through our Chapter-based Professional Development program, GLSEN offers tools and resources to thousands of educators who seek to make their classrooms and schools a safe place for all students. Based on 25+ years of experience and research, GLSEN boasts a robust educator training program with a series of modules curated to cover an array of topics suitable for a diverse range of audiences.

GLSEN research shows that the presence of supportive educators can have a significant positive impact on LGBTQ students' academic achievement, as well as on their psychological well-being and long-term educational aspirations. GLSEN Professional Development aims to empower educators to act in allyship with LGBTQ students.

Our Professional Development Workshops will assist educators in building the following skills:

Knowledge of LGBTQ student experiences in school

Understanding what allyship can provide for LGBTQ students

Awareness of the prevalence of anti-LGBTQ language and behavior in schools

Willingness and ability to intervene when anti-LGBTQ name-calling and bullying occurs

Willingness and ability to utilize curriculum inclusive of LGBTQ people, history and themes

Willingness to advocate for the rights of LGBTQ students and ensure safe schools for all

Access to resources and referral

NOTE: For GLSEN Professional Development Workshops, the term "educator" includes, but is not limited to: Current or future K-12 Teachers, Administrators, Counselors, Paraprofessionals, Librarians, Nurses, Bus Drivers, District Staff, School Resource Officers, Cafeteria Workers, etc
To bring GLSEN Professional Development to your school, please fill out the following form.

Safe Space Kit

Educators like you can make a big difference for LGBTQ students. Just one gesture can change a student's life for the better: Put up a Safe Space Sticker in your classroom to start a conversation about acceptance and affirming LGBTQ identity.

GLSEN's Safe Space Kit provides you with practical ways to transform your school into a safer space for everyone, particularly LGBTQ students, by supporting and educating students, sharing your knowledge with other educators and advocating for school-wide changes. The Safe Space Kit not only guides you through making an assessment of your school's climate and recommends affirming policies and best practices, but also outlines strategies that you may use to advocate for change, including posting a Safe Space Sticker or Safe Space Poster in your classroom or office. You can purchase them in the GLSEN Shop, or download digital copies for free here.

GLSEN Chapters also offer professional development opportunities that include our Safe Space Kit and support educators in creating safer and more affirming learning environments.

Rainbow Library

The Rainbow Library is a GLSEN program that sends LGBTQ+ affirming text sets to schools across the country - for free.

Any full-time staff member at a K-12 school in a participating state or county is welcome to request a Rainbow Library. All types of K-12 schools are eligible: district, magnet, charter, and independent. Each school that applies will be eligible for one Rainbow Library text set, and sets are provided on a first-come, first served basis.

Founded 25 years ago, GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe and affirming schools for LGBTQ students. GLSEN has volunteer-run chapters in 31 states.

School Year Calendar

The school year is full of opportunities to participate in GLSEN events, address LGBTQ and social justice issues, learn about diverse communities, and take action to create safer and more affirming schools for all.

Use this calendar to schedule your GSA meetings, lesson plans, student events, and staff development workshops, and as part of your ongoing diversity, equity, and LGBTQ-inclusion efforts. Follow us @GLSEN on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram where we'll be sharing related resources and lesson plans for these events throughout the year.

Misgendering, Gender Terminology & Pronouns

Misgendering hurts. Support educators by teaching students how to respect each others' pronouns and bringing awareness to a wider range of gender terminology.

As a class and in small groups, students watch a video about pronouns, have a conversation about pronouns, and discuss misgendering. As a class, students discuss ways to combat misgendering and how they can make sure the gender pronouns of all students are respected.

For all of us, learning an LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum can help us better understand our world and our differences. For LGBTQ students in particular, it can mean feeling safer at school and hearing homophobic and transphobic remarks less frequently, according to GLSEN research. Looking back at history is the easiest way to get LGBTQ-inclusivity into any curriculum. That's why we're sharing our resources below, which include an interactive timeline and coloring book as well as many other classroom resources suitable for a range of students ages K-12.

Recognizing these benefits, former GLSEN Chapter leader Rodney Wilson, with the support of GLSEN's founder Kevin Jennings and many others, founded LGBTQ History Month in October 1994. While you can use these resources every October, they're perfect for use all year, so that students see the benefits year round.

A great resource you can use to learn and teach about LGBTQ history is Making Gay History, the critically acclaimed and award-winning podcast that brings LGBTQ history to life through the voices of the people who lived it. Listen to the podcasts below to hear about the lives and legacies of Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who were participants in the New York Stonewall riots in 1969.

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Supportive educators save students' lives. Having just one visibly supportive educator in a school can ensure that LGBTQ students feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to learn. Show your support by displaying a Safe Space sticker and poster in your classroom. Learn how to discuss bullying, gender roles, or family diversity with elementary-aged students.

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ORDER A SAFE SPACE KIT

Designed to help you create a safe space for LGBTQ youth in schools, the Safe Space Kit is GLSEN's Guide to Being an Ally to LGBTQ Students. The guide provides concrete strategies that will help you support LGBTQ students, educate about anti-LGBTQ bias and advocate for changes in your school. The kit not only guides you through making an assessment of your school's climate, policies and practices but it also outlines strategies that you may use to advocate for change, including posting a Safe Space Sticker or Safe Space Poster in your classroom or office. You can download these here or purchase them in the GLSEN Shop.

GLSEN knows that supportive educators like you can make a big difference in how LGBTQ students experience their school's climate. This is why we launched the Safe Space Campaign - an effort designed to place a Safe Space Kit in every middle school and high school in the country.

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GLSEN Safe Space Kit: Be an ALLY to LGBTQ Youth!

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Designed to help you create a safe space for LGBTQ youth in schools, the Safe Space Kit is GLSEN's Guide to Being an Ally to LGBTQ Students. The guide provides concrete strategies that will help you support LGBTQ students, educate about anti-LGBTQ bias and advocate for changes in your school.

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Solidarity is a voluntary collective action by different people based on finding common objectives and solutions. Solidarity work happens when you show up to help and support others experiencing some form of harm by centering their leadership, decisions, needs, requests, and ideas.

You have probably already practiced solidarity in some form, whether using a peer's correct pronouns or signing a petition. In the days after the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students organized the largest single day of protest against gun violence in history. In June, protests broke out across the country demanding justice for George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis, MN. As more murders of Black people including Black transgender women, young people started organizing their own protests addressing anti-Blackness and racism in their schools. Many of you participated in GLSEN's Day of Silence, the largest LGBTQ+ student focused and led action to raise awareness around the bullying, harassment and erasure of LGBTQ+ students in schools.

Solidarity work happens in many forms and on many different issues. The important part of understanding solidarity work, is that collective action is powerful in enacting change, in fact, solidarity can either be the biggest threat to oppression, or one of the biggest allies in upholding and reinforcing it. How you show up...or don't, makes all the difference.

Ally Week to Solidarity Week

As an organization dedicated to safe and inclusive schools for LGBTQ+ students and educators in K-12 schools for 30 years, the decision to change Ally Week to Solidarity Week was heavily influenced by student feedback, the current climate highlighting historic harm done to Black people, and the responsibility to adjust language, ideas, and actions that are appropriate and reflect the voices of those we serve and center those most impacted by oppressive systems and behaviors.

Solidarity Week is a student-powered campaign dedicated to building collective support for LGBTQ+ students and educators. This week-long program helps people learn about and practice solidarity with different identities.

Register for Solidarity Week!

GLSEN's Solidarity Week is a student-led program where LGBTQ+ students and educators in K-12 schools lead the conversation on how non LGBTQ+ people can be in solidarity with them and also how they can show solidarity with others in their community.

How to Participate

Join the Conversation

LGBTQ+ students, how can people at your school in your community be in solidarity with you? How are you showing solidarity with others? These are great GSA conversation starters! Share on social media using #SolidarityWeek, and snap a selfie with our #InSolidarityWith sign!

Learn

Recognizing our own privilege(s) is important to solidarity work because recognizing our privilege(s) acknowledges that they exist! Then we can enter collective actions in mindfulness and uplift the most marginalized voices and elevate their leadership. Check out GLSEN's student resources on allyship and solidarity. If you're an educator check out our actions we've listed specifically for educators looking to be allies to LGBTQ students and all their intersecting identities. Learn about Solidarity Week by checking out our webinar here.

Support

GLSEN is here to support your week of action. Email us at students@glsen.org with questions and we will do our best to get back to you as quickly as possible. Don't forget to register for Solidarity Week! You will get first invitations to webinars, emails, and other material to use as resources.

If you are an educator, utilize the GLSEN Educator Guides for information, activities and other ways to participate.
Educator Guide for Middle and High School
Educator Guide for Elementary

Action

Solidarity Week is about learning and practicing solidarity, how others can show up for you and how you can show up for others. This is an opportunity to collaborate and work with other clubs, organizations, and engage all students in different activities and awareness events during the week.If your GSA is looking for ideas on ways to take action, check out our themed days for the week. Also, be supportive by taking action on our Solidarity Week policy sign on document here.

Organize

Make sure to check out GLSEN's Student Guide to think about how you and your club want to participate in this week long action. Hold a meeting with your club and utilize this guide together in brainstorming and creating a plan. You can also run an Ally 101 workshop, or join GLSEN's Solidarity Week activities listed under "Action."

Shop Solidarity Week Clearance Sale

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GLSEN - Solidarity Week - October 5-9, 2020

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Register for Solidarity Week! GLSEN's Solidarity Week is a student-led program where LGBTQ+ students and educators in K-12 schools lead the conversation on how non LGBTQ+ people can be in solidarity with them and also how they can show solidarity...

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Beginning October 1, a new LGBT Icon is presented daily, with a video, biography and other resources, including an 8.5" x 11" PDF bio. To access the information, click on the name in the left column.

For convenience, you may download all 31 of the bios in a single PDF file by clicking on the link, below.

Other materials available for your display and distribution can be downloaded below.
Visit our archive of posters, lists and bio pages from previous years by clicking here.
Register as a Collaborating Organization

Register for free to receive the latest updates and ideas about using our resources to help with your LGBT History Month celebration.

For More Information

For story ideas, high-res photos, or additional resources, contact Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, at mlazin@equalityforum.com or 215-732-3378, ext. 111.

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Beginning October 1, a new LGBT Icon is presented daily, with a video, biography and other resources, including an 8.5" x 11" PDF bio. To access the information, click on the name in the left column. For convenience, you may download all 31 of the bios in a single PDF file by clicking on the link, below.

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People are sometimes shocked by the notion that teachers should address lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) topics in elementary schools. Maybe they think children those ages are too young, that those conversations are better had at home, or that the whole topic is simply inappropriate. Such concerns often arise because people assume talking about people who identify as LGBTQ means talking about sex. That is not what we believe at all.

Instead, when we advocate for elementary school teachers to address LGBTQ topics, we simply want them to talk about the diversity of families and relationships and communities in ways that include LGBTQ people. After all, public schools are for everyone, yet many elementary schools are too frequently unwelcoming and unaccommodating of all children, especially children of LGBTQ parents or those who are or may be LGBTQ themselves. LGBTQ people exist in children's lives in myriad ways. If children themselves don't have LGBTQ parents, perhaps they have a peer with two moms at daycare or a relative who comes out as gay, or maybe they've heard a story about transgender rights on the news. Elementary school students are surrounded by these experiences, but their teachers are often underprepared when it comes to realizing why LGBTQ topics might matter to their work as elementary school teachers and how they might make their classrooms more inclusive.

As queer-identified women and former elementary school teachers who now work in universities as teacher educators, we've spent the past decade developing a range of approaches to help elementary school teachers integrate LGBTQ-inclusive practices into their teaching: expanding representations of LGBTQ people, questioning categories with regard to gender and sexuality, and questioning representations within LGBTQ-inclusive texts. We know that no two states, districts, schools, nor teachers are exactly alike; we know that what works one place might be impossible or ineffective in another. But we also believe that every teacher can do something to help make her or his classroom safer and more inclusive to better serve LGBTQ children and families.* These approaches provide options to help everyone find something that works no matter the context.

Below we explain why LGBTQ-inclusive elementary school instruction matters, outline the approaches we have developed and have used in real-life classrooms, and suggest resources for teachers as they do this work. This article draws from our book, Reading the Rainbow: LGBTQ-Inclusive Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Classroom, where we also provide examples from our work as coteachers and researchers with second-, fourth-, and fifth-grade teachers in Michigan and Ohio to illustrate what each of these methods can look like in practice.

Why LGBTQ-Inclusive Curriculum Matters in Elementary Schools

Research shows that including LGBTQ topics in elementary schools makes a positive difference to the learning environment of a wide variety of students. For example, 75.2 percent of LGBTQ students in schools with an inclusive curriculum said their peers were accepting of LGBTQ people, compared with 39.6 percent of those without an inclusive curriculum. ¹ This acceptance is particularly important for the estimated 6 million people with one or more LGBTQ parents. ²

However, only half of elementary school teachers (49 percent) say a student with a lesbian, gay, or bisexual parent would feel comfortable at the school where they teach, and only 42 percent think that would be true for a student with a transgender parent. ³ Even though most elementary school teachers address family diversity generally, only 2 in 10 elementary students (18 percent) actually learn about families with two moms or two dads. ⁴ This silence sends a message to children with LGBTQ parents that their families are not "real" families and that their families are not accepted in schools.

Including LGBTQ topics in elementary school classrooms is also important for children who themselves identify as LGBTQ, whether they come out while they are young or, more commonly, later in life. After all, every LGBTQ adult was once a school-age child. Unfortunately, many of those children never see LGBTQ people included in the curriculum. And, too often, they see their teachers fail to intervene when other students use the term "gay" in hateful ways; sometimes they even hear such slurs from teachers themselves. ⁵

These behaviors also affect children who are bullied for being perceived as LGBTQ. Because LGBTQ people have historically been feared, hated, and discriminated against, words to describe LGBTQ people are often used by children to shame people of all identities whose behaviors fall outside the norm. What teachers do and say in response can have implications for children for years to come.

Elementary schools are also affected by the increased awareness about the lives and needs of transgender children. Transgender children are those who, having been assigned a gender at birth, consistently and persistently insist they are actually a different gender. ⁶ Sometimes children identify as a different gender as young as age 3. ⁷ Pediatricians and psychologists suggest, and recent research findings confirm, that supporting the gender identity a child asserts is an important part of healthy development. 8 This means elementary schools should be ready to affirm transgender children and their families in order to support children's mental health and development.

Lastly, including LGBTQ topics in elementary school classrooms is important to do for all children because we all live in a world with LGBTQ people. Children-even if they have a mom and a dad, identify as straight, and fit gender norms-will encounter LGBTQ people in their families, schools, workplaces, and communities. When teachers implement a curriculum that ignores these realities, students are left on their own to process what they hear about LGBTQ people in popular culture and to learn respectful language for talking about LGBTQ topics. Just as white people must be invested in ending racism and men must stand up for women's rights, non-LGBTQ people have an important role to play in making the world safer for and more inclusive of LGBTQ people. Schools teach children about the world and equip students to live in it; that world includes people who identify as LGBTQ, and therefore schools should include LGBTQ topics. The following approaches will help educators understand how to do that.

1. Expanding Representations with LGBTQ-Inclusive Texts

One of the best and most direct ways to make your classroom safer for and more inclusive of LGBTQ people and families is to have books that feature LGBTQ characters. As author Rudine Sims Bishop ⁹ first argued decades ago, books serve as "windows and mirrors." "Mirror books" validate for readers that they are not alone, that their identity or life experience is not strange, and that there is a community of people just like them out there. When readers receive mirrors for parts of themselves, they get the message that their experiences are worth writing about and are worth being read. "Window books," on the other hand, give readers insight into another person's experience. Rather than show readers more of themselves, these books show the way into other worlds that readers haven't seen firsthand but can learn from nevertheless. They remind students that not everyone is exactly like them, and they help prepare students for the complexity and diversity of the larger world. ¹⁰

As teachers, we need to remember that all readers deserve a balance of windows and mirrors. It is this balance that helps us feel affirmed while also moving beyond our own experiences. It helps children recognize they are not alone while at the same time reminding them that they live in a world with other people who are different from them. Both sides of this equation are important. Therefore, when we bring books with LGBTQ people and families into our classrooms-much like when we ensure we have books in our classrooms representing different races, ethnicities, and life experiences-we expand the number of mirrors available for LGBTQ students or children of LGBTQ families, while also expanding the number of windows available for everyone else.

So how does a teacher include a book with LGBTQ characters in her teaching? The short answer is just like you'd include any other book! You could put it on your shelf for a child to find on his or her own. You could recommend it to a child who you think would enjoy it or offer it as an option for literature circles, book clubs, or paired reading groups. Or you could read it aloud, maybe even highlighting it in your teaching. Reading a book can be a wonderful way to open up conversations about topics we don't often discuss in schools because the book can do so much of the work. You'll likely find that your adult worries about reading LGBTQ-inclusive books in the classroom are rarely shared by your students. After all, in addition to sending important messages about who belongs and who is worthy of being represented, many LGBTQ-inclusive books are also compelling and interesting reads that students and teachers alike truly enjoy. When Jill cotaught with a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher who read Alex Gino's George aloud, every time the teachers closed the book at the end of the day's reading, students would groan loudly and beg for "just one more chapter!" In a classroom Caitlin visited regularly, Patricia Polacco's In Our Mothers' House, Cheryl Kilodavis' My Princess Boy, and James Howe's Totally Joe were popular choices during silent reading time.

Reading LGBTQ-inclusive books doesn't have to be done on a special day or otherwise separated from your curriculum. When writing a book report on In Our Mothers' House, for example, a fifth-grade student we know read it independently, summarized the text, identified themes, evaluated the author's writing, and made both text-to-self and text-to-world connections. Because his teacher had included LGBTQ content in classroom discussions prior to his writing of this report, he was able to critically think about that content in sophisticated ways.

When teaching the expected content standards for your grade level, there are many opportunities for this kind of integration. LGBTQ-inclusive stories like Asha's Mums or Donovan's Big Day can be incorporated into language arts units on literary elements like understanding characters, comparing and contrasting, sequencing, understanding descriptive language, or finding the theme of a text. You could add King & King to genre studies of fairy tales and explore Lumberjanes or The Popularity Papers in investigations of graphic novels and/or series books. You could incorporate books such as And Tango Makes Three or Daddy, Papa, and Me or The Family Book into an exploration of family structures in social studies. In all these cases, you can teach required content while still providing important representations to your students.

2. Questioning Categories with Books You Already Use

If it's difficult for you, given your school or district, to read books with LGBTQ characters in them, you can make your classroom safer and more inclusive of LGBTQ people and families by discussing gender and relationships generally in broader ways, even when reading books you already teach. After all, gender is relevant for children of all ages. While gender and sexuality are not the same things, an idea called the heterosexual matrix ¹¹ shows how they become interrelated in our culture. We expect that women will have female bodies, will act feminine, and will want to date and partner with men. We expect that men will have male bodies, will act masculine, and will want to date and partner with women. Of course, in reality, all these categories are much more complicated, but we continually revert to these basic ideas. Ask almost any young child to draw a picture of a girl, and she will have long hair. We might know plenty of girls and women with short hair and boys with long hair too, but culturally, we teach that a way to distinguish boys from girls is, among other characteristics, to look at hair.

By expanding our ideas about any one piece of this puzzle-how boys or girls should look and act, for example-we make space in the whole system, creating more room for people who live any part of it differently than our stereotypes suggest. If we help students see there aren't strict rules about what girls and boys can do or how girls and boys should be, then we help to blur those divisions between categories. This blurring can help students learn to respect people who live those categories differently. When people disrupt any of the matrix categories through their gender identity, through their gender expression, or with whom and how they might fall in love, they are queering-disrupting and expanding-the heterosexual matrix to make more kinds of lives and loves visible.

Teaching in this way, a method that we call "questioning categories," means helping your students investigate how both people in the real world and characters in books disrupt the heterosexual matrix and to what effect. We believe such questioning helps students become aware of and more sensitive to the multiple ways of "doing gender" or being in relationships.

Why, for example, does Kate DiCamillo's Despereaux make his mother so disappointed that he isn't big and strong? Why does he get in so much trouble for being a mouse who doesn't act like other mice and who falls in love with someone he's not supposed to? Why is it a big deal for Charlotte Zolotow's William to have a doll? Why does his dad care so much and get so angry about it? Why is Jacqueline Kelly's Calpurnia Tate so worried about having no interest in "female" jobs such as cooking and sewing as would be expected of her, recognizing instead that her "nature" was leading her to be a scientist?

Books like these, as well as others, including Michael Hall's Red: A Crayon's Story and Tomie DePaola's Oliver Button Is a Sissy, provide indirect yet important opportunities to reflect on what we think about and how we treat people who don't behave in ways society expects. Such conversations can easily be connected to students' lives and real-world experiences in ways that can broaden their understanding of LGBTQ people and families, even without reading terms like "gay" and "lesbian."

Other considerations might also be useful when questioning categories and expanding the heterosexual matrix. For example, when reading nonfiction, students and teachers can consider how there are different expectations and assumptions made about a person based on gender, and how those expectations inform how we understand gender as a culture. Likewise, teachers can ask students to think about the kinds of relationships between people in the texts they are reading. Are they based in assumptions about who is "allowed" to be connected to each other? What knowledge does the author assume the reader has about how men and women or boys and girls act and relate to each other? Is a story shaped by the character's refusal to conform to social norms? How so? Does the way the character looks to others match the way he understands himself? What happens to people who don't fit in? Whose relationships do people make fun of and why? Questioning categories in these ways provides an important lens through which your students can engage with the characters in books, as well as develop critical reading and thinking skills.

3. Questioning Representations in LGBTQ Books

In her now-famous TED talk, Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie ¹² discussed what she calls the danger of the single story: the stereotype or surface-level picture of a person, place, or event. The problem with relying on such stereotypes, Adichie says, isn't that they're incorrect necessarily, but that they're incomplete. By treating a single representation of the story as the full story about a particular identity category, people create limited, ultimately inaccurate portrayals. Therefore, even though expanding representations by including even one book with an LGBTQ character provides new "windows and mirrors" for readers, the danger of the single story reminds us that it is only one specific portrayal and not a representation of an entire community.

One way to address this is to try to layer different representations in order to provide students the most nuanced, complex, thorough picture of a community. Therefore, the third approach, questioning representations, brings together the first two; it helps you include representations of LGBTQ people while still questioning norms and silences involved in those representations. In other words, this approach helps us move away from asking simply if LGBTQ people are represented and instead turn our attention more specifically to how they are represented and what the overall message is of those representations. This questioning of categories even within LGBTQ-inclusive texts can help students see more possibilities for other people and for themselves.

This work is especially important because many of the LGBTQ representations in children's books are of white, cisgender, partnered, middle-class adults. Helping students notice the (relative) absence of other, more diverse LGBTQ experiences within the books they read expands students' worldviews about who LGBTQ people are. In addition to books, you can layer representations with text sets, videos, newspaper articles of current events, and guest speakers. Such work also supports standards related to research skills, reading from multiple perspectives, the use of textual evidence, and comparing and contrasting to build understanding.

It's particularly helpful to identify books that show characters of different races, classes, religions, and gender expressions. An example we love and have read with students is Jacqueline Woodson's After Tupac and D Foster. When reading that text, we help students explore how the queerness of a black character like Tash informs that character's life in different ways than does the queerness of a white character such as James Howe's Joe in The Misfits and Totally Joe. Both Tash and Joe, like all of us, have intersecting identities ¹³: they are not just gay or just male, but are gay and male and belong to a specific race and class all at the same time in one body.

Because these books give readers the opportunity to enter the lives of very different people, students more easily see how multiple identities intersect. Just as important, the single story of being gay, too often understood in terms of how white wealthy people experience it, is interrupted. The richness of these texts deeply engages students and stimulates a desire to understand the worlds that the characters live in, while simultaneously supporting connections to their own lives.

Getting Started

Because including LGBTQ topics in elementary schools is still somewhat rare, we know you might have concerns about how it will work in your classroom. For that reason, it can be good to think through what concerns you have so you can brainstorm ways to meet those challenges. Sometimes teachers are worried about saying the wrong thing, or what will happen if they don't know the answer to a child's question. Trust us that everyone feels this way sometimes. Knowing all of the right words is not the goal. The willingness to try, to be open to continually learning, to revise the ways that we speak or label or present an idea, is what all good teaching is about, including LGBTQ-inclusive teaching. It's always OK to tell a child that you don't know something or that you aren't sure but that you can look up the answer together. It's also OK to say something like, "That's a better question for you to ask your families at home."

Another concern that we hear from teachers is that they fear resistance from parents of their students and/or from their school administrators. Each situation is different, of course, but at schools we've worked with, resistance has come from a very small number of parents; the vast majority have not minded and have even supported this work. ¹⁴ But the fear of parental resistance is real. Therefore, it is useful to have thought through and to be able to articulate to others why you are doing this work. We suggest relying on research, including the findings cited in this article and other statistics from GLSEN, about the power of inclusive classrooms. You may decide to send home a statement at the beginning of the year about how you are committed to ensuring that all students have a safe space to learn or about how your class will read and discuss a variety of identities and communities over the year. Responding to resistance may also involve understanding and communicating the ways the LGBTQ-inclusive teaching that you do connects to your mandated standards or is in keeping with district policies, particularly antibullying or nondiscrimination policies.

It's important to recognize that states have different laws with regard to LGBTQ inclusion in schools. You can learn more about your state's laws by visiting the Human Rights Campaign's website. There, you might note what protections are available in states that have LGBTQ-inclusive antibullying and nondiscrimination laws as well as any legal restrictions that apply to your state. If you teach in one of the seven states (Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas) that currently have some kind of "No Promo Homo" law that doesn't allow teachers to say the words "gay" or "lesbian," it might make more sense for you to use questioning categories (approach No. 2) to LGBTQ inclusion rather than expanding representations (approach No. 1). To ensure that you are up to date on your specific context, consult directly with organizations like GLSEN, the Human Rights Campaign, the American Civil Liberties Union, or a state-level LGBTQ advocacy group.

No matter where you teach, it will be helpful to build your knowledge and locate sources of support. Finding parents and other teachers who are interested in LGBTQ-inclusive teaching can be a way to build networks and generate new ideas. In addition to research, GLSEN offers lesson plans, professional development opportunities, and other resources for educators. The Human Rights Campaign's " Welcoming Schools" project is elementary-school focused and offers book lists, training opportunities, and lesson plans.
Many professional organizations also have statements that speak to the importance of LGBTQ inclusion and resources for teachers doing such work. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), for example, has an Intellectual Freedom Center to help teachers should any book they use be challenged or censored. NCTE's website contains policy statements, a rationale for reading banned books, and activities to use when teaching books that are frequently challenged. And, of course, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is another important source of support as you begin doing the work of LGBTQ inclusion in your classrooms. The AFT's website offers many such resources.

Elementary schools are a microcosm of our larger world, full of diverse identities, ideologies, and approaches to teaching and learning. Of course, this can cause messiness, false starts, redos, and unintentional errors, just like it does in the world outside of schools.

But when that diversity is recognized, incorporated, and celebrated in elementary schools, it can create learning spaces that teach all students how to treat one another and that are welcoming to all students and families, including those in the LGBTQ community. These are the elementary schools that students and families deserve. Let's work together to make them a reality.

Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth is a professor of social foundations at Western Michigan University. Caitlin L. Ryan is an associate professor in the College of Education at East Carolina University. Parts of this article are excerpted from Caitlin L. Ryan and Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth, Reading the Rainbow: LGBTQ-Inclusive Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Classroom (New York: Teachers College Press). Reprinted by permission of the publisher. Copyright © 2018 by Teachers College, Columbia University. All rights reserved.

*To learn how schools can help LGBTQ students thrive, see " More Than a Safe Space" in the Winter 2016-2017 issue of American Educator. ( back to article)

Endnotes

1. J. G. Kosciw et al., The 2015 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools (New York: GLSEN, 2016).

2. G. J. Gates, "LGB Families and Relationships: Analyses of the 2013 National Health Interview Survey," Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, October 2014.

3. GLSEN and Harris Interactive, Playgrounds and Prejudice: Elementary School Climate in the United States; a Survey of Students and Teachers (New York: GLSEN, 2012).

4. GLSEN and Harris Interactive, Playgrounds and Prejudice.

5. GLSEN and Harris Interactive, Playgrounds and Prejudice; and Kosciw et al., 2015 National School Climate Survey.

6. J. Rafferty, "Gender-Diverse and Transgender Children," American Academy of Pediatrics (2018), www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/Pages/Gender-No...; and C. Meier and J. Harris, "Fact Sheet: Gender Diversity and Transgender Identity in Children," Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, American Psychological Association Division 44, https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/Pages/Gender-Diverse-Transgender-Children.aspx

7. S. A. Brill and R. Pepper, The Transgender Child: A Handbook for Families and Professionals (Berkeley, CA: Cleis Press, 2008); and S. F. Leibowitz and N. P. Spack, "The Development of a Gender Identity Psychosocial Clinic: Treatment Issues, Logistical Considerations, Interdisciplinary Cooperation, and Future Initiatives," Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America 20 (2011): 701-724.

8. Rafferty, "Gender-Diverse and Transgender Children"; Meier and Harris, "Fact Sheet"; K. R. Olson et al., "Mental Health of Transgender Children Who Are Supported in Their Identities," Pediatrics 137, no. 3 (2016): 1-8; and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, A Practitioner's Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children (Rockville, MD: SAMHSA, 2014).

9. R. Bishop, "Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass," Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom 6, no. 3 (Summer 1990): ix-xi.10. C. M. Tschida, C. L. Ryan, and A. S. Ticknor, "Building on Windows and Mirrors: Encouraging the Disruption of 'Single Stories' through Children's Literature," Journal of Children's Literature 40, no. 1 (2014): 28-39.

10. C. M. Tschida, C. L. Ryan, and A. S. Ticknor, "Building on Windows and Mirrors: Encouraging the Disruption of 'Single Stories' through Children's Literature," Journal of Children's Literature 40, no. 1(2014): 28-39.

11. J. Butler, Gender Trouble, 2nd ed. (New York: Routledge, 1999).

12. C. N. Adichie, "The Danger of a Single Story," TED, July 2009.

13. K. Crenshaw, "Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color," in Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings That Formed the Movement, ed. by K. Crenshaw et al. (New York: The New Press, 1991): 357-383.14. C. L. Ryan and J. M. Hermann-Wilmarth, Reading the Rainbow: LGBTQ-Inclusive Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Classroom (New York: Teachers College Press, 2018).

14. C.L. Ryan and J. M. Hermann-Wilmarth, Reading the Rainbow: LGBTQ Inclusive Instruction in the Elementary Classroom (New York: Teachers College Press, 2018).

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People are sometimes shocked by the notion that teachers should address lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) topics in elementary schools. Maybe they think children those ages are too young, that those conversations are better had at home, or that the whole topic is simply inappropriate.

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500 Queer Scientists Visibility Campaign

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A visibility campaign to highlight the accomplishments and lives of LGBTQAI+ people working in science, technology, engineering, and math.

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This website is dedicated to "Teaching LGBTQ History" which primarily focuses on providing resources and materials that fulfill the requirements put forth by the FAIR Education Act with regards to LGBTQ history.

As Tom Adams, Deputy Superintendent of the California Department of Education once stated, "These standards are the floor, not the ceiling, for what we want to teach." As the website and resources develop, we will be including lesson plans and materials that educators in California, and beyond, can use to teach about LGBTQ history in every time period.

This site serves as a comprehensive reference hub for information regarding the FAIR Education Act, as well as for History Framework Lesson Plans and General LGBTQ Lesson Plans, and resources to support teachers as they work with the new content required by the FAIR Education Act. We are honored to work together with you to help California's history and social sciences education be more Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful for all K-12 students.

The dozens of lesson plans, books, and video resources are sorted into Elementary School ( Framework and General), Middle School ( Framework and General), and High School ( Framework and General) grade-levels. Once you've used a lesson plan or a resource, please consider providing feedback, to help fellow educators benefit from your experience. Our Resources page list additional sources for LGBTQ history materials.

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FAIR - ACCURATE - INCLUSIVE - RESPECTFUL This website is dedicated to "Teaching LGBTQ History" which primarily focuses on providing resources and materials that fulfill the requirements put forth by the FAIR Education Act with regards to LGBTQ history. As Tom Adams, Deputy Superintendent of the California Department of Education once stated, "These standards are ...

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Queerly Elementary - Creating Inclusive K-12 Schools

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Queerly Elementary provides services and resources to help school communities embrace and celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer diversity.

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Editor's Note: Ask a teacher what he or she did this summer and he or she (or should I say they) will tell you that a good deal of time is spent prepping for the next school year. Educators will also tell you that they spent the summer analyzing their prior year's performance, what went well and what didn't.
Steve Gardiner, who's been teaching high school English in Montana for the past 38 years, says when it comes to grading English essays he's ready to make a change that will lessen the workload on his red pen - and yes, it involves grammar.
As a high school English teacher, I have been crossing out the singular use of the word 'they' for many years. I have burned up hundreds of red pens, and hours of time, correcting this grammatical usage based on a traditional gender binary of he and she. It's time to move on.

Although there is historical precedent, writers like Shakespeare and Chaucer and many others who used a singular "they," most language experts throughout the 20th century saw this usage as an error. Language evolves over time and often social changes bring about modifications in word use. The issue of the missing singular gender-neutral pronoun is one of those situations.

That's why I cheered when the American Dialect Society met in Washington, D.C., recently and voted to make the word 'they' acceptable and correct when used as a gender-neutral singular pronoun. The change comes during a time of unprecedented discussion about gender identity issues.

For example, "Every student should do the best they can."

That statement, while true, is incorrect, at least in sense of recent grammatical usage. It should bother us when we hear it, but it doesn't. That's because it has become so commonplace that related sentences featuring the daily usage, even for media commentators and many other educated speakers.

As a high school English teacher, I have been crossing out the singular use of the word "they" for many years.

In the example above, the correct version would read, "Every student should do the best he can," or "Every student should do the best she can." The subject student is singular and the pronoun they is plural, so we need to use either he or she to achieve noun-pronoun agreement.

Three or four decades ago, it wasn't much of a problem. We used the pronoun 'he' because the masculine form was dominant. Then we lived the years of seeking political correctness and gender equity, and the 'he' became more often 'he or she' or 'he/she' until we realized that reading paragraph after paragraph of he/slash/she quickly became tedious.
READ MORE: The complications of ID for nonbinary people
If we wanted to remain gender-neutral, we needed to avoid 'he' or 'she' and the option most readily available to us was 'they,' which a is a gender-neutral pronoun, but plural. Yes, it would be possible to change the subject to plural and create the sentence, "All students should do the best they can," and that would be correct, but it does not always say exactly what we are wanting to express.

The problem, then, has been that the English language is missing a gender-neutral, singular pronoun.

OK, we do have 'it,' which is a gender-neutral, singular pronoun. But 'it' is generally not considered correct for use in describing a human being. We reserve 'it' for things or animals, so 'it' does not quite fill the opening, either. Most of us would not care to say, "Every student should do the best it can." I doubt that sentence sounds correct to very many people.

We, as a society, made progress on the gender equity issue, we created a consciousness, an awareness, but we never assigned a word to let us take care of the problem grammatically.

To create a singular gender-neutral pronoun, we could create a new word. Several have been suggested over the years, but none have made it into mainstream language usage.

Another option is to say that since most people don't hear the singular-plural agreement problem now, perhaps the application of the usage rule has changed and the word 'they' is now both singular and plural, in which case the original sentence earlier in this article is now correct.

Having fought this battle with students for more than three decades, I am ready to admit defeat. Every student is going to write what they want. Every broadcaster is going to say what they want. There, I even wrote it myself, and most readers probably did not notice.

The use of the singular 'they' simply does not seem like a mistake anymore. Now that the American Dialect Society has voted that it is not an error, I can save red ink and time, if only I can refrain myself from marking it. I am willing to try.

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Column: He, she, they? Why it's time to leave this grammar rule behind

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Editor's Note: Ask a teacher what he or she did this summer and he or she (or should I say they) will tell you that a good deal of time is spent prepping for the next school year. Educators will also tell you that they spent the summer analyzing their prior year's performance, what went well and what didn't.

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Pronouns are used in everyday language in reference to people and things. In the English language, the pronouns used most frequently are: I, you, she, her, he, him, they, and it. "I", "you", "they", and "it" would be considered gender neutral, but "she", "her", "he", and "him" are gendered (Heisler, 2019). So, when we speak in third person, pronouns tend to imply the gender of a person. These gendered pronouns can create conflict for transgender and gender nonconforming individuals, because others may not use the correct pronouns when referencing them. Pronouns matter because they indicate how others perceive us, and it can be a hurtful experience for someone when the wrong pronoun is used by others. This is called misgendering.
Gender Neutral Pronouns
Some people use gender neutral, or gender inclusive, pronouns such as they/them and ze/hir (Heisler, 2019). Okay, yes, I'm sure you were taught in school that using "they" to refer to only one person is grammatically incorrect. However, there are plenty of instances where "they" is used as a singular pronoun, you just may not have noticed. For example, let's say a friend answers your phone for you and you don't know the gender of the caller. You might ask your friend afterwards, "Did they leave a message?" Moreover, "they" was recently added to the dictionary as a singular pronoun. Despite what you may have learned in the past, "they" is grammatically correct and completely appropriate when referencing an individual (Gardiner, 2016).

Though they/them/theirs is the most common of the gender neutral pronouns, there are other options. For example, the pronouns "ze" and "hir" (pronounced /zee/ and /heer/) may be new to most people, but don't be afraid, it just takes practice to incorporate them into your daily language. This is how they would be used:

"Chanel is the smartest person in class, and ze is also the youngest." "Eli is going to take hir dog for a walk. I will join hir."

See, it's not so difficult! You're only changing two words in your language in order to properly reference another person. There are other gender inclusive pronouns that individuals might use, but don't get caught up on trying to remember all of them.
Respecting Peoples' Pronouns
What if you mess up? Don't worry! Outlet's Program Director, Ryan Fouts, has the formula for what you need to do:

Lingering on your mistake takes the experience away from the individual you are talking about and sets the focus on you and your mistake. We don't need to shine the light on every mistake you make. Just be polite, follow the formula and continue with your day.

How are we supposed to know what pronouns a person uses? This cannot be answered by simply looking at someone's physical appearance. The only way to get the answer is by asking someone what their pronouns are. "Asking someone's pronouns means asking someone what the most respectful way to refer to them is, if you're not using their name" (Heisler, 2019). However, you don't want to single people out and ask only those who you perceive to be transgender or gender nonconforming.

A way to be inclusive in asking about pronouns would be to incorporate pronouns into your everyday language. For example, when meeting someone for the first time, one could introduce themselves as "Hi, I'm Brittani and my pronouns are 'she', 'her', 'hers'." This invites others to share their pronouns as well, and if someone asks why you shared your pronouns, you can share what you've learned here!
References
Gardiner, S. (2016). Column: He, she, they? Why it's time to leave this grammar rule behind. PBS News Hour. Retrieved from: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/column-he-she-they-grammar-rule

Heisler, R. (2019). What the Heck is a PGP? (Rev. ed.). GSAFE. Retrieved from: https://www.gsafewi.org/wp-content/uploads/Why-Pronouns-Matter.pdf

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Pronouns are used in everyday language in reference to people and things. In the English language, the pronouns used most frequently are: I, you, she, her, he, him, they, and it. "I", "you", "they", and "it" would be considered gender neutral, but "she", "her", "he", and "him" are gendered (Heisler, 2019).

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Founded in 1997, Outlet empowers Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ+) youth and builds safe and accepting communities through support, education, and advocacy. Outlet envisions a world that embraces, empowers, and celebrates LGBTQQ+ youth. Outlet officially became a program of ACS in 2013.

Outlet is youth-centered, respecting all individuals and honoring their differences. Outlet program staff provide a safe environment that is confidential, inclusive, and non-judgmental. Striving for social justice and engaging youth in achieving freedom, fairness, and equality for all are the core elements of the program. Outlet services support the emotional, physical, and social development of youth as whole individuals.
THE FOLLOWING SERVICES ARE PROVIDED THROUGH OUTLET:
Outlet groups are free, drop-in, confidential and meet year-round (unless otherwise specified):

Consultation and Resource Referrals

Outlet often works closely with families and schools to build safer living and learning environments. Our staff has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in providing consultations and referrals to other resources to help families and schools in empowering LGBTQQ youth.

Outlet offers individual counseling for LGBTQQ youth after school hours on a sliding scale based on ability to pay. Contact our Ryan Fouts, Outlet Program Director, for more info.

Outlet also provides free support to GSA Clubs on school campuses. If you're interested in starting your own GSA Club or want support at your campus, please contact Ben Liddie, Outlet Program Coordinator, for more info.

UNIQUE Workshops: Understanding Issues in the Queer Experience
These workshops can be tailored to the amount of time you have available and cover a variety of topics that target different types of audiences. Topics include:

LGBTQQ 101

California laws that protect LGBTQQ youth

Speaker's bureau with youth panels

Transgender education with gender education speakers

To get more information or schedule a training/workshop, contact:
Diana Hernandez, Outlet Education Coordinator | 650-424-0852 x107

Comprehensive + Affordable

All Outlet groups, consultations, and resource referrals are offered free of charge to the community. Education workshops are $500 each, but sliding scale fees are available based on the ability to pay.

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Founded in 1997, Outlet empowers Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQQ+) youth and builds safe and accepting communities through support, education, and advocacy. Outlet envisions a world that embraces, empowers, and celebrates LGBTQQ+ youth. Outlet officially became a program of ACS in 2013. Outlet is youth-centered, respecting all individuals and honoring their differences.