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One of the main points of focus for every school community should be ensuring that all families are welcome and valued. Every individual child should believe that their parents and teachers are working together, and every student should believe that they and their families are respected.

Conveying this becomes even more important when a family differs from the traditional model. Children from single parent homes, those being raised by grandparents or other relatives and ethnic minorities are at-risk for being marginalized in the school system. This is especially true of children from lesbian, gay and transgendered -LGBT families.

There are several ways to increase the comfort and involvement of LGBT families and gay parents in the elementary school.

Teach Tolerance to Teachers and School Employees

The classroom teachers, assistants, nurses and secretaries are the ones most often in direct contact with parents. All employees of the school community should understand that all families, including LGBT families, are valued and must be made welcome. This should begin at school district orientations for new teachers and continue at the local school. This may be more difficult for older members of the school community who are used to thinking of a family in set terms, so frequent reminders to all employees may be needed.

Use Learning Materials that Recognize Diversity

Using books and other materials in the classroom that recognize diversity are important ways to teach children that there is not one single model of family that is correct. Books are a valuable resource to allow students to experience life from the point-of-view of another. They can significantly increase the normalcy of nontraditional and LGBT families. At the same time, it is important to not appear to try to diminish the value of one type of family to increase acceptance of another.

Encourage Active Volunteering by All Parents

Gay and lesbian parents need to understand the role they may play as a role model. Being in the classroom and at school activities and field trips is an invaluable way to increase their own child's well-being at school. The interactions that will occur with their child's classmates can serve to increase the acceptance of their own child, but they will also positively influence the opinion that young students will have of lesbian and gay individuals as they grow up. A child may always remember the positive experiences they had with the class room mother or the parents interacting with them on field trips. This will combat any disparaging comments they may hear about lesbian or gay couples as teenagers or adults.

Avoid Segregating According to Gender When Possible

In the classroom, avoid dividing teams into boys against girls. Provide transgendered students the option of using a separate restroom or changing area.

Recognize Same Sex Couples

At the high school level, many gay teens struggle with the idea of revealing their orientation for fear of being stigmatized. Their fear is usually not unfounded. High school continue to recognize only one type of accepted couple, and students are often simply not allowed to participate in the prom or other social activities as part of a gay couple. Allowing students to bring the guest of their choice to recreational events is a simple but necessary step that will go far towards increasing equality.

Increasing the involvement of LGBT families in the school begins at the elementary or preschool level. The elementary school must create an environment where all families are welcome. In most cases, acceptance will come through interactions with real parents, so parents must put forth effort to be involved regardless of comfort level. Increasing familiarity with gay, lesbian and transgendered lifestyles at a young age will go a long way to helping the high school students those children will become.

The Education of Children raised By Gay Parents
Ways to Include Gay and Lesbian Families in the School
Studies Say Yes to Gay Parents Raising Children
Does Having Gay Parents Influence the School Curriculum?

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How To Support LGBT Families In Elementary School - Dr Patricia Fioriello author

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One of the main points of focus for every school community should be ensuring that all families are welcome and valued. Every individual child should believe that their parents and teachers are working together, and every student should believe that they and their families are respected.

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The ACLU has a long history of defending the LGBTQ community. We brought our first LGBTQ rights case in 1936 and founded the LGBTQ Project in 1986. Today, the ACLU brings more LGBTQ cases and advocacy initiatives than any other national organization does. With our reach into the courts and legislatures of every state, there is no other organization that can match our record of making progress both in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion.
Need help?
fill out our confidential online form
For non-LGBTQ issues, please contact your local ACLU affiliate.

The ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project seeks to create a just society for all LGBTQ people regardless of race or income. Through litigation, lobbying, public education, and organizing, we work to build a country where our communities can live openly without discrimination and enjoy equal rights, personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association.

Current Issues

The ACLU believes that sexual orientation and gender identity should not affect a person's legal ability to be a parent. We are fully supported in this belief by reputable child welfare experts and social scientists who study LGBT parenting. We therefore advocate for LGBT people to have equal opportunities to build the kinds of families that they feel are most meaningful to them.

The ACLU believes that LGBT people, like everyone else, should have the freedom to build the kinds of personal, intimate relationships most meaningful to them without risking that their families will be disregarded or harmed by the state.

We're working to make public schools safe and bias-free for LGBT students, defending students' free speech in school, and helping students start gay-straight alliance clubs. Check out our information for students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Learn about your rights, download resources, and get support here.

LGBT Nondiscrimination Protections

For over 80 years, the ACLU has included LGBT people in its vision of civil rights and civil liberties for all. We still have much more work to do to achieve lasting legal and social change. That's why we're fighting in the legislatures, courts, and streets for nondiscrimination laws that specifically protect LGBT people.

The ACLU champions transgender people's right to be themselves. We're fighting against discrimination in employment, housing, and public places (including restrooms) by seeking to add clear transgender protections to the law and bringing cases under the laws that already exist.

Criminal Justice Reform for LGBT People

As part of our work to combat the relentless expansion of the criminal justice system, the ACLU works to ensure that LGBT people and people living with HIV/AIDS who have contact with law enforcement are treated fairly and are not singled out for violence or discrimination.

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The ACLU has a long history of defending the LGBTQ community. We brought our first LGBTQ rights case in 1936 and founded the LGBTQ Project in 1986. Today, the ACLU brings more LGBTQ cases and advocacy initiatives than any other national organization does.

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https://www.aclu.org/issues/lgbt-rights

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Although no federal law directly addresses bullying, in some cases, bullying overlaps with discriminatory harassment when it is based on race, national origin, color, sex, age, disability, or religion. When bullying and harassment overlap, federally-funded schools (including colleges and universities) have an obligation to resolve the harassment. When the situation is not adequately resolved, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division may be able to help.

Are there federal laws that apply to bullying?

At present, no federal law directly addresses bullying. In some cases, bullying overlaps with discriminatory harassment which is covered under federal civil rights laws enforced by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). No matter what label is used (e.g., bullying, hazing, teasing), schools are obligated by these laws to address conduct that is:

Severe, pervasive or persistent

Creates a hostile environment at school. That is, it is sufficiently serious that it interferes with or limits a student's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or opportunities offered by a school

Based on a student's race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion*
Although the US Department of Education, under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not directly cover religion, often religious based harassment is based on shared ancestry of ethnic characteristics which is covered. The US Department of Justice has jurisdiction over religion under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

What are the federal civil rights laws ED and DOJ enforce?

A school that fails to respond appropriately to harassment of students based on a protected class may be violating one or more civil rights laws enforced by the Department of Education and the Department of Justice, including:

Title IV and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

Do federal civil rights laws cover harassment of LGBT youth?

Title IX and Title IV do not prohibit discrimination based solely on sexual orientation, but they protect all students, including students who are LGBT or perceived to be LGBT, from sex-based harassment.

Harassment based on sex and sexual orientation are not mutually exclusive. When students are harassed based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation, they may also be subjected to forms of sex discrimination recognized under Title IX.

What is an example of a case were harassment based on sex and sexual orientation overlap?

A female high school student was spit on, slammed into lockers, mocked, and routinely called names because she did not conform to feminine stereotypes and because of her sexual orientation. The student had short hair, a deep voice, and wore male clothing. After the harassment started, she told some classmates she was a lesbian, and the harassment worsened. The school described the harassment as "sexual orientation harassment" in its incident reports and did not take any action.

In this case, the student was harassed based on her non-conformity to gender stereotypes. In this case, then, although the school labeled the incident as "sexual orientation harassment," the harassment was also based on sex and covered under Title IX.

What are a school's obligations regarding harassment based on protected classes?

Anyone can report harassing conduct to a school. When a school receives a complaint they must take certain steps to investigate and resolve the situation.

Immediate and appropriate action to investigate or otherwise determine what happened.

Inquiry must be prompt, thorough, and impartial.

Interview targeted students, offending students, and witnesses, and maintain written documentation of investigation

Communicate with targeted students regarding steps taken to end harassment

Check in with targeted students to ensure that harassment has ceased

When an investigation reveals that harassment has occurred, a school should take steps reasonably calculated to:

End the harassment,

Eliminate any hostile environment,

Prevent harassment from recurring, and

Prevent retaliation against the targeted student(s) or complainant(s).

What should a school do to resolve a harassment complaint?

Appropriate responses will depend on the facts of each case.

School must be an active participant in responding to harassment and should take reasonable steps when crafting remedies to minimize burdens on the targeted students.

Possible responses include:

Develop, revise, and publicize:

Policy prohibiting harassment and discrimination

Grievance procedures for students to file harassment complaints

contact information for Title IX/Section 504/Title VI coordinators

Implement training for staff and administration on identifying and addressing harassment

Provide monitors or additional adult supervision in areas where harassment occurs

Determine consequences and services for harassers, including whether discipline is appropriate

Limit interactions between harassers and targets

Provide harassed student an additional opportunity to obtain a benefit that was denied (e.g., retaking a test/class).

Provide services to a student who was denied a benefit (e.g., academic support services).

Are there resources for schools to assist with resolving harassment complaints?

The Department of Justice's Community Relations Service is the Department's "peacemaker" for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color and national origin and to prevent and respond to violent hate crimes committed on the basis of: gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, race, color, and national origin. It is a free, impartial, confidential and voluntary Federal Agency that offers mediation, conciliation, technical assistance, and training.

What if the harassment continues?

If harassment persists, consider filing a formal grievance with the district and contacting the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights and from the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.
Content last updated on March 31, 2014

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Although no federal law directly addresses bullying, in some cases, bullying overlaps with discriminatory harassment when it is based on race, national origin, color, sex, age, disability, or religion. When bullying and harassment overlap, federally-funded schools (including colleges and universities) have an obligation to resolve the harassment.

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GLSEN research shows that LGBTQ students who attend schools with curriculum that is inclusive of LGBTQ people, history, and events experience a better school climate and improved academic outcomes. Curriculum serves as a mirror when it reflects individuals and their experiences back to themselves. At the same time, curriculum serves as a window when it introduces and provides the opportunity to understand the experiences and perspectives of those who possess different identities. An inclusive curriculum should be balanced and include diverse windows and mirrors for every student.

Having LGBTQ-inclusive mirrors and windows in school curriculum can help create a more positive environment and healthy self-awareness for LGBTQ students, while raising the awareness of everyone.

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GLSEN research shows that LGBTQ students who attend schools with curriculum that is inclusive of LGBTQ people, history, and events experience a better school climate and improved academic outcomes. Curriculum serves as a mirror when it reflects individuals and their experiences back to themselves.

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Overview

Families play a critical role in a student's social and emotional wellbeing as well as their academic performance. Research has shown that students whose parents are involved in their educational achievements are more likely to do better academically regardless of their parent's education level, socioeconomic status, and ethnic or racial background. Additionally higher levels of school connectedness and family acceptance have been shown to reduce the behaviors associated with HIV and STI risk. Engaging families and parents of LGBTQ students could help reduce behavioral risks associated with HIV and STI. Below you'll find strategies and resources to engage LGBTQ families - both LGBTQ identified students and non-LGBTQ students with LGBTQ family members.

Strategies

Engaging families in a meaningful way goes beyond school events and parent-teacher conferences, family engagement requires parents, students, and staff to have clear expectations on how they are all involved in a student's success in school. Connect, Engage, and Sustain is a CDC framework designed for school staff to encourage parental and family engagement in school health.

Connect

Provide multiple means of communication between schools and parents. Ask parents their preferred method of communication. Ensure families receive written communication in their home language.

Emphasize the important role families play in their child's social wellbeing and academic achievement. Create buy-in by educating parents on how their involvement correlates to student outcomes, link community and family engagement to student outcomes.

Focus efforts on relationship building between community leaders and school district staff. Act as informational hubs for parents, educators, community partners, and volunteers. Hold events that celebrate the diversity of your school district.

Engage

Support parent and caregiver learning through workshops and classes around LGBTQ issues (I.e LGBTQ discrimination and bullying, protective factors for LGBTQ youth, coming out, laws and policies that protect LGBTQ students).

Collaborate with your district's Office of Family and Community Engagement around district wide initiatives to engage parents. Make connections to local and online LGBTQ resources for families.

Cultivate Parental and Familial Leadership Pipeline - Identify and work with families who to want serve as leaders within programs or the larger community. Embrace partnerships and be open to sharing power with families. Encourage parents and caregivers to join sexual health advisory committees (SHACs), parent school community councils (PSCCs), and other decision-making groups.

Sustain

Work with parents' busy schedules, plan activities after rush hour traffic, make workshop classes available online via webinar or livestream, and schedule multiple time slots when needed.

Provide incentives to parent engagement activities with meals and childcare.

Build the capacity of your district/school by providing professional development opportunities around improving family involvement strategies.

Related Resources

External Links

Parent Engagement: Strategies for Involving Parents in School Health - A CDC framework for schools to use in engaging parents and families in school health. Strategies were developed and complied by current experts in the field of family engagement.

Promoting Parental Engagement in Schools to Prevent HIV and other STDs Among Teens - A CDC info sheet for school districts that shares factors and strategies that decrease youth's sexual risk behaviors associated with HIV/STDS.

Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit - Developed by the National PTA this toolkit provides strategies to engage historically underrepresented groups to participate in PTA.

Back to School Tool: Building Family Equality in Every Classroom - Family Equality Council provides a list of strategies for LGBTQ parents and allies to advocate for inclusive schools that meet their needs.

Indicators of Family Engagement Survey - This survey asks school districts to self assess their family engagement practices and to determine if they have the needed structures in place to engage in meaningful parental engagement.

Family Involvement Network of Educators (FINE) - An online network for educational staff dedicated to improving family-school-community partnerships.

Helping Families Support Their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Children - A guide for families, caretakers, providers, and advocates for LGBT children. It provides basic information on how to support LGBT youth and shares findings from the research of the Family Acceptance Project.

Responding to Concerns - Human Rights Campaign project Welcoming School provides school district staff key talking points on how to address common anti-LGBTQ sentiments from parents.

Webinar Series: Achieving Excellence and Innovation in Family, School, and Community Engagement -This nine part webinar series gives an overview to best practices, current research, and new ways for school districts to engage families.

Family Acceptance Project - A research-based initiative to prevent negative health and mental health outcomes of LGBTQ youth in relation to their families, cultures, and faith communities.

Colage - Colage is an organization that supports LGBTQ parents to be leaders in their communities by creating a network of LGBTQ parents.

Harvard Family Research Project - Creates and provides parental involvement strategies to researchers, educators, parents, and school personnel.

Out Proud Families - An organization that provides resources and workshops for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ youth.

This info sheet was created with support by the Cooperative Agreement CDCRFA-DP13-1308 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Overview Families play a critical role in a student's social and emotional wellbeing as well as their academic performance. Research has shown that students whose parents are involved in their educational achievements are more likely to do better academically regardless of their parent's education level, socioeconomic status, and ethnic or racial background.

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Training OPPORTUNITY and ways to continue support links

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Training OPPORTUNITY and ways to continue support links

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https://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/schools/wbhs/counseling/resources/safe-space
https://www.glsen.org/inclusive-curriculum
https://freespiritpublishingblog.com/2017/09/28/supporting-students-with-lgbt-parents/

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The Puget Sound Educational Services District is proud to collaborate with Welcoming Schools in combating all forms of social oppression. This includes expanding our view of diversity to other socially oppressed groups such as women, disabled, elderly and children, gays and lesbians, citizens of developing nations, etc.

Welcoming Schools, a project of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, is a comprehensive approach to creating respectful and supportive elementary schools with resources and professional development to:
Creating LGBTQ-Inclusive Schools

Look at simple ways to develop LGBTQ-inclusive classrooms and to be LGBTQ-inclusive across the curriculum.

Be able to better answer questions from students and families related to LGBTQ topics.

Become familiar with sexual orientation and gender identity terminology.

Embracing Family Diversity

Learn the importance of seeing family diversity represented in your school.

Understand family diversity as a means of teaching self-respect and respect for others.

Be able to answer questions from students and families about the importance of embracing all families.

Preventing Bias-Based Bullying

Be able to foster ally behavior among students, staff and other adults.

Understand bystander behavior and be able to utilize the Bully Circle.

Learn and practice critical intervention steps.

Creating Gender-Inclusive Schools

Develop a framework for creating a gender inclusive school.

Be able to respond to challenging questions related to gender.

Understand how to support gender expansive and transgender students.

Welcoming Schools Law and Policy Review

Become knowledgeable of federal, state and school district level laws and policies.

Become familiar with language to strengthen current policy and to advocate for enumerated protection for all students.

Supporting Transgender and Non-Binary Students

Understand the critical need to create safe and supportive schools for transgender and non-binary students.

Understand the complexities of transitioning and know how to support students on this journey.

Be familiar with policies and best practices to support transgender and non-binary students.

To learn more, please visit: Research & Data: Bullying, Gender, Family Diversity, and LGBTQ Youth
Testimonials
If you have any questions please contact

Heather Kawamoto.

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creating lgbtq and gender inclusive schools

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puget sound educational service district 121

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Creating LGBTQ and Gender Inclusive Schools - Puget Sound Educational Service District 121

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The Puget Sound Educational Services District is proud to collaborate with Welcoming Schools in combating all forms of social oppression. This includes expanding our view of diversity to other socially oppressed groups such as women, disabled, elderly and children, gays and lesbians, citizens of developing nations, etc.

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Other learning activities that give background on how this community has rallied together to make change.

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Essential question: How might the lives of transgender students change Federal guidelines advising schools to let transgender kids use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity are being withdrawn by the Departments of Justice and Education?

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Celebrating LGBTQ History Month: Free Lesson Plans, Resources and Activities

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Essential question: How might the lives of transgender students change Federal guidelines advising schools to let transgender kids use the bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity are being withdrawn by the Departments of Justice and Education?

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They, She, He easy as ABC. Maya and Matthew Smith-Gonzalez. (Pre-K – 1) Inclusive pronouns are featured alongside the alphabet. An introduction to the many different ways people identify and use pronouns. Shows that including everyone is all part of the dance. “No one left out and everyone free.”

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This website provides multiple resources for schools and families to best support families and students with LGBTQIA+ family ties.

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LGBTQ kids, as well as children whose parents are LGBTQ, need the support of their communities. Too often, they still face discrimination and ignorance from teachers, peers, religious and community leaders, and even their own parents. The good news is that there are many LGBTQ resources for parents and teachers who want to affirm to kids that being who you are is a good thing.

In this post, I've compiled a mega list of books (for children and adults), toys and games, helpful glossaries, lesson plans, and much more. Use these LGBTQ affirming resources to encourage empathy and prevent bullying.

Disclosure: For your convenience, this post includes affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
Children's books and toys that celebrate LGBTQ kids and families

Playing with Pronouns educational game. Reflection Press, a leader in inclusive children's books, created this fun game for children ages 4+. There are multiple ways to use the cards so that different age children can play. Use the game to practice gender inclusive pronouns, embrace differences, and challenge stereotypes. (You can also find LGBTQ resources from Reflection Press that help adults understand gender and break down stereotypes .)

Lesson Plans and classroom tips for preschool and elementary age children

. You can browse the organization's LGBTQ inclusive lesson plans (you can refine your search by age level on the right side). GLSEN also has chapters across the United States that support student Gay Straight Alliances and train teachers.

Parenting resources that embrace gender diversity

11 Fun Ideas for Teaching Gender Diversity to Toddlers . Bust gender stereotypes and introduce the many ways that people experience gender with these toddler play ideas.

Using LGBTQ and gender identity terminology with children

Guidance from Welcoming Schools about ways to answer this common question from children

LGBTQ Definitions for Children. How to define key terms related to sexual orientation and gender identity for elementary age and preschool children

What's gender identity? Music video from Amaze.org on expressing gender through clothing (see below).

Learn Your LGBT's video series from Queer Kids Stuff. Lindsey and their teddy bear are known on YouTube for teaching kids in a straightforward and playful way about a variety of topics related to LGBTQ pride. For the learn your LGBT's series, the It Gets Better project has also created a discussion guide for parents to use with their children as they watch the videos .

Anti-bullying and LGBTQ youth suicide prevention resources

What should you say when a child says "that's so gay?" Includes a variety of responses adults can make to show children and youth it's not okay to use the word gay as an insult.

Resources for preventing identity-based bullying. This is another helpful resource from Welcoming Schools.

Books for parents and teachers on LGBTQ issues

As you can probably tell from the practical title of this book, it's intended to be a straightforward guide for parents whose children are gay. The Q&A format, combined with real life stories of kids, youth, and parents, make it very accessible.

This helpful guide for both educators and parents raises questions and gives guidance about how schools can fully welcome children who are part of LGBT-headed families.

Resources that celebrate young LGBTQ activists

I regularly publish posts about kid and youth activists. You can find profiles of LGBTQ kids who are activists for inclusion and equality and .

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LGBTQ Affirming Resources for Parents and Teachers - The Barefoot Mommy

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LGBTQ kids, as well as children whose parents are LGBTQ, need the support of their communities. Too often, they still face discrimination and ignorance from teachers, peers, religious and community leaders, and even their own parents.

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This website has many resources to use as learning activities to introduce the gay community to your school or classroom. I love that they included videos as well to encourage using technology.
https://www.twinkl.com/resource/t-lf-255513-lgbt-history-month-pshe-ks1-different-families-lesson-pack

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Each week while most students are out of school due to COVID-19, HRC Foundation's Welcoming Schools will offer a book and a related activity adapted from our teacher lesson plans for parents to use with children at home. Our featured books will focus on Welcoming Schools themes: embracing all families, being an ally and respecting differences inclusive of LGBTQ identities. Don't have the book? Don't worry! We will provide a link to online readings to each book.
Week 13: Meet Some of the Most Famous, or at Least the Most Adorable, Dads
In honor of Father's Day, check out And Tango Makes Three with your kids. Meet Roy and Silo, two penguins in love who lived at the Central Park Zoo. They liked to do everything together. They even built a nest together, but they could not lay an egg. With the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo got the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own and Tango became the first penguin chick at the zoo to have two daddies.

Book: And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnel

Videos: And Tango Makes Three read aloud and short animated video

Ideas for discussions with your kids after watching the video(s) together:

Did you know that animals could be LGBTQ? (Many other animals have same gender relationships as well -- giraffes, dolphins, lions, flamingos)

Do you know any kids with two dads, two moms or LGBTQ parents?

What are some things that you noticed about Roy and Silo? Were they being good parents?

Activity: Fun Facts, Penguin Crafts and Cute Videos
For more great picture books and short chapter books with LGBTQ characters, check out Welcoming Schools listings of recommended books at Great Diverse LGBTQ Inclusive Picture and Middle Grade Books and Great Diverse Children's Books with Transgender, Non-Binary and Gender Expansive Children.
Week 12: Bayard Rustin: A Black, Gay Leader in the Civil Rights Movement Videos: An Unsung Hero of the Civil Rights Movement and The Gay Civil Rights Activist Nearly Erased From History
As Pride Month begins, take a look at Bayard Rustin, the main organizer of the March on Washington. Rustin's Quaker background was influential in the strategies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement.

Black, gay activism in civil rights continues today. DeRay Mckesson has been a leader in the Black Lives Matter movement since Ferguson and he cofounded Campaign Zero. In a recent interview with PBS, Mckesson was asked, "What would you say to a young kid today that's looking to get involved in activism?" His response, "So many things. Find an issue that you care about and learn it well. The second is know that you have more power than anybody will ever try to tell you."
Activity: What Can You Do?
Ideas for discussions with your kids after watching the video(s) together:

Why do you think that more people have not heard more about Bayard Rustin?

What do you think he meant when he said, "We need a group of people in every community to be angelic troublemakers"?

Talk with your kids about the importance of activism today.

What kinds of issues do you care about? What do you think needs to change?

Week 11: Why is June Pride Month?

Talk together about what kinds of change would you like to see happen.

Brainstorm ideas of actions that you can take as a family or that your child could take.

Decide as a family or help your child decide what to do as a first step. What are some of the next steps you could take?

Then, take action!

For some great picture books and short chapter books, take a look at the Welcoming Schools Great Books on LGBTQ History for Kids.

Video: How the Stonewall Riots Sparked a Movement - Riots by History.com

In response to police brutality against Black people and pervasive racism in the United States, protests are happening across the country. As we begin Pride month, it is important to remember that protests also helped create the foundation of the LGBTQ rights movement. One important milestone happened 51 years ago, when LGBTQ patrons at the Stonewall Inn in New York City in June 1969 stood up and stood together to stop the police brutality that they had endured for far too long. Starting the following year through today, LGBTQ people have been holding marches to commemorate these uprisings and their role in the early modern LGBTQ rights movement.

Ideas for discussions with your kids after watching the video together:

Talk about some of the changes that have happened because of the LGBTQ movement.

Have you been hearing about the protests that have been happening over the past week?

Do you know what they are about?

​What can we do to help ensure these protests are an enduring spark for significant changes?

Activity: Learn About Pride and LGBTQ History with Your Kids
Week 10: Will Mo's Zombie Parents Accept Him? Be Who You Are
Take a look at some other videos about LGBTQ history together with your kids.

For some great picture books and short chapter books, take a look at the Welcoming Schools Great Books on LGBTQ History for Kids. For more resources, check out these Welcoming Schools lesson plans, Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Women of Color: The Stonewall Inn and the Modern LGBTQ Movement or A Look at LGBTQ History and Prominent LGBTQ People.

Book and Video : ¡Los Zombis No Comen Verduras! / Zombies Don't Eat Veggies! Por / by Megan and Jorge Lacera. Leído por / Read by Jaime Camil.
Activity: Make Zombie Food Together
Mo Romero, a zombie, loves nothing more than growing and eating vegetables. The problem? His parents insist that their niño eat only zombie cuisine, like arm-panadas and finger foods. Mo can't imagine a lifetime of just eating zombie food. He even begins to question his own zombie identity. One of the New York Public Library's Top 10 Books in Spanish for Kids

During or after the reading, you could ask your children these questions / prompts:
Week 9: Pride and Hope: Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag

Make "Finger Food": Fill celery sticks with sunflower or peanut butter. Dip the wide end of an almond or sunflower seed (in the shell) in strawberry jam. Place it at one end celery stick. Place them on a plate decorated with some more jam or jelly.

Make a face on a frozen pizza with veggies before placing in the oven.

​For recipes from the book, click here to see how to make Mo's Garden Gazpacho (aka Blood Bile Bisque) and The Romero Family's Famous Shockamole.

For more books about accepting who you are check out the Welcoming Schools Be Who You Are Booklist.

This week we are celebrating the life of Harvey Milk by featuring a book and video that bring his story to life for young audiences. Our featured book is "Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag," a Junior Library Guild selection. In this true story, learn about the renowned social activist Harvey Milk and trace the life of the rainbow flag, also known as the LGBTQ Pride flag, from its beginning in 1978 when it was designed by Gilbert Baker, to its role around the world.

Video: Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag read by Brightly Storytime

Video: BrainPOP Harvey Milk - A short educational video designed for kids about Harvey Milk

During or after the reading, you could ask your children these questions/prompts:

What kind of dreams do you have for our world?

Look at the pages with all the other kinds of flags and identify or look up what they symbolize.

Where have you seen the rainbow flag displayed?

Activity: Design Your Own Flag
Week 8: The Adventures of a Non-Binary Guinea Pig New Book Release: Peanut Goes for the Gold by Jonathan Van Ness, illustrated by Gillian Reid

What are you proud of?

What would you want to include on your flag?

Using markers, crayons or colored pencils, draw a flag to show your pride.

Display in your window!

Click here for a Welcoming Schools booklist with both picture books and middle grade books about LGBTQ history. Click here for a lesson plan using "Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag."

Video: Peanut Goes for the Gold read by Jonathan Van Ness

Peanut, a non-binary guinea pig does everything with their own personal flare. So when Peanut decides to be a rhythmic gymnast, they come up with a routine that they know is absolutely perfect, because it is absolutely, one hundred percent Peanut.

Either during the reading or after, you could ask your children these questions:

Activity: Make Up Your Own Routine
Week 7: Draw a Chinese Dragon in Honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Book: The Seven Chinese Sisters written by Kathy Tucker and illustrated by Grace Lin Video: The Seven Chinese Sisters Read Aloud

Find some "funky" music like Peanut did and make up your own routine.

You could use a scarf like a gymnastics ribbon and dance and twirl around.

For more children's books with gender expansive, non-binary or trans characters, check out Welcoming Schools listing with both picture and middle grade books. Click here for more definitions to help explain LGBTQ words to kids.

Each of the seven Chinese sisters had a special talent. When baby Seventh Sister is snatched by a hungry dragon, her loving sisters race to save her.

Pause on different pages to ask your child:
Week 6: Be Brave, Be Quick, Have Fun, Be a Pirate! March 2020 New Book Release: How to Be a Pirate written by Isaac Fitzgerald
Activity: Draw a Chinese Dragon (or Tiger or Rabbit)

Follow along as Grace Lin shows special ways that Chinese dragons are different from European dragons in these easy step by step directions for drawing a Chinese Dragon. All you need is paper and a marker or crayon.

​To draw more animals, take a look at these instructions for drawing a Chinese Tiger or a Chinese Moon Rabbit.

Video: How to Be a Pirate read by actor, director and author LeVar Burton

CeCe dreams of being a pirate. When the neighborhood boys tell her that she can't, she wonders where to begin. Luckily, she suspects her grandpa must know something about being a pirate--why else would he have all those tattoos? CeCe discovers that there are all kinds of ways to be a pirate, and yes, she too can be a pirate.

Pause on different pages to ask your child:

*The video continues with LeVar Burton reading a book he wrote called The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm written to comfort kids who may have encountered and have fears of natural disasters.
Week 5: Finding Friendship, Adventure, Responsibility and Love Book: Promised Land by Adam Reynolds and Chaz Harris
Activity: Make Your Own Pirate Hat and Be a Pirate!
Activity: Imagine and Create Your Own Fairy Tale

Easy step by step video to make a pirate hat with newspaper or a paper bag and a stapler or tape.

Use smaller paper and make pirate hats for your stuffed animals!

When a young prince and a farm boy meet in the forest, a growing friendship between them blossoms into love.
Week 4: Yes, You Are Perfectly Designed
However, things get complicated when the queen's sinister new husband seeks control over the enchanted forest that the farm boy's family are responsible for protecting.
Videos:
Find more adventure and love as the series continues with Maiden Voyage and Raven Wild.

Collaborate with your child to create your own fairy tale. Write it, draw it or act it out with dolls or stuffed animals. Older kids can make a short video and share with siblings, family members or their teachers. Prompts for imagining a fairy tale:
Activity: Self-Portrait of You and a Family Member

Who are the characters? Are they good? Evil? Funny? What do they look like?

Are there talking animals, trees or mythical creatures?

Where does it take place?

What kind of problems do characters run into? What kind of adventures do characters have?

Who or what helps characters to solve their problems because, of course, everything works out happily ever after...or does it?

Book: I Am Perfectly Designed by Karamo Brown with Jason Rachel Brown
Week 3: Shine Your Light on Everybody with Lupita Nyong'o
I Am Perfectly Designed is an exuberant celebration of loving who you are. In this empowering ode to modern families, a boy and his father take a joyful walk through the city, discovering all the ways that they are perfectly designed for each other. Pause on different pages to talk with your child about what they are seeing:

What is the first memory you have of your family?

What is your favorite activity to do with your family?

What do you think it means to be "perfectly designed" for your family?

Write at the top of a piece of paper, "Perfectly Designed."

Draw a picture of you and an adult family member doing something that you love to do together―when you were a baby or at the age you are now.

Ideas from the book: going on walks, going to the park, eating a favorite food, playing with toys, looking at the moon, getting a hug or dressing alike for Halloween.

Find more children's books that celebrate all kinds of families at Welcoming Schools.
Activity: Dance or Sing Along with Sulwe
Book: Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o

While adults and kids alike may know Lupita Nyong'o from her role in hit films such as "12 Years a Slave," and The Black Panther," she is also a talented author. Sulwe has skin the color of midnight. She is darker than everyone in her family. She is darker than anyone in her school. Sulwe just wants to be beautiful and bright, like her mother and sister. Then a magical journey in the night sky opens her eyes and changes everything.
Week 2: Join Us As We Celebrate National Poetry Month!
In this The New York Times-bestselling picture book, Nyong'o creates a whimsical and heartwarming story to inspire children to see their own unique beauty. By the end of the book, Sulwe wants to shine her light on everybody. Pause on different pages to talk with your child about what they are seeing:

How does Sulwe feel about her skin color? Why do you think she feels this way?

Have you ever felt the way Sulwe feels in any part of the book?

What do you think it means to feel "beautiful inside and out?"

Dance along as you watch these kids perform "Sulwe's Song" written by Nyong'o and see their awe when Nyong'o pays them a surprise visit as they sing.

Sing along with "Sulwe's Song" with the lyrics on the screen

Want to talk with your kids more about skin color? Watch Nyong'o talking with Elmo about skin.

To find more children's books that celebrate who you are and talk about bias and bullying like Sulwe experienced, check out this Welcoming Schools book list on Looking at Skin Color with Books and Activities.
Activity: Make Your Own Acrostic Poem and Artwork!
This week, HRC Foundation's Welcoming Schools program is excited to celebrate National Poetry Month. Founded in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month is the largest literary celebration in the world with schools, poets and communities coming together to celebrate poetry's essential place in our lives.

Poetry offers people the ability to express how they feel, who they are and what they aspire to be. As acclaimed LGBTQ poet and advocate Audre Lorde wrote, "My poetry comes from the intersection of me and my world."

We're excited to feature some of our favorite poems and artwork created by third graders using the Welcoming Schools "Social Justice Acrostic Poem" lesson plan.
Week 1: Book: The Family Book by Todd Parr
Maker of schools
Awesome at speaking to millions of people
Lover of education
Amazing at school
Lots of education
A nd that is the end of the poem MALALA

An acrostic poem is a poem where certain letters in each line spell out a word or phrase. In this activity, we'll be using the first letter of each line.
Activity: Draw Your Family Todd Parr Style
And remember -- a poem is just words that you put together to show how you feel, or create something fun and new with your imagination. It doesn't have to be any particular form or way.

Ask your child to help you come up with a list of words or phrases on social justice movements and important issues that they care about. Examples might include: Black Lives Matter, respect all languages, animal rights, climate change, migration is beautiful, LGBTQ rights, water is life, disability rights...

Once you come up with your list, ask your child to pick a word or phrase they want to make a poem about.

Working with colored pencils or markers have your child write a final version of their poem using different colors and different sizes of writing for each word.

Once your child has written their poem, they can make a drawing to illustrate it.

Proudly display the poem and art on your fridge! And share with HRC on social media! Tag @HRC on Twitter and @HumanRightsCampaign on Instagram.

HRC Foundation's Welcoming Schools is the nation's premier professional development program providing training and resources such as book lists and lesson plans to elementary school educators to embrace all families, create LGBTQ and gender-inclusive schools, prevent bias-based bullying, and support transgender and non-binary students.
The Family Book celebrates the many different ways to be a family. Whether you have two moms or two dads, a big family or a small family, a clean family or a messy one, Parr assures kids that no matter what kind of family you have, every family is special in its own unique way. For those who don't have the book at home, not to worry -- you can use this video of Parr reading the book aloud. We encourage you to interact with your children as you read together. Pause on different pages to talk with your child about what they are seeing.

Do you know of any families where they have different skin tones (though maybe not green, yellow or purple as in the book)?

Do you know what a step-mom is or what adoption is?

Do some families really look like their pets?

Take a look at the illustrations in the book and notice how they are very simple yet expressive -- most people have round faces with many different hairstyles drawn with only a few lines -- straight, curly, long, wavy. Notice that the bodies are also drawn with only a few lines -- short or tall, smaller or bigger.

Have your child draw your family -- including any pets or important stuffies -- using crayons, colored pencils or markers, encouraging them to use wackadoodle colors as Todd Parr does in his book!

Proudly display on your fridge! And share with HRC on social media! Tag @HRC on Twitter and @HumanRightsCampaign on Instagram.

To find the Welcoming Schools lesson plan featuring The Family Book, check out Welcoming Schools family lessons. To find more great books about families, check out these family book lists.

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Activities and Resources for Inclusive Learning at Home

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Each week while most students are out of school due to COVID-19, HRC Foundation's Welcoming Schools will offer a book and a related activity adapted from our teacher lesson plans for parents to use with children at home. Our featured books will focus on Welcoming Schools themes: embracing all families, being an ally and respecting differences inclusive of LGBTQ identities.

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https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/family-engagement/article/creating-welcoming-early-childhood-program-lgbt-headed-families

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-And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, and Henry Cole
-A Church for All by Gayle Pittman and Laure Fournier
-When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff and Kaylani Juanita
-The Boy & the Bindi. Vivek Shraya. Pre-K – 2
-It Feels Good to Be Yourself. Theresa Thorn. (Pre-K – 3)
-Julián Is a Mermaid. Jessica Love. (Pre-K – 2)

https://www.rebekahgienapp.com/lgbtq-childrens-books/
https://www.welcomingschools.org/pages/looking-at-gender-identity-with-childrens-books/