Classrooms need to be safe and welcoming spaces for all children, including children and teens who identify as LGBTQ+. And teachers need to feel they have all the tools they need to nurture and support all learners and build a classroom community that is inclusive and inviting. To that end, we have pulled together resources to educate ourselves, our classrooms, and our school communities to better support our LGBTQ+ students and colleagues.
NEW LGBTQ+ History
- The Facing History & Ourselves website offers "ideas and guidance on how to incorporate LGBTQ+ voices and history into your teaching, [with an] on-demand webinar, Bringing LGBTQ Upstanders into Your Classroom: A Conversation with Eric Marcus." The video is free for viewing after you create a login and password.
- History UnErased provides "K-12 schools with the curriculum and training" needed "to teach LGBTQ-inclusive history as it intersects with race, gender, and nationality within the mainstream curriculum." Check out HUE's YouTube page with "LGBTQ living history videos, stories about LGBTQ school-related experiences, LGBTQ focused mini movies and more."
- LGBTQ History.org has created a LGBTQ Rights Timeline in American History that spans from Colonial Life and Founding of the Nation (1607-1770) to The 21st Century Transformation (2000-Present). The website also offers lesson plans, and video and multimedia resources.
Heinemann Podcast Episodes
- Supporting LGBTQ Students and Teachers with Heinemann author Kate Roberts and Heinemann Fellow Jess Lifshitz.
- Robert Kim and the Legal Impacts Facing LGBTQ+ Students
- Beyond the Letters Podcast ( A Heinemann Podcast miniseries dedicated to creating inclusive educational spaces for queer youth and educators, alike.)
Heinemann Blog Posts
- Include Queer Students by Skye Tooley
- I'm Coming Out (As A Queer Educator Who Will No Longer Do This Work Alone) by shea martin
Resources & Book Lists
- The ABCs of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+ via The New York Times
-
Defining LGBTQ Words for Elementary School Students via The Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Welcoming Schools Organization
- Glossary of terms that relate to the LGBTQ community via the Trevor Project
- A Guide To Gender Identity Terms via National Public Radio
- Family Matters: Using children's literature to honor diverse family structures by Katie Kelly, Lester Laminack, and Nicole Carmenates via ILA Literacy Today May/June 2021Vol. 38, Issue 6.
- LGBTQ+ Book List via Teaching for Change's Social Justice Books Organization
- The Human Rights Campaign Foundation Welcoming Schools Recommended Books Lists via via The Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Welcoming Schools Organization
- The Trevor Project has developed The Coming Out Handbook to "explore what coming out means to you with tools and guiding questions."
EDTalks: Creating Gender Inclusive Schools by Jason Bucklin
LGBTQ Program Coordinator with Minneapolis Public Schools
Bring The Work Into Our Classrooms
Once you have a good grasp on some basic concepts of this work, it's time to start thinking about how to take what you've learned into the classroom.
- NEW The National Education Association has built a webpage with information for how to go about Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth. The webpage includes information on how to build safe, affirming, and inclusive schools. Also included is a link to their EdJustice page with more stories and resources.
- Making Elementary School Classrooms LGBTQ-Inclusive via The American Federation of Teachers
- Gender-Diverse & Transgender Children Definitions + Additional Information & Resources via The American Academy of Pediatrics's Health Children Organization
- How Schools Can Enable LGBTQ Students to Thrive via The American Federation of Teachers
- The Safe Space Kit: Guide to Being an Ally to LGBT Students via GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network)
- Educator Resources (Lesson Plans, Inclusive Curriculum, etc.) via GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network)
Extend Our Learning
As teachers, caregivers, and community members we must seek out opportunities for professional development and self-work.
- Affirming Our LGBTQ+ Educators Is Essential to Fighting Prejudice via Education Post a network of education activists demanding a better education and a brighter future for every child.
- Bystander Intervention to Stop LGBTQ+ Harassment and De-escalation Training Workshop by Hollaback
- LGBTQ Inclusive School: Action Planning via GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network)
- Ultimate Campus Guide for LGTBQ Students via CollegeConsensus.com
- LGBTQ+ Student Experiences at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). Dr. Kevin M. Banks invites readers to "Dig into the experiences of LGBTQ+ students, and learn how to support inclusive practices at HBCUs." via Best Colleges.
We will continue to curate this list of resources.
Check back for updates and share with fellow educators.
