HRC issues a “Back to School” guide

Yesterday, HRC Foundation released a new back-to-school guide to equip parents, teachers, and allies of  LGBTQ students with information and resources to ensure that their schools are welcoming and safe for LGBTQ youth and the children of LGBTQ parents. The resource, which includes information on HRC Foundation’s Welcoming Schools professional development training modules and checklists for inclusive classroom practices and parent actions, comes during a period of increased attention to LGBTQ-inclusion in schools and harmful political attacks on transgender young people.

 “Every student should feel safe and supported when they walk into school in the morning,” said Mary Beth Maxwell, the HRC Foundation’s Senior Vice President for Programs, Research, and Trainings. “Recent data on the experience of lesbian, gay, and bisexual students from the CDC underscored just how much work remains before every student is treated with dignity and fairness. Our new guide provides the nation’s educators and parents with the tools they need to make the promise of equality for all students a reality in the classroom every day.”

In addition to information on HRC trainings and checklists, the guide also includes recommendations of LGBTQ-inclusive books and ways for teachers to combat anti-LGBTQ comments or bullying.

HRC’s Welcoming Schools program works to make America’s elementary schools more inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ students and the children of LGBTQ parents with trainings for schools and resources for parents, teachers, and administrators. The program grants the Welcoming Schools Seal of Excellence to schools that meet benchmarks on LGBTQ equality, including inclusive policies, staff development, and lesson plans that feature LGBTQ identities.

Topic covered include:

Gender & Children: A Place to Begin; Actions LGBTQ Parents/Guardians Can Take to Support Their Children in Elementary School; What Do You Say to ‘That’s So Gay’ & Other Anti-LGBTQ Comments; Top 10 Books for a Welcoming School; Lesson Plan: Words That Hurt, Words That Heal; and Welcoming Schools Professional Development Modules

To read more about HRC’s Welcoming Schools program, visit www.welcomingschools.org/

The Gayly – September 15, 2016 @ 3:50 p.m.