Educator Resources
As educators we know that all work in schools requires caring and respect. Correspondingly, all professional organizations associated with public education provide guidance on best practices with LGBT students. Guidance includes: inclusive and enumerated nondiscrimination policies, respect for sexual orientation and gender identity, including LGBT parents and employees, providing access to school facilities that match students’ gender identity, and caring enough to recognize students by the gender, name, and pronouns that match their identity, as well as protection from bullying and harm.
Break the Silence and Make School Safe for All Kids!
Awareness and Strategies for Teachers
Strategies for Teachers Best Practices Guide
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
GLSEN (pronounced "glisten") is an organization for students, parents, and teachers that tries to affect positive change by creating safe and affirming schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
Guidelines for Respectful GSA Discussion
Having a set of agreements will help ensure that your meetings are respectful and provide a safe place for everyone.
Impact of Gay-Straight Alliances
This brief looks at just how important a Gay-Straight Alliance is for LGBT students and their allies.
Info on Gay-Straight Alliances
Make Your GSA Transgender & Gender Nonconforming Inclusive
Being inclusive means that your student club and its members commit to an ongoing process of education. Click here to learn more about making your club inclusive of transgender and gender nonconforming students.
Prepping for School Year
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 prepping for the school year, keep in mind these simple things
you can do to make sure your classroom is a safe and inclusive space for all students.
Students and Gender Identity
USC Rossier has created “Students and Gender Identity: A Guide for Schools,” which is a collection of tools and resources to support conversations surrounding gender identity in the classroom. Through this guide, we hope to help teachers, school counselors and school communities work together to create a safe and nurturing school climate for all students.
Tips for Finding New GSA Members
Every GSA could use more members, right? We've heard your calls for GSA membership ideas and here it is! Click through for tips on finding new GSA members.
TSER - Trans Student Educational Resources
Trans Student Educational Resources is a youth-led organization dedicated to transforming the educational environment for trans and gender nonconforming students through advocacy and empowerment. In addition to our focus on creating a more trans-friendly education system, our mission is to educate the public and teach trans activists how to be effective organizers. We believe that justice for trans and gender nonconforming youth is contingent on an intersectional framework of activism. Ending oppression is a long-term process that can only be achieved through collaborative action.
Professional organizations' guidance on best practices with respect to LGBTQ students:
National Education Association
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers also provide several resources, including classroom lessons (link is external)—which can be browsed by age group and topic—on bias, bullying, diverse perspectives, and discrimination.