Tips for Educators
Don’t out LGBT students to other people without that student’s permission.
Know your local resources (WAF, PFLAG, AFFA, Trevor Project).
Apply policies equally (ie: if gay students can’t show public displays of affection, neither should the straight kids).
Don’t assume one’s preferred gender pronouns (he/she/zhe/hir/they) and avoid using gendered language whenever possible.
Advocate for gender-neutral bathrooms.
Whenever possible, refer to relevant LGBT examples in your lesson plans (ie: Stonewall Riots, Harvey Milk, Oscar Wilde).
Don’t segregate your classroom based on gender.
Treat homophobic and transphobic bullying like sexual harassment or any other type of harassment.
Make it clear to your students that complaints about bullying are anonymous, and address situations when they arise.
Support Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) on your campus.
Get a Safe Zone training by contacting safezone@cofc.edu and become a Safe Zone Ally.
Check out our LGBTQI+ Affirming School Toolkits & Resources