Creating LGBTQ and Gender Inclusive Schools

Welcoming Schools Logo

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.

SCHEDULE YOUR WELCOMING SCHOOLS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT,
CONSULTATION, AND TRAINING TODAY!

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

If you have any questions please contact Heather Kawamoto at HKawamoto@psesd.org

What Do You Know? Kids Talk About LGBTQ Topics

What Can We Do? Bias, Bullying & Bystanders

Resources

Definitions

Term

Definition
Lesbian A woman primarily attracted to women
Gay A man primarily attracted to men (also used as a catch-all within the community)
Bisexual/Pansexual A person attracted to genders the same and different from their own
Trans A person whose gender identity doesn’t correspond with their sex assigned at birth
Queer/Questioning An umbrella term reclaimed by the community
Intersex A person whose anatomy and/or chromosomes do not fit traditional markers for male/female
Asexual/Agender/Aromantic A person who doesn’t typically experience sexual attraction/gender identity/romantic attraction
+ (Plus) All the beautiful members – Inclusive of all
Sexual Orientation An inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people. An individual’s sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity.
Gender Identity One’s innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One’s gender identity can be the same or different from the one typically associated with their sex assigned at birth.
Gender Expression External appearance of one’s gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, body characteristics or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine.
Transgender An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific orientation.
Gender Binary An assumption that gender is limited solely to two categories, male or female, rather than a classification of genders that exist along a spectrum.