June Is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month!

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Pride Month

According to U.S. Census Bureau, “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States… The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.”

In Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS), student-led organizations providing affinity and advocacy for LGBTQIA students exist at all secondary schools.* These student organizations have leaned in to help ACPS achieve its strategic goal of “Affirming and Empowering Communities,” including respecting and championing the diversity of life experiences of all students. Most recently, they have collaborated with educators on the development and implementation of the division’s Transgender Policy. Let’s all take time this month to continue learning how we can provide the best educational experience for LGBTQIA students and families, K-12, throughout the year. Below are some suggested resources towards that end.

Inclusive Environments

  • Focus Areas for LGBTQIA Inclusivity: A review of key practices for LGBTQIA inclusive environments based on decades of research (Edutopia)
  • Safe and Welcoming Schools: Bullying prevention and much more with LGBTQIA and gender inclusive professional development training, lesson plans, booklists, and resources (Human Rights Campaign Foundation)
  • Best Practices for Serving LGBTQIA Students: Comprehensive handbook on creating LGBTQIA inclusive educational environments (Learning For Justice)
  • Inclusive Athletics: Resources, videos and community to support the inclusion of all LGBTQIA people in sports, including athletes, coaches, staff and fans (You Can Play)

Inclusive Texts & Instructional Materials

Representation matters! In order to ensure that all students see themselves and their families reflected in our texts and instructional materials, consider the following resource lists for LGBTQIA inclusive texts. These resource lists contain texts that have not been approved by the division, so remember to always consult with your administrator when implementing new texts in your building. If you’d like to have new texts formally added to the division-approved book list, please use the forms and processes in Policy IIAA.

Professional Learning

  • The Basics: Understanding LGBTQIA Youth: This 90-minute to 2-hour training focuses on basic understanding of LGBTQIA identities, risk, and protective factors for youth, as well as best practices for supporting LGBTQIA youth in your school. Provided by our partners at SideBySide, this training is available for schools and teams by request. Contact Lars Holmstrom for more information.
  • Queer America Podcast: Podcast series uplifting LGBTQIA history that is often overlooked in schools, as well as recommendations on how to approach LGBTQIA history in public schools (Learning for Justice)

Book Giveaway

Win a copy of Reading the Rainbow: LGBTQ-Inclusive Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Classroom or A Queer History of the United States! Be one of the first three people to email Lars Holmstrom at lholmstrom@k12albemarle.org and share how you are creating inclusive environments for LGBTQIA students, and we’ll send the book of your choice to you!

*To learn more about Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) or similar organizations at your school, contact your school counselor. For general information about GSAs division-wide, contact Lars Holmstrom.