LGBTQ
Education news, analysis, and opinion about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer students or teachers and their experiences in school
See also: Transgender Students
These LGBTQ+ Terms Can Help Create A Safe School for Students
To create a safe environment for LGBTQ+ students in schools, here are some terms that educators should know.
Equity & Diversity
S.D. Governor Vetoes Bill on Transgender Student Restroom, Locker Room Use
The bill would have required transgender students to use school facilities that match their biological sex at birth, even if it differed from their gender identity.
Equity & Diversity
National Groups, Celebrities Tell S.D. Governor to Veto Transgender Student Bill
Gov. Dennis Daugaard has until March 1 to decide if he will sign the bill, which would create the first state-level restrictions on which restrooms and locker rooms transgender students use at school. Celebrities like Caitlyn Jenner and Laverne Cox have urged him to veto it.
Law & Courts
South Dakota Could Be First State to Restrict School Restrooms Used by Transgender Students
A bill awaiting action from the South Dakota governor would require transgender students to use the restrooms and locker rooms that match with their biological sex at birth.
Equity & Diversity
'You Come Out Because You Can't Not': A Gay Teacher's Perspective (Video)
High school writing teacher Patty Smith discusses the importance of building an LGBT-inclusive school community.
Equity & Diversity
S.D. Bill That Limits Transgender Student Bathroom Use Bound for Governor's Desk
If Gov. Dennis Daugaard signs the bill, South Dakota will be the first to create state-level restrictions on how schools treat transgender students, which could put its schools at odds with the U.S. Department of Education's interpretation of civil rights laws.
Equity & Diversity
Video
You Come Out Because You Can’t Not: A Gay Teacher's Perspective
High school writing teacher Patty Smith discusses the importance of building an LGBT-inclusive school community. Smith’s desire to create a safe space for all students was the result of her personal decision to come out. “It’s hard to do anything when you can’t be yourself,” she explains.
More here: http://www.edweek.org/ew/projects/beyond-bias-countering-stereotypes-in-school.html Education Week Video
Equity & Diversity
Transgender Students' Bathroom Use Would Be Restricted by South Dakota Bill
The bill could make the state the first to create state-level restrictions on how schools treat transgender students and put it at odds with the U.S. Department of Education's interpretation of civil rights laws.
Equity & Diversity
Teen Boys Wear Dresses to Call for Changes to School Dress Code
Students in California's Clovis Unified School District say the district's dress code violates their classmates' rights.
Equity & Diversity
LGBT Students: Colleges Seeking Title IX Exemptions to Be Named by Ed. Dept.
The U.S. Department of Education has responded to calls from civil rights groups to publish the names of colleges and universities seeking religious exemptions from Title IX.
Equity & Diversity
Nebraska School Activities Association Unveils Draft Transgender-Student Policy
The Nebraska School Activities Association voted on Dec. 9 to advance a draft gender policy to a final reading in its January board meeting.
School Climate & Safety
News in Brief
Transgender Student Gets to Use Girls' Locker Room
A suburban Chicago district has reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Education's office for civil rights over its treatment of a transgender student, the federal agency announced Thursday.
Equity & Diversity
District, Feds Reach Settlement Over Transgender Student's Locker Room Use
The Township High School District 211 in Palatine, Ill., was the first ever to be found in violation of federal civil rights laws over the treatment of a transgender student.
States
Advocates for LGBT Students Push for More Inclusive Sex Education in Schools
Issues important to LGBT students are too often ignored in school sex education classes, a coalition of advocacy groups said.
Equity & Diversity
Title IX Does Not Apply to Gender Identity, States Say in Transgender Student Suit
Title IX only protects students from discrimination on the basis of biological sex, not gender identity, a group of states said in a legal brief. The U.S. Department of Education disagrees.