Brian Klosterboer, Michael Alvarez, Natalie Clifford

For educators, navigating laws and practical considerations surrounding queerness in schools can be complex. Non-discrimination protections are often unclear and inconsistently applied, and there are often many gray areas. This panel discussion hopes to shed some light and provide input to help queer educators thrive in the workplace and to help all educators integrate queer topics and advocacy into their classrooms without fear of legal repercussions.

Ames Zocchi

Agency over gender describes the belief of a child’s freedom to determine their own person. And, that an educator’s choice to guide, not control, that determination can help create spaces of such freedom. The idea of agency over gender through art came from my first teaching job out of college as a counselor of an elementary after school center. In college, I had finished my thesis in using an intersectional lens in public school pedagogy. This illustrated ways in which teachers should frame their curriculum using an intersectional feminist lens that centers those that are most marginalized and erased. I was excited to practice these thoughts and writings into my work with students. Within two weeks of my previous job I was promoted to Art Director and was able to put into practice my ideas, and challenge myself in new ways.

Alister Womack, Ashley Morrison, Brian Kunde

LGBTQIA+ youth deserve to see themselves in the stories they read and the lessons they learn. Multiple studies have shown the importance of LGBTQ-related resources and inclusive curricula for queer students’ sense of safety and belonging. Libraries – whether in schools, communities, or homes – are powerful tools for encouraging queer youth to explore their identities and histories. Three of Out Youth’s past and present librarians will join us to discuss strategies to make libraries a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ youth, queering the stacks, and responding to parent and community backlash.

AJ Majd

Researchers use the term “Minority Stress” to describe the strain required by members of a marginalized group to partake in society. This session is a conversation about Minority Stress and its effect on healthy lives and relationships. Understanding the term and the ways in which it affects our queer community will allow us to acknowledge the common trauma that we often share. Although our community has gained visibility and more equality, we still observe very high rates of depression, anxiety and substance abuse for queer individuals. The continuous stress endured by queer people growing up in a cisgender heteronormative society greatly impacts our ability to nurture healthy relationships and affects our physical and mental health. Moreover, these stressors are multiplied for Queer People of Color. Acknowledging this trauma will cease the circle of abuse that is often recreated within our community and ensure more joy, happiness and growth. AJ will define the terms, present data, link it to healthy relationships, and offer helpful resources too.

Carson Keene, Greg Bravo-Bonetti, Sam Davis

If you’ve ever wanted to talk about queerness more in your classroom, but weren’t sure how to do so, this panel is for you! Join us for what is sure to be a dynamic and engaging discussion on how to queer your classroom. Learn about the diverse ways you can insert LGBTQ+-related topics into your regular content, how to support the queer and trans students in your classes, and ways to establish community support.

Jessica Soukup, Kameron Koeffler, Matthew Shead, Susanne Kerns

For LGBTQIA+ students, even a single supportive adult can transform their lives. We'll share some 'Ally 101' tips and give you a handy cheat-sheet version of the local and online resources you can use to help ensure LGBTQIA+ students are safe and supported in school, (even when it's distance-learning-school!)

Briannah Hill

At the end of the day LGBTQIA+ history and POC history are inherently intertwined, you cannot have one without the other. This presentation will trace the historical context and stories of QTBIPOC activism and highlight certain individuals from social movements in the past such as the Stonewall Riots, the Civil Rights Movement, and various others in the U.S., and current movements like Black Lives Matter. It is important that we know the history, that we know the names, that we continue to learn and educate ourselves for our futures and beyond.

Brian Klosterboer, TreShaun Pate

Join us to play virtual trivia and learn about LGBTQIAP2+ students’ rights in schools. This interactive program seeks to inform young people, families, and advocates on the current state of students’ rights in Texas and across the country, including providing updates from the ACLU of Texas on recent court cases and how students, parents, educators, and allies can help make schools more inclusive and affirming.

Meg Bishop

This webinar presents the Stories and Numbers Project, a new online tool for accessing resources related to the safety and well-being of LGBTQ youth in Texas schools. The purpose of the webinar is to orient students, parents, educators, and policy-makers to the resources covered on the website, highlighting the evidence on school policies, programs, and practices that are linked to positive adjustment and academic success for LGBTQ students. Additionally, we present ways to institute evidence-based safe school strategies. Attendees come away with action steps for implementing inclusive nondiscrimination policies and LGBTQ-related curricula, supporting Gender-Sexuality Alliances, and accessing professional development resources.

KB Brookins, Quỳnh-Hương Nguyễn, Sam Davis, Shane Whalley

It's so easy to say that LGBTQIA+ people deserve rights, but how do we practice that principle in the institutions that we are a part of? This panel will give specific and actionable pro-tips to make our spaces work equitably for queer and trans folks.

Let's leave theory behind (for a second) and put LGBTQIA+ advocacy into practice, y'all!

Becca Mui, E. Smith, Eka Tawe, El Martinez, Sarah Emily Baum, Savion Morgan Cooper

Pride Month wraps up with LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sex Ed Week of Action June 22-26. Although in-person pride events have been cancelled due to COVID-19, it’s important that we continue to take this time to celebrate and uplift the experiences of LGBTQ+ people. Join as GLSEN’s Education Manager, Becca Mui, will moderate a panel discussion with sexual health educators and LGBTQ+ students. We will share relevant research on LGBTQ+ sex ed, share resources and best practices for K-12 inclusion, and discuss school-based advocacy efforts. LGBTQ+ youth panelists will share their own experiences with sexual health education, their advocacy efforts, and what they want educators to know to better support them.

Shane Whalley

Being an Ally to Transgender, Non-Binary and Gender Nonconforming Students... that's quite a title for a little workshop, but this might be one instance where it's easier done than said. Teachers and school personnel are in a unique position to be able to support all students, regardless of how their parents or legal guardians might feel about questions of gender identity and expression. In this conversation Austin Independent School District's Community Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, Shane Whalley, will share some of hir emerging strategies for creating learning environments that are spaces where all students can thrive, inclusive of their genders. Ze welcomes and encourages questions from teachers, parents and students alike! 

Grayson Hunt

Have you considered taking a class in LGBTQ Studies, or earning a degree in it? If you’ve ever had questions like “What even is LGBTQ Studies?” or “What kind of job can you get if you take LGBTQ Studies classes?” then this session is for you! Grayson Hunt, the Associate Director of LGBTQ Studies and the University of Texas at Austin will answer all your other questions about LGBTQ Studies too.