This book reviews interventions and strategies to support LGBTQ students in K-12 schools. Contributors provide practical tips for creating a safe school environment with insights drawn from new research, firsthand experience in schools, clinical professional guidelines, the law, and legal precedent from the civil rights struggle. Topics include staff training, advocacy, systems-level change, and flipping the narrative on anti-bullying to creating a positive and supportive school climate for all students.

"This book reviews timely, pragmatic interventions and strategies to support LGBTQ students in K12 schools. Where formal programs affirming diversity of gender expression and sexual orientation are not yet in place, contributors provide insights and practical tips for creating a positive, safe school environment. Topics include how stigma based on gender expression or sexual orientation can affect children and adolescents in school performance and risk-taking behavior, and how schools can flip the narrative on bullying and victimization to one that promotes strengths and school connectedness. Teacher and school staff training issues are also addressed, along with suggestions for advocacy on the small scale and at local, regional, and state systems levels. In this book school counselors and psychologists, administrators, teachers, and other community stakeholders will find steps they can take to translate and implement the ever-growing body of scientific theory and research on equitable education of gender minority and sexual minority children, youth, and families"--

This exploration of effective practices to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) and gender-diverse students in elementary, middle, and high school contexts focuses on curriculum, pedagogy, and school environment. Narratives and artwork from the field are framed by sociocultural and critical theory as well as research-based elaboration on the issues discussed. Applications of antidiscrimination law and policy, as well as learning skills like creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking help teachers tackle some of the most significant educational challenges of our time. The stories of real-world practices offer encouragement for building inclusive environments and enhancing social-emotional relationships among youth, families, and schools. Gender Diversity and LGBTQ Inclusion in K-12 Schools provides a helpful roadmap for educators hoping to create safe and empowering spaces for LGBTQ and gender-diverse students and families.

Issues related to gender and sexual diversity in schools can generate a lot of controversy, with many educators and youth advocates under-prepared to address these topics in their school communities. This text offers an easy-to-read introduction to the subject, providing readers with definitions and research evidence, as well as the historical context for understanding the roots of bias in schools related to sex, gender, and sexuality. Additionally, the book offers tangible resources and advice on how to create more equitable learning environments. Topics such as working with same-sex parented families in elementary schools; integrating gender and sexual diversity topics into the curriculum; addressing homophobic bullying and sexual harassment; advising gay-straight alliances; and supporting a transgender or gender non-conforming student are addressed. The suggestions offered by this book are based on recent research evidence and legal decisions to help educators handle the various situations professionally and from an ethical and legally defensible perspective.

'Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Schooling' brings together contributions from a diverse group of researchers, policy analysts, and education advocates from around the world to synthesize the practice and policy implications of research on sexual orientation, gender identity, and schooling.

A vital inquiry into trans issues in education, this compelling work argues for the design of education research, policies, and environments that honor all gender experiences and identities. Edited by two prominent figures in trans studies, Mario I. Suárez and Melinda M. Mangin, Trans Studies in K–12 Education brings together scholars and professionals representing a range of academic traditions, research methodologies, and career backgrounds to explore why and how schools should affirm gender diversity and challenge gender-based inequities. The collection offers a comprehensive examination of how gender is manifested in the educational context. Gathering a wealth of evidence, the book’s contributors expose the prevailing norm of gendered environments, which are entrenched in the very design and execution of educational research. The collection also lays out a critical overview of US laws and policies related to gender equity, gender identity, and gender expression and how these frameworks impact educational environments. These findings draw attention to deficit-oriented, pathologizing ideologies that surround nonconforming gender identities and the detrimental, often traumatizing effects on transgender students and educators. Throughout, the contributors recommend methods for establishing gender-affirming research, policy, and practice. They outline the sociopolitical and legal pathways that trans and nonbinary students and school employees may use to secure education and workplace rights. They discuss the positive gains made by professional development for teachers, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and community programs that successfully support transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals. Ultimately, the volume highlights the promise of creating K–12 education spaces that are liberating rather than constraining.