Beyond Tolerance: A Resource Guide for Addressing LGTBQI Issues in Schools
NYQueer and NYCoRE are pleased to announce the release of a curricular resource guide to support educators in addressing Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Bisexual, Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQI) issues and themes in their classrooms. Often, teaching about LGBTQI issues in the classroom is complex and unique – fraught with a variety of fears and uncertainty including fear of retribution and backlash from students, families or administration. But as educators, we must teach these issues because we know it is what is right— as individuals committed to social justice; as LGBTQI-identified educators; for the LGBTQI students we meet; and because we know too clearly what the outcomes are when we don’t.
We really do live in a world where some people grow up feeling like it would be better to be dead than gay. Perhaps it was the alarming number of recent teen suicides that will motivate you to download this guide. Maybe you feel like you want to do something, and are hoping this is a good place to start. We hope so too. But more importantly, we hope that once the media coverage dies down, you will continue to seek out ways to raise awareness and help young people build the skills they need to identify and take action against any injustice they encounter.