Everything below should be read as being preceded by "If you can do so without getting fired or disciplined…"
- If you overhear queer- or trans-antagonistic slurs, respond immediately every time. If you're not sure who said it or you don't want to single anyone out, say something like, "I'm not sure who said that. But we do not use [those words]/[words that are meant to hurt people] here. Ever." (Thanks to Page at the Common Goodness Project for this tip.)
- Relatedly, have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying in your classroom.
- Use words like "partner," "spouse," or "significant other" as generic terms instead of "boyfriend" or "wife."
- Be a safe classroom where your students can come during lunch and recess. (I acknowledge, however, that this may be cutting into some of the only "free" time you have during the day. So if that wouldn't work for you, pick something else to do.)
- Yes, this is a website focused mostly on older kids. But still, this point is incredibly important.
- Need alternatives? Try lining kids up by birthday months, sock color, pants length, pizza vs. hot dogs, cats vs. dogs, etc. There are a million options out there!
- Ask your students for their ideas of ways to line up. Let them have some fun with this.
- Never, ever talk to children about "girl toys," "boys' clothes," "girl colors," or "boy games."
- Never, ever say, "Boys will be boys."
- Never, ever tolerate slurs like "That's so gay!" or other insults that rely on the assumption that queer and trans people are so terrible that our identities can be used to put others down.
Photo by Reyna Montgomery.
