Upstander AwardI am honored to be a recipient of the 2020 HRC Upstander Award. I was recognized for my work to support LGBTQ+ youth through developing gender-inclusive biology curriculum and promoting visibility and legal protections for trans educators.
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Gay-Straight Alliance ClubA 2017 GLSEN survey found that 87% of LGBTQ students have been harassed or assaulted at school, and that the presence of a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) can reduce this.
As a staff sponsor for the GSA club at Strive Prep Excel, I host a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ students and allies to socialize and to engage in activism. Our club has organized an Ally Week, a Day of Silence, and our own "Be Excellent To Each Other" campaign. In February 2019, I led students in lobbying Colorado state senators and representatives for the banning of conversion therapy for minors, and for improving access to legal name changes for transgender folks. |
Trans/Nonbinary EducatorsThough we are often invisible, transgender educators are in schools and teaching young people every day. Like all educators, it is our duty to engage and inspire our students. But as trans individuals, we bear the added burden of educating others about our needs, and navigating schools that are highly traditional and binary-gendered spaces. In a time when all youth must learn about gender identity as a reality, and many youth are transitioning themselves, our presence as trans teachers and role models is especially valuable.
When I began my teaching career, I didn't know any other trans educators, and I struggled with this isolation. I am now a co-founder the Colorado chapter of the Trans/Nonbinary Educators Network, which serves to connect and support educators in the trans community across the state. We give presentations at local conferences to help allied educators support and learn from our unique experiences and expertise. I organized a collaboration between Colorado trans educators and film producer Z Griffler to create a short documentary video. In our video, we present five best practices for allied educators and school leaders who want to support and learn from trans educators. |
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Gender-Inclusive PolicyA growing number of transgender youth are finding the courage to come out at school, and school leaders often have no established protocol on how to respond. What bathroom or changing room will the student use? How will staff ensure the student is called by the correct name and pronouns, and treated with respect throughout the school?
I worked with DSST Public Schools on the creation of a Gender Identity Policy which details best practices for supporting transgender individuals in this network of 5,700 students. I was a transgender student myself, coming out while attending high school in the Toronto District School Board. I worked with the Board on creating a policy which now guides the accommodation of transgender individuals among the Board's 250,000 students and 42,000 staff. This policy, written in 2011, was the first of its kind in Canada. |
"Right to be Out" RuleOn July 15, 2020, the Right to be Out rule became effective in the Colorado Code of Regulations. This rule has the force of law and forbids harassment of individuals for being open about their sexual orientation or gender identity at work and in all areas of public accommodation. Colorado is the first state to expressly prohibit this type of harassment.
I helped to craft the language of this rule and to advance it through the rulemaking process in order to protect all trans educators who want to be out, visible role models for their students. |