LGBTQ+ families face a harder school year — but they are not powerless

It’s back-to-school time, and for LGBTQ+ parents and their children — who remain on the front lines of the fight over whose families belong in the classroom — there are reasons for concern going into the new year, as well as reasons for hope.

Two recent Supreme Court decisions have shaped a new reality for LGBTQ+ families in the classroom. The first, Mahmoud v. Taylor, challenged elementary school lessons that featured LGBTQ+ characters in storybooks. In this case, the Court gave some parents new grounds to seek exemptions from instruction that conflicts with their religious beliefs, and school boards, administrators, and teachers now must determine how to implement Mahmoud while providing an education that reflects the students in their classrooms. In a post-Mahmoud world, parents should pay attention to proposed changes in curriculum, opt-out procedures, and classroom materials and be ready to speak up when those changes single out LGBTQ+ people or erase them from the classroom.

The other major cases for LGBTQ+ families in schools are West Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox. The Court decided that states may exclude transgender girls from girls’ school sports under the laws challenged in those cases. The decision could affect transgender kids across the country, but that does not mean the issue is settled. At the core of this decision is the choice to give power back to states and communities. Now is the time to speak out for trans rights, even if you yourself are not trans or do not have a trans child. Solidarity in this moment will show that we will not be divided by people who wish to use girls’ sports as a weapon to demonize trans children.

In addition to navigating the cases above, there are concrete ways you can advocate for inclusion in your child’s classroom:

1. Know your school’s policies. Find out what your district says about LGBTQ+ students and families, curriculum, parental notification, student privacy, and extracurricular activities.
2. Ask questions before a problem arises. Introduce yourself to your child’s teacher. Ask how the school approaches different kinds of families and whether LGBTQ+ people and families are represented in classroom materials. Use our email templates for early outreach.
   
3. Document what happens. If your child encounters discrimination or exclusion, save emails, school notices, and relevant policies. Write down dates of conversations and next steps from meetings with the principal and other administrators.
4. Remember that you have allies. Talk with other parents, educators, and local LGBTQ+ organizations. You do not have to do it alone. You can also reach out to Family Equality for help and access resources on our website.

Remember, too, that despite recent setbacks, we have made a lot of progress. Eight states have laws requiring an LGBTQ+-inclusive curriculum, and many are just rolling out implementation. That means that millions of children will learn about LGBTQ+ people and their contributions to society when they would not have in previous years. I can only imagine what it would have been like to see myself reflected in school curricula, and we know that this education helps all kids with their academic achievement.

While we must continue to fight for more progress, the progress already made gives me hope that we will come out of these hard times even stronger than before.

Nikhil Vashee (they/them) is the Senior Director of Education Law & Policy for Family Equality, a national nonprofit that protects and advances freedoms for LGBTQ+ families.

Learn more about Family Equality’s resources for LGBTQ+ families at FamilyEquality.org.

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