Date
22 March 2024

Make LGBTIQA+ content and themes visible across the curriculum

Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Developing an inclusive classroom and curriculum’

Consider the impact of invisibility

Consider the impact of invisibility

Ensure all students experience a sense of belonging in your classroom.

Integrate LGBTIQA+ content into the curriculum

Integrate LGBTIQA+ content into the curriculum

Talk about and include LGBTIQA+ people and issues across the curriculum through:

  • normalising LGBTIQA+ people, same-sex relationships, and gender diversity
  • having positive representations of LGBTIQA+ people – invite role models the students can identify with into the classroom
  • using videos and books that illustrate diversity as both normal and everyday, and also something to be celebrated
  • reading children’s books that break gender-role stereotypes
  • interrogating and deconstructing texts that assume hetereosexuality or gender stereotypes
  • visually showing your support for diverse families by displaying images of diverse relationships on the classroom walls
  • using celebrations such as mother’s and father’s day to talk about diversity and celebrate all forms of relationships
  • modelling values of fairness, empathy, acceptance, kindness, respect, and responsibility to and for all people
  • ensuring that classroom responsibilities are inclusive, gender-balanced and not stereotyped.
  • acknowledging and investigating notable international LGBTQA+ dates and events in your school or classroom.

Source: 10 ways educators can make schools safer for LGBT youth (opens in a new tab/window)

Build under­standing of diversity

Build under­standing of diversity

Provide positive examples of sexuality, gender, and physical diversity.

It is an important and effective way to signal that these forms of diversity are ordinary, natural, and worthy of recognition.

Make your commitment to diversity visible

Make your commitment to diversity visible

Consider how families visiting your school will view your inclusivity.

When we were looking around, we noticed at several schools the counsellors had posters up about same-sex attracted youth, which indicated to us, at an institutional level, that they were not discriminating.

Parent

Useful resources

Useful resources

Website

Expression

"When students are able to show what they know in the way they choose it boosts student engagement and student understanding." A video from UDL supporting diversity in BC schools. Transcript available.

Publisher: CAST

Visit website

Website

Out on the shelves

An online resource that lists books with rainbow themes and characters, with the aim of supporting rainbow young people to find stories that represent their identities in positive and affirming ways. The site provides information about the campaign week for libraries to promote and build their rainbow collections and help connect rainbow young people with their stories and with each other.

Publisher: InsideOUT

Visit website

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InsideOUT: Resources for schools

A range of print and online resources that can be downloaded Digitally or ordered as physical copies

Publisher: InsideOUT

Visit website

Next steps

More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Develop an inclusive classroom and curriculum”:

Return to the guide “Supporting LGBTIQA+ students”

Guide to Index of the guide: LGBTIQA+ students

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