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1 Running Head: Inclusion of LGBTQIA students

ADVOCACY PAPER EXAMPLE

2 Running Head: Inclusion of LGBTQIA students To my families in the third-grade classroom, I want to first start by saying that I am an early childhood educator who believes in integrating different cultures, races, religions, identities’, groups, etc. into my classroom. I know that as a parent, you will go through many issues with your child feeling excluded and misunderstood. The biggest thing is to listen to them and to understand where they are coming from before jumping to conclusions. Putting aside your beliefs is one of the most challenging parts of being a teacher, but also the most rewarding because when you do this, you give yourself and others an opportunity to express new thoughts that may help you grow as a person. We all want to be heard and feel needed and wanted, so in my classroom that is my goal: to make every student feeling included and wanted to belong into our “family”. When I say this, I truly mean that I want my classroom to be a family. Yes, families fight and argue, but they also love and support each other no matter what.

I want a classroom full of support and respect for one another. With that being said, the topic of including students who identify as in the LGBTQIA group, has become very relevant in our society today. I understand that this may be an uncomfortable topic to speak of, however it is one that deserves to be talked about. In this paper, I will be advocating for a more inclusive classroom when dealing with students who identify as LGBTQIA. I want to make it clear that I fully support each and every single one of your children, and the reason I am advocating for this topic is because I want to make my students feel comfortable around their peers and myself as their teacher. I have been doing a lot of research to get a better understanding of this topic and how to integrate students amongst this group into the classroom without creating an issue. I will do my best to advocate for these students until everyone in my classroom family is treated fairly.

3 Running Head: Inclusion of LGBTQIA students As a future teacher, one of the most important aspects of being a good teacher in my opinion is including every student into the classroom. No matter what race, religion, group, etc. my students come from, I believe that we are all humans and deserve to be included and respected. Even though it may be difficult in the world to “fit in”, I want my students to know that my classroom is a safe place to be whoever they want to be, no questions asked. In this paper, I will be addressing the LGBTQIA community and making the classroom a safe place for every individual. The only way for students to learn at their full potential is when they are confident and comfortable, and that begins with me. Setting rules and making my curriculum based off of all different cultures/groups is just one way to start a revolution for all “minority” students. The National School Climate Survey (NSCS) conducted by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN; Kosciw et al., 2016) reports that though progress has been made since the survey was first administered in 1999, LGBTQ students still frequently hear homophobic remarks and negative comments about gender expression, hear homophobic remarks from school staff, feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, have been verbally harassed at school, have been physically harassed, and have been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation or gender expression (Page). This is just one fact that these students are feeling unsafe because of their sexuality which is unfair and creates a serious problem when trying to progress in school. The psychology behind it becomes very evident when the student stops going to school because they are afraid of what they will go through daily. Negative school environments not only affect students’ health and well-being but also adversely affect LGBT students’ academic achievement and goals, leading, for example, to higher absenteeism, lower grade point averages, and lower educational aspirations (Kosciw et al.,

4 Running Head: Inclusion of LGBTQIA students 2016; Wimberly, Wilkinson, & Pearson, 2015). For example, “the reported grade point average (GPA) for students who had higher levels of victimization based on their sexual orientation or gender expression was significantly lower than for students who experienced less harassment and assault (2.9 vs. 3.3)” (Kosciw et al., 2016, p. 45) and LGBTQ students who were more frequently victimized based on sexual orientation or gender expression “were twice as likely to report that they did not plan to pursue postsecondary education (Page). These statistics are striking and need to be addressed immediately. These statistics are just a few examples of how wrong this group is being treated. Clearly in society, especially in schools, there needs to be a change. No student deserves to feel unsafe in their classroom, and that is why I am advocating to acknowledge students and parents in the LGBTQIA community and to create a safe place for them to freely learn without being criticized for their identity/sexuality.

Incorporating students who identify as such is important as a teacher, especially as an early childhood education teacher. There are several examples of students who try to come out and talk about their gender and how they feel, but they are not always heard nor understood. There have been several children struggling to feel included because of their sexuality/gender identity. At a young age, it is challenging for most everyone to go through puberty, so imagine going through stages in life that just don’t feel right for you and having to suppress your feelings, so you don’t get judged. Millions of children suffer from feeling like they have to keep this a secret, and I am advocating that students in all areas should be included no matter what, especially in the LGBTQIA community. A feeling of belonging is critical to every child and family’s well-being. The drive to form relationships with others begins in infancy and continues throughout early childhood. These relationships help children fulfill their potential in all areas of development—physical, social, emotional, and cognitive. Quality early childhood programs can

5 Running Head: Inclusion of LGBTQIA students expand children’s experiences of forming relationships when the culture and core curriculum make partnering with families and communities’ central themes (Creating).

Throughout my research, I was able to meet a special guest who talks about including students in the LGBTQIA in the classroom appropriately. His name is Eric D’ Ambrogi, and he is truly an inspirational speaker. He gave us the chance to talk openly about the uncomfortable topic and gave us several ways to help make ourselves more aware of how we as future teachers need to understand and include these students no matter what our beliefs are. It can be a challenge to understand what someone is going through, especially when you have never experienced anything like it before, but that is where us being teachers comes into play. Bringing him in to speak to children/young adults would be an absolute pleasure and I think it would be beneficial for everyone.

Going along with ways to create an inclusive classroom for LGBTQIA students, a website by “The Edvocate” states many strategies to help benefit our students without singling anyone out. One strategy that stood out to me that I never thought of was to make sure you highlight the accomplishments of LGBT people in the areas of science, literature, and the arts in your lessons. For example, Bayard Rustin, an openly gay man, was one of the primary architects of the Civil Rights movement. He organized the famous “March on Washington” (LGBT). This strategy is one that may encourage students who are struggling with their identity to feel more included and give them opportunities to speak freely. There is also another website giving ways for parents and teachers to make sure they are giving children an opportunity to express themselves. Making sure to create an environment with different props, dress-up materials, etc. is a great way to give any student a chance to try things out on their own without asking (Creating).

6 Running Head: Inclusion of LGBTQIA students Another strategy would be that Early childhood programs can partner with parents to create a safe and nurturing environment for children. Safe environments ensure equality, respect, and dignity for parents and staff members, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or gender expression (Creating). Partnering with parents is a great way to keep strong communication in and out of the classroom. It is known that the more the parent is involved, the easier it is to fix and solve issues. I think that partnering with parents may be just as important as communicating with students. When parents are aware of the things their child is growing through and going through, the become easier to talk to and can actually help their child become confident in themselves. This all sounds great, but there are definitely parents who do not see past their own beliefs, which can cause issues with their child. I found a website that offers parental guidance tips for the LGBTQIA community. For example, prepare in advance a response to use if you hear adults saying insensitive things. You could say, “It seems you are uncomfortable with having a family with parents who identify as LGBT in our program. Our goal is to maintain the dignity and safety of all our children and families” (Creating).

This website also talks about parents who are in the LGBTQIA community, which children face often. As a teacher, we get thrown several questions daily, but a question that may be more relevant in society is about parents/children in the LGBTQIA community. Children may see their friends having two moms or two dads, which is abnormal according to them, this is where we as a community must become aware how to explain these situations to our children/students. Some examples may be questions such as, “Why does my friend have two moms?” You could say, “She has two moms who love each other and who love and take care of her, just like your grandma takes care of you.” They might ask, “Where is Isaac’s mom?” (pointing at Isaac’s two dads).” You could say, “Isaac has two dads instead of a mom and a dad.

7 Running Head: Inclusion of LGBTQIA students That’s who is in his family. A family can be made up of many different people.” Keep your answers simple and straightforward (Creating). This is a perfect way to help answer a child’s question who is struggling to understand why their friend’s family is different than theirs but giving a positive answer and reassuring your child that this is normal and acceptable is key. When children are exposed to things at an early age, they become “used to them”. What I mean by this is that they grow up knowing and believing what their closest peers’/family members believe in. So, instead of shielding children from the outside world, making them aware of the fact that their friends may have different parents or identify as a girl/boy but they “look like a boy/girl” is helpful to everyone. Being aware that your child will be involved in a classroom that has all different types of students is something every parent should take and create a better understanding with them. All together we can make a difference. Training for teachers about the LGBTQIA community and creating strategies to include students from this group is one way that we can begin to make a difference.

8 Running Head: Inclusion of LGBTQIA students

Works Cited Creating a Welcoming Early Childhood Program for LGBT-Headed Families: Partnering with Parents Who Identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and/or Transgender. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2018, from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/lgbt-partnering.pdf

Creating a Welcoming Early Childhood Program for LGBT-Headed Families: A Checklist for Programs. (n.d.). Retrieved December 16, 2018, from https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/lgbt-checklist-for-programs.pdf

Page, M. L. (2017). From Awareness to Action: Teacher Attitude and Implementation of LGBT-Inclusive Curriculum in the English Language Arts Classroom. SAGE Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244017739949

(2016, July 26). 6 Strategies for Creating a Nurturing Classroom for Your LGBT Students. Retrieved from https://www.theedadvocate.org/6-strategies-creating-nurturingclassroom-lgbt-students-2/

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