Trans-Inclusive Education: a guide for teachers and advisors: Sample policies

The Massachusetts Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth is established by law as an independent agency of the Commonwealth to recommend to all branches of state government effective policies, programs, and resources for LGBTQ youth to thrive. Per its legislative authority, the Commission works closely with the agencies to which it issues non-binding recommendations to receive their input and assist them in achieving the goals that the Commission has set. The Commission was originally founded as the Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth in 1992 in response to high suicide rates among gay and lesbian young people, and was reestablished by the legislature as an independent agency in 2006 (Act of Jul. 1, 2006, Ch. 139 §4, codified in Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 3 §67). Thirty-one years after the creation of the original Governor’s Commission, it remains the first and only such commission in the country dedicated to uplifting LGBTQ youth voices in state government.

Creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment for everyone is essential for the mental and physical wellbeing of trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming students. This is mandated by law, and should be the concern of all educators dedicated to the health and safety of their students. Protecting your trans students from bullying and harassment by their peers is a central component of the constitutional right of all students to a fair and equal education. TYEF urges you to respect the names, pronouns, and identities of your trans students. You can do this by listening, believing trans students when they open up to you about their identity and experiences, creating an education centered around diversity and inclusivity, and reading our detailed guides and resources below. Thank you, teachers, for all that you do.

This 15 page document by Trans Student Educational Resources is a comprehensive model of the kinds of trans-inclusive policies schools might enact. The authors offer suggestions for all aspects of student life from athletics, to insurance, to documentation. This source was written with the help of trans students and is valuable in that in reflects the needs of the trans community in their own words. The document offers clear and concrete proposals for policy, including sample language. This is an invaluable source for those hoping to create trans-inclusive policy at their institution. The guide is geared at four year colleges and universities but is applicable for a boarding high school environment.

Findings from the GLSEN 2021 National School Climate Survey demonstrate that Massachusetts schools were not safe for most LGBTQ+ secondary school students.