by Amy Moran, Ph. D.
On the line in this past election was the possibility of increased access to critical literacies versus book bans, civil rights for all versus legislation that limits civil rights for LGBTQIA+ people, and more.
But weeks before, on Oct. 21, 2024, during LGBT History Month, a brilliant conference, Making History Visible, was held in Red Bank. It was hosted by Make It Better 4 Youth (MIB4Y), the Monmouth County Consortium for LGBTQ Youth, in concert with the NJEA Consortium, which seeks to infuse historically marginalized identities into K-12 teaching and learning. The focus of the day was communicating new and wonderful ways to infuse relevant LGBTQIA+ histories and histories of people with disabilities into classroom curricular content.
LGBTQIA+ inclusion
The first half of the day centered LGBTQIA+ inclusion, with special guest Kate Okeson, executive director of the New Jersey Advisory Commission on Advancing LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools (and former co-author of Rainbow Connection). She was on hand to warmly welcome presenters and participants with opening remarks.
Eric Marcus delivered the keynote address. Marcus is a journalist, podcast producer and oral historian whose 1992 and 2002 books about queer history led him to co-create Making Gay History, a nonprofit organization that addresses the absence of substantive, in-depth LGBTQ+-inclusive American history from the public discourse and the classroom.
Presenters Jennifer Musial and Anna Tracschler also gave a talk about building the Hudson County LGBTQ Oral History Archive. Attendees were excited about teaching oral history techniques to students in their local districts.
Disability history as empowerment
The afternoon centered on disabilities studies and ways of including the rich contributions of people with disabilities throughout history. Rich Cairn’s presentation, Disability History as Empowerment, through the New Jersey Equity Commission encouraged educators to focus on the agency of disabled people and providing multiple forms of accessibility (access to physical, pedagogical and narrative spheres) for all students.
Presenter Shelby Glass described co-creating a mobility mural that depicts the paths taken by sight-impaired people, offering methods for using art as a communicative tool to inform everyone about the lived experiences of those using Braille, canes and seeing-eye dogs.
When it comes to questions about whether this inclusion work is relevant or timely, MSNBC journalist Stephanie Ruhle recently asked a nonbinary Rutgers student what questions they would ask Vice President Harris.
“How soon do you think we can get the Equality Act passed?” they responded.
The Equality Act, which passed the House in 2021, is an amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity.
However, when Ruhle asked what they would ask then candidate Trump, their question was markedly different.
“Do you see me as a human?” they responded.
Startled by the sorrow in the sentiment, Ruhle needed a full 15 seconds to collect herself, responding to the student with a catch in her throat, “I am so sorry,” suddenly understanding how grave the outcome of this election will be for so many.
When we work to make histories visible, we will be including facts from this historic time about whether and how we helped bend the arc of our moral universe toward justice for the most vulnerable people in our schools and society.
Please share the ways you help make LGBTQIA+ histories visible where you work at rainbowconnectionNJEA@gmail.com.
Amy Moran, Ph.D. is an out queer educator, leader and activist working to make education affirming and inclusive for all of their students and colleagues. Moran has taught middle school for 30 years and was a high school GSA adviser for 16 years.