By Amy Moran, Ph.D. and Kate Okeson
The LGBTQIA+ representation at the NJEA Convention made us PROUD! For starters, the first annual SOGI [Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Committee] hosted cocktail hour was a huge success. It was widely attended by members, and the delicious drinks, hors d’oeuvres and conversations were flowing. Likewise, ideas were flowing within and beyond. Likewise, the ideas were flowing within and beyond the walls of several must-attend workshops.
“Planning for Change: LGBTQ-Inclusive Lesson Design” was a facilitated discussion for educators seeking sustainable methods and support being intentionally LGBTQIA+ inclusive in their course materials and lessons. Kate Okeson shared ways to formalize inclusive approaches through updated syllabi, curriculum documents, and course documents. There was an emphasis on connecting the mandates to real-world applications for students and finding authentic solutions that address inclusive educational mandates.
In “LGBTQ+ Issues and Content in the History Classroom,” Steve Koumoulis emphasized how critical it is for history students to understand that they are part of the story. Truly authentic learning happens in myriad ways, including through storytelling that centers intersectional perspectives about lived experiences. This allows students to understand there were and are people like them in this world, making history feel relevant and affirming for their identities.
In “Creating Safer Spaces for LGBTQ+ Youth,” Tazmine Weisgerber echoed Steve, emphasizing that when examining our bulletin boards, discussion questions, photos, videos, cultural references, assignments, and everything else, we must ask, “Who is being seen here?” and “Who is missing from this conversation?” and then work together to fill in the blanks.
In “Healthy Teen Sexuality in 2022,” Erica Smith shared that New Jersey was the first to require sex education in 1980, noting the sex education landscape has evolved tremendously ever since. Currently, the U.S. has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates (age 12-19) of other comparable countries because of policies that push an ineffective abstinence-only approach. Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data (2019) indicate that 38.4% of U.S. high school students are sexually active (down from previous decades), with teen pregnancy dropping, especially in states where long-acting birth control and abortion access are readily available.
While YRBS data centers on unwanted sexual health outcomes, there are other vital concerns such as consent, desire and pleasure, affirmation about sexual orientation and gender, and whether a relationship is healthy. Teens want to know about things like healthy relationships, pleasure, intimacy, communication, boundaries, LGBTQIA+ identities, saying “no” and accepting “no,” confidence, responding to new situations, in addition to what sexual health support measures to use. Also, educators must acknowledge and support LGBTQIA+ youth who are coming out at younger ages, have more LGBTQIA+ public figures and increased representation in media, may attend GSAs and queer proms, and be using ever-evolving terminology to describe queer teen sexualities.
Finally, in a historic convention first, drag queens Astala Vista and Vinchelle hosted “LGBTQIA+ Banned Books – Drag Queen Story Hour” to answer questions from the audience, take photos, in all their dazzling iridescence, with NJEA members, and to read And Tango Makes Three, Prince and Knight, and I Am Jazz. These wonderful books had been banned in various U.S. communities for what these glorious queens could only assume is their acceptance and affirmation of characters of all kinds, including those who identify as LGBTQIA+. Read-alouds of queer-affirming children’s books helps kids who are beginning to understand themselves as LGBTQIA+ to see positive representations and drag read-alouds model that extra unabashed pride that we can all be our unique and wonderful selves.
Want to share your ideas? Email rainbowconnectionNJEA@gmail.com.