Safe Spaces


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Talking Points

  • LGBT people are absent from the curriculum.   

  • Children should learn that families come in different forms in order for LGBT students to feel represented, through literature, history and the idea that civil rights are not just a struggle of the past but that is happening in the now. LGBT students need to be able to see themselves in the curriculum in order to become academically and socially connected in the classroom.

  • Similar to Delpit, good intentions are not good enough; and like Color Insight you cannot pretend that everyone is the same, instead we need to create insight into the experiences of LGBT people (students and families) as we should with race. “Creating safe spaces for all students means not ignoring or erasing the experiences of LGBT people in K-12 and higher education curricula” (Vaccaro, August, & Kennedy, p. 88).

 Related image 

Argument Statement(s)

“LGBT students need advocacy and protection, not neutrality” (Vaccaro et al., p. 84).

“Across all disciplines and grade levels, integration and interpretation of LGBT experiences and contributions can transform our classrooms into safe spaces” (Vaccaro et al., p.90).

“First, educators must ensure that the curriculum includes the perspectives, experiences, and history of LGBT people. Second, educators must ensure that communication inside the classroom walls validates the LGBT experience” (Vaccaro et al., 98).

Stop following the status quo/the path of least resistance.

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