GSAs can agree: all youth should have the same opportunity to go to school and get an education. But many school policies and practices take that opportunity away from certain groups of youth simply because of who they are. Transgender youth of color are often singled out for excessive discipline by their schools, pushed out of school, and denied the opportunity to stay in class and learn.
The School Success and Opportunity Act, a recent California law, gives important guidance to schools so that they can work with students on a case-by-case basis to ensure everyone has the opportunity to do well in school and graduate. Although limited to California, the law's guidelines come from best practices that have been in place in districts across the country for years. Other states, like Massachussetts and Colorado, have issued similar guidelines that ensure youth can participate in school as themselves and use facilities that match their gender identity.
No matter what state or district you're in, you can ask your school board to pass a policy supporting transgender youth.
Through our GSA Network Unite! campaign tool, you can launch a petition telling your district to support all students. The petition's already created for you -- you just need to fill in the details about yourself and your district. Get started on your Support All Students campaign today!
Looking for a model policy to share with your district? Check out the California School Board Association's model policy on the Support All Students website: http://www.supportallstudents.org/resources.
GSA Network’s Beyond the Binary Campaign focuses on making your school safe for transgender and gender non-conforming youth. Get the tools to help your GSA raise awareness regarding gender identity and expression. Learn how to educate students and staff about gender non-conformity and transgender issues. Fight for policies at your school that provide strong protections for transgender and gender non-conforming youth.
This guide has tons of ideas for different campaigns you can run to challenge the gender binary system in your school!
Raise awareness around issues faced by transgender youth within your GSA and make your GSA more inclusive for all youth.