Queer Justice at School

Much change is needed to make school communities more affirming and inclusive of gender and sexual diversity. This timely book is written for secondary students and their adult allies who are working to make schools more supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual people and families. Grounded in scholarship, the text offers information, ideas, guidelines, inspiration, and resources to support grassroots efforts to envision and build more just and liberatory school communities. The author shares case studies of youth activism and profiles of these LGBTQIA+ activists to show what is possible when young people take action to improve their communities. Meyer explicitly acknowledges the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community and discusses working in coalitions to address related forms of injustice, including racism and white supremacy, ableism, colonialism, classism, as well as biases around religion, immigration status, language, and culture. This hands-on guide is readable and accessible for use in extracurricular clubs or as classroom assignments in grades 6–12.

Book Features:

• Written in a language appropriate for students and adults working together in student clubs like GSAs or after-school community centers.
• Provides figures and activities that can be used to guide action planning.
• Demonstrates that some of the best change happens when it is led by youth.
• Moves away from the dominant discourse that focuses on harm reduction, risk narratives, and reducing bullying and harassment.
• Includes a chapter that discusses relevant laws and policies.
• Offers a companion website that provides updated links and resources for readers.

Elizabeth J. Meyer is a professor and program chair in educational foundations, policy and practice at the University of Colorado at Boulder, a former high school teacher, and author of Gender, Bullying, and Harassment: Strategies to End Sexism and Homophobia in Schools.

“In this moment of unprecedented attacks on queer and trans students and educators, Queer Justice at School could not be more timely. Elizabeth Meyer skillfully walks us through exactly what’s needed by any of us—youth, teachers, allies—to engage in advocacy with more impact and confidence: accessible explanations of terminology and the law; talking points that help convey what’s going wrong in schools; lessons learned from advocacy past and present; and countless examples of meaningful actions that we can take in and out of schools that push us to broaden what we think it means to advance justice. Every school needs advocates using this guidebook!”
—Kevin Kumashiro, scholar, educator, leader, advocate, and author of Surrendered: Why Progressives are Losing the Biggest Battles in Education