How can schools be more supportive of LGBTQIA+ students and their families?
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DESCRIPTION
Learn to build school communities that are more affirming and inclusive of gender and sexual diversity.
Much change is needed to bring about schools that are more supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual people, and their families. For secondary students and their adult allies who are engaged in this work, Queer Justice at School: A Guide for Youth Activists, Allies, and Their Teachers (Teachers College Press, 2025) is an accessible, youth-friendly guide with information, ideas, guidelines, inspiration, and resources to support grassroots efforts to envision and build more just and liberatory school communities. Queer Justice at School shares case studies and profiles of LGBTQIA+ activists, and is appropriate for use in extracurricular clubs (such as GSAs or after-school community centers), or as a source for classroom assignments, grades 6–12. In moving away from dominant discourse that focuses on harm reduction, risk narratives, bullying, and harassment, the book demonstrates that some of the best change happens when it is led by youth.
This Pride Month, join author Elizabeth J. Meyer (she/her) for a free webinar highlighting the book and the research project behind it, as well as Meyer's own experiences as a classroom teacher. She will be joined in conversation by Rebecca Kaplan (she/her), a public school librarian and GSA sponsor, and Lee Airton (they/them), associate professor of gender and sexuality studies in education at Queen's University, Ontario.
This webinar is for teachers, youth organizers, and students (grades 6–12); community activists and librarians; teacher educators in areas including secondary education, LGBTQ+ studies, social justice, educational leadership, gender, culture, and society, youth culture, multicultural education, or education and the law; and all other stakeholders invested in bringing about queer justice in their schools and communities.
Sponsored by Teachers College Press, publisher of Queer Justice at School.
FAQ
What does the webinar cost?
This webinar is free of charge. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to order the book at an exclusive, one-time discount.
Will this webinar be recorded?
Yes, and the recording will be distributed to all registrants a few days after the webinar. That's why we recommend registering even if you aren't sure you can make this date or time.
Do you offer professional development certificates?
Sorry, we don’t issue professional development certificates for Teachers College Press webinars, though those who attend the webinar live will receive an email from Zoom confirming their attendance. The email will arrive 24 hours after the completion of the webinar.
Will there be a Q&A?
Yes—you will have an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the webinar.
REGISTRATION
To register for this free webinar, click here ⎋ (registration form will open in a new window) or use the button below.
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ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Elizabeth J. Meyer (she/her) 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.
Rebecca Kaplan, PhD (she/her) is a public school librarian and GSA sponsor. She has led professional development for educators focused on supporting LGBTQ+ students in the classroom and including LGBTQ+ representation in curriculum. Becca leads book clubs for educators and students and is passionate specifically about queer young adult fiction. She is also an education researcher with a doctorate in Learning Sciences whose work centers on supporting teachers to adopt stances that work toward more just education spaces for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC students. She was a participant in Dr. Meyer's study and is thrilled to have her new book to support current and future GSAs.
Lee Airton (they/them) is an associate professor of gender and sexuality studies in education at Queen's University, Ontario.
