Choosing among dozens of options was perhaps my biggest problem at this year’s third annual equity conference, sponsored by the San Diego County Office of Education.
Held at Mission Valley’s Town and Country Conference Center last month, the event attracted about 1,350 attendees, mostly from San Diego County, and offered countless presentations.
Topics included: how belonging is connected to academic achievement, socially conscious leaders, celebrating Black student culture, psychological safety for students, improving Native American visibility, human-centered leadership, disrupting systemic inequities — and other sessions offering a variety of tools for educators.
“It’s an opportunity to share best practices, highlight what’s working, network and inspire people to keep up their equity efforts,” said Steven Baratte, SDCOE’s communications strategist.
I was only able to attend one day of the conference, so I narrowed down the early morning sessions to two. Since the session titled “It Begins and Ends with the Leader” was full, I attended “Best Practices for Implementing Effective Gender Support Plans in Educational Communities” — which turned out to be a great choice and was loaded with valuable information.
“In today’s diverse educational landscape, fostering an inclusive environment that supports students of all genders is paramount,” read the description.
Policies, procedures and guidelines were discussed, with an emphasis on gender-affirming practices, including privacy and safety concerns, for LGBTQ students.
Led by Tonya Moore, a veteran educator with the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the session focused on the positive impact a Gender Support Plan can have “on student well-being, academic performance and overall school climate.”
Developing a Gender Support Plan is crucial, Moore said, and must ensure student privacy. She said this right to privacy is grounded in California and federal anti-discrimination laws. For instance, the level of parent involvement is determined by the student. If the student objects, don’t share.
Despite anti-transgender policies passed by school boards, which is occurring in a number of California school districts, she predicted that these policies would not stand, saying districts violating the laws are losing in the courts.
Nevertheless, Moore advised educators to follow their districts’ bylaws and policies, even if the policies are anti-trans, until such policies are reversed or successfully legally challenged.
“Other states look to us to lead the way,” because California has the strongest laws in the country supporting LGBTQ students, Moore said, noting that 10.3% of California students, according to the state’s 2017 Healthy Kids Survey, identify as LGBTQ.
She introduced what for many was a new acronym: SOGIE, which stands for sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (how individuals present themselves) — and said educators need to understand each of the three components.
Gender fluidity “should not be thought of as a problem,” said Moore, emphasizing that a special education designation is not appropriate just because a student is transgender. She said that is not a disability.
Why This Matters
The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998 focused on suicide prevention of gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning youth.
According to The Trevor Project, LGBTQ young people are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity but rather placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society.
The Trevor Project’s 2023 national survey on the mental health of LGBTQ young people ages 13 to 24 describes the experiences of more than 28,000 LGBTQ individuals across the country.
The survey reveals alarming statistics:
- About 41% of LGBTQ young people seriously considered suicide in the past year.
- About 56% of LGBTQ young people who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.
- Only 38% of LGBTQ young people found their home to be supportive.
- Roughly half of transgender and nonbinary young people found their school to be gender-affirming, and those who did reported lower rates of attempted suicide.
- A majority of LGBTQ young people reported being verbally harassed at school.
- Nearly one-third of LGBTQ young people said their mental health was poor most of the time or always due to anti-LGBTQ policies and legislation.
- Nearly two-thirds of LGBTQ young people said that hearing about potential state or local laws banning people from discussing LGBTQ people at school made their mental health worse.
Supporting LGBTQ Students
Tonya Moore has played a pivotal role in organizing professional development for educators on sensitive topics aligned with California Education Code, including the California Healthy Youth Act and LGBTQ inclusive practices.
The CHYA’s purpose, as explained by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond in a letter dated Dec. 10, 2020, is “to provide every student with the knowledge and skills necessary to protect their sexual and reproductive health from unintended pregnancy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and sexually transmitted infections (STIs).”
The letter was sent state-wide to all county and district superintendents and high school principals.
Moore is heavily involved as a coordinator in a statewide project called PRISM which stands for: Providing Relevant, Inclusive Support that Matters, for LGBTQ students.
She said state law requires districts to provide professional development for school personnel on cultural competency, and PRISM’s course work provides LGBTQ-related training.
PRISM has completed three of six courses, with more to come, for California educators that will be free and accessible to all next year, she said. These are:
- LGBTQ+ 101 and Intersectional Identities
- The History and Humanity of LGBTQ+ Individuals
- Anti-Bullying, Harassment and Resiliency (including GSPs)
- Strategies to Provide Safe and Supportive Spaces for LGBTQ+ Students (affinity clubs and peer organizations)
- Suicide Risk Factors, Warnings Signs and Prevention
- Inclusive Pedagogy and Facilitation
The California Department of Education has a number of other resources designed to support LGBTQ students.
Sample Plan
The San Diego County Office of Education refers interested districts to Gender Spectrum for a sample Gender Support Plan.
Gender Spectrum’s PDF version of its GSP offers tools and a video on how to use the plan and includes sections on parent/guardian involvement, privacy, confidentiality and disclosure, student safety, names, records, facility use, extracurricular activities and a GSP review plan.
Moore emphasized that each student’s GSP should be kept under lock and key and should never be placed in the curriculum file which is public.
For official school documents, such as an Individualized Education Plan which is a legal contract between the student and the school, the student’s legal name must be used.
However, most printed material at schools is unofficial, so a student’s chosen name and pronouns can be used, if so desired. Examples, she cited, include yearbook, diplomas, awards, school pictures, photo captions, credits, bylines and any other school-generated material.
Responding to questions about how to handle parents and outsiders opposed to transgender rights, Moore said, “I’m focused on the moveable middle,” referring to those either unaware or open to greater understanding of the reality of transgender concerns.
Her emphasis was on how to help schools support their LGBTQ students who are vulnerable and at risk.
“I want to teach you all to be that safe person on campus,” she said to attendees, with a plea for educators to open their hearts to LGBTQ students and be their ally.
Opinion columnist and education writer Marsha Sutton can be reached at suttonmarsha@gmail.com.