Published June 11, 2021
For educators who want to create LGBTQ-inclusive classrooms, getting started can be confusing--and quite often prompts some fear. What if I say or do the wrong thing? What if there is pushback? And where do I even begin? UnErasing LGBTQ History and Identities: A Podcast for Teachers provides real-world advice and reasonable, practical strategies on how you can create LGBTQ-inclusive classrooms. Thanks for listening!
This History UnErased podcast is funded by the New York City Council Committee on Education. It was developed by History UnErased in partnership with Making Gay History and produced by Deb Fowler; Inge De Taeye; Ali Lemer; and Eric Marcus.
TRANSCRIPT
Deb Fowler: Hello, and welcome to UnErasing LGBTQ History and Identities — A Podcast for Teachers. I’m Deb Fowler, executive director of History UnErased.
Our society has come a long way in terms of LGBTQ visibility and acceptance in the twenty-first century. Our understanding of gender and sexual diversity has grown exponentially. And as we learn, we realize how much more there is to know.
For educators who want to create LGBTQ-inclusive schools and classrooms, that realization can be a source of unease. What if I say or do the wrong thing? And where do I even begin?
In this podcast, K-12 teachers and administrators will share their experiences creating LGBTQ-inclusive learning spaces, and they’ll offer real world insights and practical strategies to guide you.
You’ll hear from Chip James, a former elementary school educator with a private practice serving LGBTQ youth.
Chip James: Acknowledge and understand and never forget that you have LGBTQ kids in every single classroom—every single classroom—and you always will. So it behooves you to get really good at having these discussions.
DF: We'll also hear from curriculum expert Dr. Steven LaBounty-McNair about how even small steps can make a big impact.
Steven LaBounty-McNair: I would encourage anyone who wants to engage in work around LGBTQ inclusivity in their curriculum, in their classrooms, it can change a life. It truly can impact one or more children in a way that can really help them be seen, be heard, and be valued, um, in a way that could really remind us of the power of this work, and that starting small, taking actionable, measurable steps, can really help do that work on a larger scale over time.
DF: And we’ll talk about how the rewards of normalizing, affirming, and celebrating LGBTQ identities in our schools far outweigh the challenges—as you’ll hear in my conversation with Amber Joseph, a New York City middle school history teacher.
Amber Joseph: It's exhausting and it's scary, but it's also really cool, I think, to witness somebody come into themselves, and that's what we do as middle school teachers anyway. Um, that's what we do as teachers across K through 12, and, you know, even at the university level, like, watching someone come into themselves is a powerful thing. And so, you know, what you can do to help that flowering is, is, is, is really what this is about.
DF: So join me for UnErasing LGBTQ History and Identities — A Podcast for Teachers, for conversations that will inform, empower, and inspire.
Thanks for listening.
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