Safe Spaces: Making Schools and Communities Welcoming to LGBT Youth

 Safe Spaces written by Annemarie Vaccaro, Gerri August, and Megan S. Kennedy

           Annemarie et all argue that LGBTQ's  inclusion into the curriculum of all school systems is crucial in creating a safe space for all students. They bring to light the importance of educating and integrating students of other lifestyles to in turn prevent bullying due to another students ignorance. As educators we should all strive to make every student feel absolutely comfortable in their classroom environments in order for each individual to have the right tools to succeed. I personally feel as though this topic is a difficult conversation for many but most definitely is a necessary one. For my service learning project there is a student in my class who is transgender and identifies themselves as a male. Before starting my project, I had visited the class to talk with the teacher about her expectations from me in the classroom and learn a little bit more about the kids. She explained to me how the student prefers a different name than the one presented on the roster. Immediately I made note of that in order for the student to feel comfortable when going through attendance. I had connected with a few of the students and had a chance to learn more about them. I did also have a conversation with the male student in particular and had a moment when I referred to him as "she". I felt embarrassed and upset that I may have offended him, even though I specifically made an effort to not make that mistake. I quickly corrected myself and he gave me the "it's okay look". He completely understood and shrugged it off. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that it was clear that the classroom accepted him. There was complete inclusion in conversation and there were no negative comments which was great. It's nice to know that with all the negativity and hate around this topic that we hear of so often, that there are communities where we see progress amongst the students and faculty. Going forward I absolutely will make the conscious effort to respect him and his identity.