SOGIIAC: An Advisory Committee of the CTA Board of Directors
CTA Standing Rule 8-16 The Board advisory committee on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, intersex, asexual/ally, pansexual, etc., (LGBTQ+) issues will review, comment on and make specific recommendations to the CTA Board of Directors on matters related to sexual orientation and gender identification. (Adopted March 2000, Amended May 2002, March 2016)
- Composition. The committee will consist of eleven (11) members. The CTA Board shall make every effort to designate co-chairpersons of diverse gender identities. (Adopted March 2000, Amended June 2009, March 2016)
- Nomination and Appointment. The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer+ Caucus shall make up to four (4) nominations to fill vacancies on the Committee from among its members. Nominations will be forwarded to the CTA President for further recommendation to the Board. The Board shall make the final appointments, with terms expiring on June 25 of each year. (Adopted February 2018)
Co-Chair: Elise Sotello
Co-Chair: Paul Tschida
Melanie Bean
Reynaldo Dulaney, Jr.
Lydia Dziubanek
Brian Garcia
Michelle Hilario
Joel Laguna
Jonathan Oyaga
Phillip Pandy
Elise Sotello
Paul Tschida
Skye Tooley
CTA Board Liaison – Angela Normand
Educators set the tone in their classrooms and influence the climate throughout a school—the hallways, gyms, cafeterias, and study halls. Many LGBT youth are fittingly afraid to come out at school because they fear bullying, physical assaults, and more. Make your classroom safe and inclusive for all student. Respond to bullying and name–calling.
Respect students gender identity and pronoun, orientation, and chosen name. Know the LGBTQ+ supportive laws, and ensure your administration/ district adheres to them. Never “out” any LGBTQ+ person, because that is not your story to tell. As for “outing” students, not only is it against the law but you could also put them danger. Consider ways to include LGBT issues and themes in your curriculum.
Partial source Human Rights Campaign NOCD-Youth Report
64% of high school youth are out at school
40% are out to teachers
54% of middle school youth are out at school
26% are out to teachers
- Why many don’t come out?
- 7% Teachers and/or school too conservative
- 31% They feel they will be treated differently or judged
- 9% Afraid of Bullying
- 26% It’s none of anyone’s business
**Source Human Rights Campaign Studies
1978
CTA opposes Prop 6 (Briggs Initiative); would have banned gays and lesbians and possibly anyone supporting gay rights from working in California public schools.
1987
CTA GLBT Caucus forms. Pre 1992 CTA Gay and Lesbian Task Force forms.
1992
CTA establishes Gay and Lesbian Issues Advisory Committee (GLIAC).
1994
GLIAC is approved as a Board Advisory Committee.
1996
CTA creates policy to support the right of all consenting adults to marry whom they choose.
1997
“Breaking the Silence” is part of the CTA/NEA High Risk Program.
1998
CTA includes Legal Protection for Gay and Lesbian Employees pamphlet in new teachers’ materials.
1999
CTA establishes the Transgender Issues Task Force.
2000
CTA opposes the firing of transgender Bay Area teacher Dana Rivers.
CTA opposes Prop. 22, Knight initiative.
Supports AB 537; California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000.
2001
CTA offers Gay/Lesbian Leadership Development Program.
GLIAC integrates Bisexual and includes Transgender Issues and is now known as GLBTIAC.
2009
First GLBTIAC Conference.
Supported SB 572; established Harvey Milk Day.
CTA establishes the Guy de Rosa Safety in Schools scholarship program.
2011
CTA “Educator” magazine highlighted GSAs.
March issue of CTA “Educator” dedicated to “bullying”.
2012
CTA “Educator” spotlights SB 48.
Supports SB 48; The FAIR Education Act to amend education code to require schools to integrate factual information about social movement, current events, and history of people with disabilities and LGBT people into existing curriculum. Also prevents State Board of Education from adopting instructional material that discriminates.
2013
June 26, the Supreme Court upheld the overturning of CA’s proposition 8.
Openly gay Joe Nuñez is appointed the first Latino Executive Director of CTA.
Governor Brown signed CTA supported law, AB 1266, allowing transgender students in Public Schools to participate fully in all school activities, sports teams and programs that match their gender identity. The law allows transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms of their gender identity.
2015
CTA elects openly gay President Eric Heins.
The CTA board votes to change the name of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Issues Advisory Committee (GLBTIAC) to the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues Advisory Committee (SOGIIAC).
California Healthy Youth Act requires middle and high schools to teach “medically accurate” comprehensive sexual health education.
2017
The State Board of Education unanimously approved a framework to begin implementing these provisions of the FAIR Education Act in history and social science curricula.
CTA “Educator” highlights gender diversity in article “Embracing the Gender Spectrum.”
2018
CTA supported AB 2291 requiring the California Department of Education to establish guidelines to prevent bullying and disseminate online training modules to local educators.
CTA supported AB 2639, co-authored by Assemblymen Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) and Patrick O’Donnell (D-Long Beach), requires the state’s public schools must review and update their suicide prevention policies annually.
2019
Impact California, California’s new LGBTQ inclusive Social Studies books are being used in California Public Schools.
Forced Outing Policies in Our Schools
Our union has taken a strong stance against the policies forcing the outing of LGBTQ+ students without their consent, as adopted by some school districts in California. These policies violate case law and the guidance by the California Department of Education, causing harm not only to students but also affecting parents, guardians, families, and school staff by eroding trust.
Visit our Justice and Safe Schools for LGBTQ+ Students page to learn more about what to do when hate comes to your school.
A History of Pride
On June 28, 1969, history was made in a bar in Greenwich Village, New York called the Stonewall Inn! Many credit Marsha P. Johnson, a black transgender woman, for throwing the first brick that instigated the riot that night.
One year later a group assembled, despite the risk of physical dangers, and the potential of arrest, to defiantly march! This is recognized as the 1st PRIDE Parade!!
Pride parades are now celebrated in many cities, around the world, by millions of people. Over the decades, “celebrations” have grown to include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, spread out over June, the designated LGBT Pride Month. To many, pride marches have also become commodified by corporations, that slap a rainbow on every product and donate to LGBTQ+ causes.
Pride is not just a party. We should celebrate our communities and the progress we’ve made, but also continue the movement towards full equity and equality for LGBTQ+ people worldwide.
