Educators shared the following tips and best practices for creating safe and inclusive spaces at school:

• Know the rights guaranteed by the FAIR Education Act and state Education Code 233.5 (see sidebars).
• Be familiar with Seth’s Law (Education Code 234-234.5) and other laws in place to protect students who are LGBTQ+.
• Prominently display rainbows and Pride flags in classrooms and on campus.
• Include people who are LGBTQ+ in your lessons and curriculum.
• Follow the California History-Social Science Framework, which includes LGBTQ+ History and LGBTQ+ Americans specifically in second, fourth, fifth, eighth, 11th and 12th-grade history curriculum.
• Say your pronouns when you introduce yourself to a student or the class.
• Recognize students’ preferred names and use them in class.
• Always advocate for better inclusion policies at your school.
• Negotiate binary language out of your collective bargaining agreement.
• Request a training from the CTA Human Rights Cadre.
• Request a School Board Proclamation for Pride Month and a ceremony to raise the Pride flag.
• During the district’s textbook adoption process, make sure the materials comply with the FAIR Act.
• When your local association interviews school board candidates for potential endorsement, ask how they will support students and staff who are LGBTQ+.
• Make sure your class and school library have LGBTQ+ books. Stonewall Book Award winners and the California Department of Education are a good place to start.
• Ask yourself “If any student walked into my classroom, would they see themselves in it?”
• Apply for a CTA LGBTQ+ Safety in Schools Grant in Honor of Guy DeRosa, which supports LGBTQ+ groups, projects and presentations that promote understanding and respect for people who are LGBTQ+ (see cta.org/awards).
• Find out if your local association has an LGBTQ+ Advocacy Coordinator and if not, ask why?
• Attend the CTA LGBTQ+ Issues Conference.