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When it comes to creating a safer world for LGBTQ+ people, there is only so much that educators and administrators can do from inside school walls. Students only spend between 20-50 hours per week at school depending on their grade level and extracurricular activities, and how they spend the rest of their waking hours is often determined by their parent(s) and or guardian(s). This is why family engagement is so critical in not only being able to support students, but to build community power and make deep and impactful change that inspires generations well into the future.
In working to engage families around LGBTQ+ issues and support both them and their children, the first step should be to analyze which demographics are the most vulnerable, and to consider what unique resources they might need in order to address their barriers to access. As many social workers and scholars have noted throughout history, those at the margins have the best view of the overall systems of unequal power and hierarchy in our society, and how identities have come to overlap and inform each other in intersectional and often compounding ways. That means that marginalized people are in the best position to provide feedback as to how to undo these systems of inequality and joint struggle in ways that ultimately will serve everyone, and so marginalized people should always be centered in this work as key stakeholders, direct advisors, and decision makers. Just as the late revolutionary transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson said, “[There is] no pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.”
An adult stands above two youth who are doing a puzzle and reading a book.
In line with talking about identity and marginalization, part of this work in engaging with families needs to include a deep commitment to anti-racism, particularly taking a strong stance and fighting back against anti-Blackness, anti-indigeneity, and xenophobia. LGBTQ+ families of color are often erased from the mainstream media, and so making a commitment to ensuring that these students are able to see their families in their curriculum and education is important.
While planning outreach towards specific communities, it’s highly advised to take some time to look at reports that cover the current demographic of families that your school district serves, but a more wide-scope study from 2022 may be used as a place to start to understand the diversity of needs across the LGBTQ+ community. The study, which looked at “LGBT Well-Being at the Intersection of Race,” found that around 52% of LGBT people in the United States identified as white, with the remaining 48% being a mixture of 2.5% American Indian/Alaska Native, 4.9% Asian/Asian American, 0.4% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 10.7% Black, 19.9% Latinx, and 9.3% other. The study found that these six racial and ethnic groups had varying needs relating to key socioeconomic and well-being measures, such as health and economic factors and rates of victimization, discrimination, and stress. Studies such as these can be used to tailor specific programming to meet the needs of the community and remove widely known barriers to access. One particular action that was geared towards helping communities of color feel more comfortable in CVUSD was the removal of the sheriff’s office from the High School campus in 2020. This decision was reached after receiving lots of feedback from the community and reviewing surveys and studies that found heightened levels of stress for students of marginalized backgrounds when having to see or be near school resource officers (SROs) regularly. Studies also show that on-campus arrests disproportionately consist of students who are Black, brown, and disabled.
That being said, another important and vulnerable community to keep in mind is that of our disabled population. In 2022, more than 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. reported having a disability, which totaled at over 70 million people. Going even further, in 2020 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ adults were found to have a disability, with trans adults facing even higher rates with up to 52%. That means that a large portion of individual family members may need specific accommodations to help them engage with the school district. Combined, being anti-racist and anti-ableist demands a commitment to practicing restorative justice and working to end the school-to-prison pipeline, as well as supporting families that have incarcerated loved ones or are struggling with poverty, low or no access to health care, housing insecurity, or houselessness.
Generally, it should be noted that fathers in particular are a demographic that often feel excluded from family-oriented spaces, which are often geared towards mothers and children. Making a marked effort to welcome fathers into the space and include them in programming and planning initiatives can make waves. Even just naming that it is a space welcoming to fathers and depicting them in outreach materials can help them feel comfortable in showing up and participating. First Five Alameda County offers a list of Father Friendly Principles that can help guide people looking to better serve this demographic.
Another important aspect of inclusivity to keep in mind is that of the non-traditional family structure, which at times can be more common amongst LGBTQ+ families. When working to engage families, it’s important to understand, accept, and include members from these expansive structures. This can include chosen families, single-parent families, multi-generational families, blended families, polyamorous families, adoptive families, and families in which a masculine partner is the birthing parent.
In the end, the spaces that are created for family engagement and all outreach materials should openly and directly state a commitment to safety and welcoming all family members of the community no matter what someone looks like, where they come from, what language they speak, what their immigration status is, what religion they practice, or how much money they have. All voices are equally as important, and it is only through working as a unified body of diverse people and experiences that we can create a safe and supportive environment for all people, where all means all.
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