SOGI representation is essential, yet many teachers are uncomfortable teaching it. Such teachers will benefit from carefully developed resources to empower them to teach SOGI content with confidence. These teachers will be well-educated not only personally but also professionally. According to Kedrick (2019), recent research indicates that “both proper teacher training and SOGI-inclusive resources are required to ameliorate harm and harassment of students populations” (p. 956). Every student deserves to feel safe at school, but as SOGI 123 note, 64% of LGBTQ2IA+ students do not.

According to Schey (2021), a queer-inclusive curriculum is vital “because it can be a resource for developing collaborative and collective advocacy between students and teachers” (p. 630). Students and teachers alike benefit from increased SOGI educational opportunities. Garcia et al. (2013) observe that “when teachers and students create the opportunity to produce their own representations, they enact the power to determine whose stories are told and how” (p. 116).

When it comes to implementing SOGI awareness in teacher education, Kedrick (2019) discovered that “even a very small amount of formal SOGI-directed curriculum could result in surprisingly strong self-reported readiness and competence among teacher candidates to teach and talk openly about non-binary sexual orientations and gender identities” (p. 962). The value of this type of teacher education for both teachers and students cannot be overstated.