What we do
Schools are where our kids spend nearly the entirety of their childhood years, where they learn about their communities and the world around them.
It’s where the next generation discovers themselves and the world around them. Since our inception, we’ve known that changing educational institutions for the better will impact our children’s lives fundamentally. The better school staff and teachers understand us, the more accurately and fairly LGBTQ+ people and contributions are portrayed in K-12 curriculum, the more likely it is that our children will have safe spaces to learn–spaces where their families are present, not absent; understood, not maligned.
In the past generation we’ve come a very long way. And we work day in and day out to support the gains we’ve made, and ensure that the next generation of LGBTQ+ families thrive–inside schools, and beyond.
Resources for educators
Professional Development and Teacher Training
Schools and service agencies should be positive places where all children, youth, and families are valued and encouraged to be their full selves.
Our Family Coalition's Inclusive Schools Program works with families, teachers, administrators, and child-serving professionals to help them understand and implement more equitable practices to serve lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer families and their allies.
We offer professional development and family education workshops for preschool, elementary, middle, and high school communities, and we provide service agencies with the most current information and strategies on how to create more inclusive and respectful services for all families, including LGBTQ families.
Diversity Practices for Distance Learning
Just as in a physical classroom, a virtual classroom has opportunities to show support for student identity. But navigating the online teaching space brings with it unique opportunities and challenges – from pronouns on a display of names, to online harassment and more.
Help your child’s school support LGBTQ-inclusive and anti-bias online learning environments using this fantastic resource developed by OFC in collaboration with our colleagues at ONE Archives.
Teaching LGBT History: An Educator's Guide
Teaching LGBT History: An Educator’s Guide has been developed by educational consultant Rob Darrow as part of Our Family Coalition’s contributions to the CLIC Project (Content, Literacy, Inquiry, & Citizenship Project). The CLIC Project is part of the Sacramento County Office of Education’s Community of Practice, a group of educators working together to support the implementation of California’s newly LGBT-inclusive History Social Science Framework. More about the CLIC Project at UC Davis’ History Project page.
The guide, along with the additional reference material below, is meant to guide educators as they approach K-12 lesson planning using LGBT history based on the California State History Social Science Framework. For more information about this Framework and the process that led to it, see About the FAIR Education Act.
Resources and References cited in the LGBT History Educator’s Guide
Materials below have been compiled by Rob Darrow and appear, along with additional references, on his CLIC Project Resources page.
LGBT History Curriculum Guides and Workshop Content
- Santa Cruz Safe Schools Project – 8th Grade * 11th Grade
- Quick LGBT History Lessons for GSA Clubs
- 11th Grade LGBT History Resources
- 8th Grade LGBT History Resources
- 11th Grade History Teacher Workshop Content
- 8th Grade History Teacher Workshop Content
LGBT History Primary Source Locations
- CSU Monterey Bay LGBT Archives
- GLBT Archives (San Francisco)
- LAMBDA Archives (San Diego)
- One Archives (Los Angeles)
- Online Archive of California Search
- Out History (New York)
Articles and Documents
- California Department of Education. California History Social Science Framework. Adopted July 14, 2016.
- Blair, Karen. Has Gender Always Been Binary? Psychology Today Blogpost, September 16, 2018.
- National Park Service LGBTQ Theme Study (2016). Collection of 32 different historical articles about LGBT history.
- Romesburg, D., Rupp, L.J., Donahue, D.M. (2014). Making the Framework FAIR: California History-Social Science Framework Proposed LGBT Revisions Related to the FAIR Education Act. San Francisco, CA: Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History.
- Styles, Emily. “Curriculum as Window and Mirror.” Listening for All Voices, Oak Knoll School monograph, Summit, NJ, 1988.
Books
- Barker, Meg-John and Scheele. Queer: A Graphic History. London, Icon Books, 2016
- Bronksi, Michael. Queer History of the United States. Boston: Beacon Books, 2011.
- Linday, Randall et al. A Culturally Proficient Response to LGBT Communities: A Guide for Educators. Corwin, 2013.
- Meyer, Elizabeth and Sansfacon, Annie Pullen. Supporting Transgender & Gender Creative Youth.Peter Lang, 2014
- Meyer, Elizabeth J. Gender and Sexual Diversity in Schools. New York: Springer, 2010.
- Romesburg, Don, Ed. The Routledge History of Queer America. Routledge, 2018.
- Rupp, Leila J. and Freeman, Susan K. Eds. Understanding and Teaching: U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History. The University of Wisconsin Press, 2014.
- Stryker, Susan. Transgender History, second edition: The Roots of Today’s Revolution. Berkeley: Seal Press, 2017.
Media and Podcasts
- Video: “Making History: The FAIR Education Act” Our Family Coalition, San Francisco, 2017 (10 Minutes)
- Video: “Don’t Erase My History” Frameline, San Francisco, 2015 (30 minutes)
- Video: “Transgender Basics” Gender Identity Project New York City, 2009 (20 minutes)
- Webinar: Webinars about LGBT History. Rob Darrow, Santa Cruz, 2017
- Podcast: Making Gay History Podcast Eric Marcus, New York, 2016-2019
- Podcast: History is Gay Podcast Leigh and Gretchen, 2018-2019
- App: QUIST App About Queer History
Resources for families
Bring Inclusive Schools Training To Your School
Workshops can be tailored to your school’s needs; here are some of the most in-demand:
- LGBTQ History: Teaching the New California History and Social Science Framework
- LGBTQ-Focused Education Law and Policy: Understanding Obligations and Protections
- Implementing LGBTQ History: From Policy to Practice in your Region
- Family Diversity: The Early Childhood Classroom and Making All Families Visible
- Gender Inclusion: What is a Gender Spectrum and How Do I Reduce Gender Bias?
- Transgender and Non-Binary Students: How to Create Inclusive Spaces for All Genders
- Anti-Bullying & Social Emotional Learning: A Welcoming Schools Approach
- Family and School Advocacy: Building Coalitions for Sustainable Change
Contact education@ourfamily.org to talk about how we can help support your school.
Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for children of lgbtq families
school legal responsibilities
Inclusive Schools Trainings
Our Family Coalition works with families, teachers, administrators, and child-serving professionals to create more welcoming schools and agencies to serve LGBTQ families and their allies. We believe that schools should be a positive place to learn where all students are invited and encouraged to be their full selves.
- Acorn Woodland Elementary
- Alianza Charter School (K-8)
- Alta Vista Elementary and Middle Schools
- Anna Yates (TK-8)
- Berkeley Arts Magnet Elementary
- Chabot Elementary
- Coronado Elementary
- Crocker Highlands Elementary
- Emerson Elementary
- Emery Secondary School
- Fred T. Korematsu Discovery Academy Elementary
- Hanna Ranch Elementary
- Head Royce (K-12)
- Jefferson Elementary
- Joaquin Miller
- Kaiser Elementary
- Kensington Elementary
- Korematsu
- Lagunitas School District
- LeConte Elementary
- Logan Elementary
- Longwood Elementary
- Malcolm X Elementary
- Markham Elementary
- Marshall Elementary
- Oxford Elementary
- Park Day School
- Rosa Parks Elementary
- Sequoia Elementary
- Thousand Oak
- Vallecito
- Washington Elementary
- Yu Ming
LGBTQ+ Inclusive Preschools
Bring Inclusive Schools Training To Your School
For years, Our Family Coalition has hosted a LGBTQ+-Inclusive Preschool Fair for parents looking for a school for their little one(s). Schools interested in reaching out to our community participate, while parents and caregivers have the opportunity learn about how the preschools provide a welcoming and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ families.
Check the calendar for date and time of this year's fair
- Alta Vista School
- Children’s Day School
- Chinese American International School
- Cow Hollow School
- Garfield Elementary
- Glenridge Cooperative
- Grace Cathedral Community Preschool
- Hamlin School
- Katherine Michiels School
- La Scuola International School
- Las Luciernagas
- Las Mananitas
- Live Oak School
- Marin Country Day School
- Marin Preparatory
- Mark Day School
- Mi Escuelita en Espanol
- Miraloma Cooperative Nursery School
- Mission Kids Cooperative
- Mission Montessori
- Montessori Children’s House of the West Coast
- Noe Valley Nursery School
- Nueva School
- Presidio Hill
- Presidio Knolls
- San Domenico School
- SF Day School
- SF School
- SF Waldorf School
- Slippery Fish Co-Op Preschool
- The Brandeis School of San Francisco
- The Little School
The SF Friends School
The SF Schoolhouse
Town School
Teaching LGBTQ History
Since its passage in 2011, California’s FAIR Education Act ensures that schools integrate factual information about social movements, current events and history of people with disabilities and LGBTQ+ people into existing social studies lessons. It also prevents schools from using inaccurate or discriminatory instructional materials.
Our Family Coalition’s Education Team actively works with schools and districts statewide to develop comprehensive and inclusive curriculum for students. Visit the Teaching LGBTQ History website to access a trove of instructional resources that include LGBTQ+ families and individuals. Lesson plans, resources, and further trainings for educators, students, and families.
