Advocating for LGBTQ Students With Disabilities - A New Guide

From the Human Rights Campaign, The National Association of School Psychologists, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, and the National Education Association, comes this "Advocating for LGBTQ Students with Disabilities" guide.

As quoted in a press release from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, 

“It is critical that school administrators and educators have the tools to address the needs of all LGBTQ students, including LGBTQ students with disabilities,” said Asaf Orr, Director of the Transgender Youth Project at the National Center for Lesbian Rights and co-author of the publication. “This resource will ensure that schools know how to comply with their legal obligations to LGBTQ students with disabilities by providing a roadmap for creating IEPs and 504 Plans that meet their unique learning needs.”

The Guide for Educators and Parents/Guardians on Supporting LGBTQ Students With an IEP or 504 Plan is seven pages, and also includes the voices of a few students:

“It was so helpful when the school counselor met with me and the teacher who sponsors the school GSA. I was able to tell them about how I didn’t feel safe using the girls’ bathroom. I had been so scared to tell anyone else about it before. They talked about how this could be addressed through my IEP so I could start using the boys’ bathrooms since that’s how I identify.” – Transgender student with disabilities

Happy to amplify, and acknowledge the intersectionality of many within our Queer and Disabled communities.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

The Transgender Story of Coy Mathis is Edited Out of the Russian edition of "Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls"

This was reported last week in Huffington Post's Queer Voices by Daria Litvinova, LGBTQ People Erased From Books In Russia Under ‘Gay Propaganda’ Law: A story written by trans activist Coy Mathis is missing from the Russian edition of a new children’s book.

Image from this beautiful post about the original "Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls" on MommyShorts

According to the article,

Liza Lazerson, a feminist blogger who owns a copy, said she was surprised to see that while the cover promised 100 stories the book contained only 99 and one blank page - supposedly for the reader to add their own.

“But then a follower sent me a photo of Coy Mathis’s story from the French edition,” Lazerson, who is based in Moscow, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in written comments.

Mathis, an 11-year-old transgender girl from the United States, won a landmark victory in a 2013 case against her school allowing her to use the girl’s bathroom.

Bombora, which printed the book in Russia, did not immediately respond to requests for comment....

Francesca Cavallo, one of the authors of “Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls,” said she was “deeply saddened that Coy’s story has been left out.”

It's sad and frustrating that children and their families in Russia won't have access to this empowering story of a young girl who was born with a boy's body, and how her parents (and ultimately, a judge) were so supportive of her being allowed to use whatever bathroom she felt most comfortable using at school.

In these times where governments create darkness, every bit of light becomes more important, and more powerful. 

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

A Mother and her 8-year-old Trans Son talk, and we get to listen

This under-three-minute video was powerful, and heartbreaking, and beautiful...



Let's make this a safer world for Gabe!

And my thanks to Chris and Gabe for sharing your story with all of us.

A Revised Birth Announcement For A Trans Teen

This was so wonderful, to see the love with which Kal's family embraces their child! The story is from 2014, but I'm just catching up to it now.

The clipping reads:

A RETRACTION - BOGERT -
In 1995 we announced the arrival of our sprogget, Elizabeth Anne, as a daughter. He informs us that we were mistaken. Oops! Our bad. We would now like to present, our wonderful son - Kal Bogert.
Loving you in the easiest thing in the world. Tidy your room.

So powerful and, as a parent – as a human being – inspiring. You can read more about the story here.

The light in me recognizes and acknowledges the light in you,
Lee

The Whittington Family: Ryland's Story

Watch this inspiring story of parents doing the right thing by honoring their transgender child's authentic self!





Cheering Ryland and his awesome parents on!

Namaste,
Lee

A powerful coming out story from a Children's Book Author... about their child being Transgender

Ann Whitford Paul is a wonderful author of picture books, with titles like "Word Builder" and "Tortuga In Trouble" as well as the picture book craft book, "Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication."

And in an op-ed piece "A Transgender Story: My Daughter, My Son" in the Los Angeles Times this week, Ann writes about her child's journey from Sarah to Finn... and her own challenging journey of acceptance.

Go read it.

It brought me close to tears, and I'm so proud of Ann for sharing her story and standing up for her child!

Namaste,
Lee