Page 16 | Autumn 2022 Talking about gender and sexual diversity in education continued
children of colour , and advocating for the removal of school resource officers . This means breaking school administrative procedures that segregate trans kids from their peers in gendered activities , changerooms and bathrooms .
Christie : I would like to defer to the experts in teacher education on this question . But , I will mention that symbols of 2SLGBTQ + allyship still matter — perhaps especially to those who are listening and looking for that support . For instance , for some , listening and looking , displaying pride flags , and introducing your pronouns ( if you use them ) will matter a lot . ( Please don ’ t require others to share their pronouns , though ; simply creating the space for the possibility of sharing pronouns is what matters .) And this might go without saying for some , but using an individual ’ s pronouns and name matters ; do that .
Fritz : Support begins with the self . This means mindset or epistemological change . One of ways of contributing to decolonization is to decolonize our minds and gazes from the dominant understanding of gender and sexualities . There is need to take action in supporting queer and trans initiatives and advocacies ; standing up for queer and trans folks and helping to center their voices and experiences , especially when thinking about implementation of curriculum , student training and development , research , and service .
Kyla : Teachers and professors can support 2SLGBQT + students by education and reflection ; listening to diverse stories ; diversifying resources ; establishing alliances for gender and sexual diversity ; attending professional development ; reading queer academic work ; asking questions of senior leaders ; telling students , " I see you , I hear you , I believe you "; talking about privilege ; challenging microaggressions ; and learning to call out and to call in .
How have you personally been supported in education systems ?
Jacq : In my MEd at the U of R , I navigated so much frustration , but it was an instructor who taught me my first early childhood education course who really meaningfully supported me . When I reached out to inquire about a lack of queer content in the syllabus , she immediately apologized and committed to adding material , and while she invited me to share my own thoughts around what should be included , she also recognized that it wasn ' t my responsibility to teach myself . She went out of her way to add content that was relevant to me and what I wanted to learn . www2 . uregina . ca / education / news