SEATTLE — Seattle Public Schools is making changes to support their LGBTQ students.
They passed a resolution to add inclusive curriculum as well as gender neutral bathrooms.
“As the first openly queer person elected and first openly queer person as president, I think it was really important for me,” said Zachary DeWolf, Seattle School Board President.
DeWolf says the school district’s plan creates a welcoming environment for everyone.
“Students are not just a reflection of the world, but the world is a reflection of the students and we need to catch up to them in this moment,” said DeWolf.
Passed at the end of Pride month, the resolution reflects the district’s commitment to inclusion. The curriculum will now include LGBTQ history and culture.
“It needs to be a mirror for young folks, to say that your community if you are queer has always been resilient, here’s the stories of struggle, here’s how they came out of it and here’s how we are stronger for it both as a community and a nation. I would have been grateful to have something like this as a young kid, and I will say, I think it built up my resilience, particularly as a queer native student, when I went to public schools, so I wouldn’t change my story, but I imagine it would have added certainly something very positive to my experience,” said DeWolf.
The district will also include gender neutral bathrooms at all 104 schools and new school construction moving forward. Many Seattle Public Schools have already adopted this policy, including Nathan Hale High School.
SPS will continue to honor and respect the self-reported identity and sexual orientation of students and staff, adding they will never be disciplined for speaking openly. Plus, they’ll rename a school to honor a local or national LGBTQ hero.
“Young people, particularly LGBTQ students, families and educators want to see someone from their community memorialized, for the great work that they’ve done to advance our rights and really just to support our freedoms,” said DeWolf.
DeWolf is also hosting a Seattle Public Schools LGBTQ community zoom to discuss the resolution on July 7 at 6:30 p.m.
Registration for Zoom is required: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rc-yvqzsoHtE0RazVNFbAdqIOTrwuC9LH