A Current Events Response by National Council for the Social Studies
March 24, 2022

The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) stands in solidarity and support of those students across the country who voice their opposition to new state laws and proposed legislation that will negatively impact LGBTQ+ youth. NCSS is inspired by the civic action of the students and their dedication toward equality and inclusion in their schools. Student voices have brought forth significant concerns about these harmful laws:  

• These types of laws conflict with parental, guardian, and student rights;
• These laws could lead to an increase in student self-harm and suicide attempts as students who are forcibly “outed” may turn to harmful behaviors;
• These laws could pit parents against school personnel by creating a breach of trust which is harmful to the educational process;
• These laws are a retreat from the civil rights progress for LGBTQ+ students that has been won since Stonewall;Stein, M. (2019). The Stonewall riots: A documentary history. NYU Press
• These laws threaten student-sponsored clubs in schools, in particular Gay-Straight Alliances, Gay-Straight alliances (GSAs) are also known as Genders and Sexualities Alliances and Queer–Straight Alliances (QSAs). For more information regarding GSAs, refer to GLSEN (https://www.glsen.org/support-student-gsas) which are supportive clubs for all students and may be in violation of the Equal Access Act of 1984. 

Educators, and especially social studies educators, are invariably on the front lines and the first responders when cultural and political conditions impact their students’ lives. According to Freedom for All America, in the 2022 school year there are currently 170 anti-LGBTQ+ sets of legislation, with at least 69 of them centered on school policies. These egregious legislations are currently circulating in Texas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Idaho, and more than 30 states. They target LGBTQ+ identifying youth and have a far-reaching impact on students and educators across the country.Freedom for All Americans (2022). Legislative tracker: Anti-Transgender legislation. https://freedomforallamericans.org/legislative-tracker/anti-transgender-legislation/  

While these pieces of legislation might be masked in complex language, the underlying intent of each bill is discrimination, hate, and greater regulation of educators' speech and curricular design. It is imperative for schools to address these legislations by facilitating classroom discussions on the harm they cause for LGBTQ+ youth and the purposeful erasure of LGBTQ+ people. To act in accordance with these measures goes against our responsibility to care for our LGBTQ+ identifying students, families, and educators. Not only should we elevate critical public conversations now about these harmful proposed measures: we should call on our teachers’ unions (where applicable) and communities to strengthen their support of LGBTQ+ identifying students and educators. 

Several states have passed or are actively considering legislation that would severely limit LGBTQ+ youth’s self-determination by, for example, denying them gender-affirming healthcare, preventing them from using the school restroom consistent with their gender identity, blocking trans youth from participating in sports, and requiring schools to report trans youth and their families to state authorities.Freedom for All Americans (2022). Legislative tracker: Anti-Transgender legislation. https://freedomforallamericans.org/legislative-tracker/anti-transgender-legislation/ Such legislation attacks the lives of children and uses them as political collateral; we condemn these actions as they inflict irreparable harm on all members of the LGBTQ+ community. Allowing such harm in our schools is “a violation of our most fundamental responsibilities as educators and as adults.'Keenan, H.B. and Nicolazzo, Z. (2021, April 8) Trans youth are under attack. Educators must step up. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-trans-youth-are-under-attack-educators-must-step-up/2021/04

Educators should not be silent on this issue, nor should they fear building inclusive classrooms that serve all of their students. Trans students and trans educators, as well as all students, educators, and families who identify as LGBTQ+, should be supported and celebrated for who they are and should be able to live their lives without fear. States that have passed or are considering legislation that would deny basic human rights to the LGBTQ+ community do not, in our view, represent the democracy we wish to live and teach in. We stand with our students, their families, and our fellow educators who have the right to live authentically. 

NCSS reaffirms its commitment to the existence, freedom, and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals everywhere. We see you, we value you, and we recognize your outstanding contributions to education and the world. NCSS stands with you as we continue to fight for equity and justice for all.

This statement is endorsed by the NCSS College and University Faculty Assembly (CUFA), the NCSS LGBTQ+ and Allies Community, and the NCSS Student and Pre-Service Teacher Community.

Statement Authors

J. Scott Baker, St. Cloud State University
Deb Fowler, History UnErased’s Co-founder and Executive Director
Melissa Collum, Viterbo University/NCSS LGBTQ+ and Allies Community Chair
Dinah Mack, History UnErased’s Youth Equity Program Coordinator
Anton Schulzki, NCSS President
Sarah Shear, University of Washington/NCSS College and University Faculty Assembly Chair