As a summer intern at UP for Learning, I’ve had the opportunity to explore what youth-adult partnership really means. I’ve truly enjoyed working at an organization with a passion for youth and aiding them in supporting and celebrating their identities. And throughout my time with UP, I’ve reflected on my own learning experiences in the classroom and the relationships I’ve had with teachers as a student at Middlebury College. 

Currently, I am an incoming junior majoring in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and Political Science. My professors have always strived to make us feel comfortable in the classroom, buillding a strong community through discussions about socially relevant topics like gender, race, and theories on intersectionality. But I’ve realized recently that I’m lucky enough to learn from teachers with an open and empathetic lens. Growing up in a small, rural beach town in Florida, I see now there is something fundamental missing in my hometown’s school system: teachers aren’t allowed to create a sense of belonging for all students. 

Since 2020, Republican policymakers have filed hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans laws nationwide to combat what they deem is unnecessary for public education. In 2023, 16 states passed bills relating to restricting discussions of gender in a classroom setting, including the infamous expansion of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which prohibits any instruction on sexual orientation and gender from grades K-12. Additionally, there was a survey conducted by the Williams Institute that focused on the impact of Florida’s bill where the majority of parents with LGBTQ+ children stated that their kids have already been directly impacted by the law. This includes harassment and bullying at school because they had LGBTQ+ parents, not being able to talk about their parents or their own identities at school or outside of school, and fears about continuing to live in Florida. 

Let’s look at the facts: A chilling effect has truly occurred. Studies have shown that mental health rates for LGBTQ+ youth are plummeting in Florida. In 2022, it was reported that 45% of LGBTQ+ youth in Florida have seriously considered suicide. These laws are creating hostile school environments. What are teachers if they cannot be authentic, willing to be there for all students, and help our youth discover who they are? As a Floridian, this devastates me. But it also makes me wonder, how do we change this? 

Working at UP, one of the projects I have collaborated on is creating lesson plans and activities from a social justice curriculum lens. And a crucial piece of that is a gender-inclusive curriculum. A gender-inclusive curriculum framework includes recognizing that gender impacts all students, normalizing gender identity in the classroom, questioning gender stereotypes, including LGBTQ+ history in teaching, and stopping gender-based bullying. Vermont legislation combatted anti-LGBTQ+ laws and set a standard for gender-affirming curriculum for students. For example, this can include practices like only using gender neutral terms and discarding binary language in science lessons. This promotes the inclusion of queer and trans youth!

To me, gender-inclusive education is more than just lessons, but it creates safe learning spaces and builds a powerful community of youth. Teachers can foster more youth agency, more empowerment, and most importantly: bring a sense of belonging for all students of all identities. 

UP for Learning inspires me everyday to push for more of this gender-inclusive framework in schools. This unwillingness to compromise on this issue because of differing political ideologies creates a difficulty to end the stigma on gender in classrooms. Classrooms should be a space where we celebrate differing identities and upbringings. They make room for teachers to bring community, acceptance, support, and authenticity to youth through equitable education. I hope to continue pursuing this mission of aiding queer youth and support their identities in the midst of this attack on an inclusive understanding of gender. 

El Fahey (she/her) is a third year student at Middlebury College studying Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies and Political Science. She is an active advocate for racial justice and more empathy in her community. Coming from New Smyrna Beach, Florida, she is excited to learn from different perspectives to empower youth and make a lasting impact in students’ lives today. She is passionate about UP’s mission of uplifting voices who do not feel heard and helping others find a sense of belonging in their community through education equity. In her free time, El is a lover of singing, the beach, hiking, and reading fiction novels.