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Finding the right school for children in
LGBTQ families
Healthcare
Directives
Probate & Trust
Administration
AUGUST 1st
www. Me Vi ttie- Law.coni
As Nina’s little boy grew older, she started
to debate where he should attend school.
But in addition to the questions most
parents ask when considering their chil
dren’s educations, Nina had another con
cern. Namely, she wanted to be sure her
child wouldn’t be treated differently for
having two moms.
“We wanted to find the right school
where no one was going to make fun of
him,” Nina says.
Nina, who requested that only her first
name.be used to protect the identity of her
child, is one of many LGBTQparents in the
Portland area who have searched for a wel
coming school. Each family is different—
either the parents or the children identify as
sexuality than ever before. For the first
time, a majority of those polled by Gallup
in 2010 said gay and lesbian relationships
were “morally acceptable.”
“Stiidents coming out used to be some
thing you’d see in high school, but now
you see students identifying as LGBT
much younger,” says Jollee Patterson, head
attorney for Portland Public Schools, who
deals with sexual orientation and gender
identity issues.
Nina eventually settled on a school in
the Portland Public School District after
visiting several schools and speaking with
teachers and principals.
“Every single principal was very sup
portive,” Nina says. “I asked them how
they would deal with different
situations, and I was very happy
with Portland-area schools.
They are very progressive.”
Not every LGBTQ_ parent
places such a high priority on
welcoming schools, however. The
level of priority depends in part
• Administrators and faculty who talk fairly about
on each family’s situation.
LGBTQjssues
Stephen Dunlevy, for example,
• Anti-bullying policy that complies with the
says he and his male partner
Oregon Safe Schools Act
chose Glencoe Elementary for
• Names sexual orientation or gender identity
their two children based partly
• Accessible to the students, either posted or
on school report cards they re
online
viewed when looking for houses.
• Effective measures are in places for reporting
“I don’t think we really scout
violations
ed out individual schools for a
degree of LGBT support,’’Dun-
• LGBTQ support group, if the child is old
enough to need it
levy says.
Their decision-making pro
• Supportive parents in the parent-teacher *
cess could have been different if
association
they had thought their children
Information from Zena Britadesco program
may identify as LGBTQj Dun-
manager fo r community education at TramActive
levy says. Their children don’t
give any indication that they
some sort of sexual minority—but the fac identify as anything other than heterosexu
tors they want in a supportive school are al, and they don’t show signs that they need
similar.
LGBTQ_support.
Parents ask a number of questions: Does
But Nina’s son, though he’s still in grade
the school have an effective policy against school and has not yet identified as LG-
bullying? Can families openly talk about BTQ_ either, does have a penchant for
LGBTQ^issues with teachers and adminis something most boys his age do not—he
trators? How do parents of other children likes to wear dresses.
react to LGBTQ_families?
“He’s just a boy who loves dresses,” Nina
The extra level of choosiness follows a says. “He’s a gender warrior—what can I
trend of teenagers coming out of the closet say? \ n
at a younger age, according to school ad
The dress issue was challenging in the
ministrators and the Gay, Lesbian and beginning. Other kids talked negatively
Straight Education Network, or GLSEN. about him. But Nina talked to teachers at
Also, more Americans approve of homo the school about the problem; she even
■
What to look for in an
LG BTQ-supporti ve
school
R outan
T ig u an
,
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