been sufficient support for educators to know how to truly show up when trauma appears in the classroom. But it’s happening more and more. At my friend’s school, parents distrib- uted hateful pamphlets during Pride month, and they had to have police presence at their Pride flag-raising. More and more frequently, 2SLGBTQ+ people are facing alarming levels of hostility and grappling with its impact. We need our allies to step up and be there for us. In terms of the classroom itself, ask your-
self how you are normalizing diverse forms of gender expression and making space for non-binary thinking about gender. Consider the resources and language you use. Do you address queer/trans realities throughout the year (not just during Pride month)? Have you moved away from saying “hey guys” or “boys and girls?” Are you modelling sharing your
pronouns? Is there a gender-neutral wash- room and change room? Are there open cat- egories for sports activities? Can you start or support a GSA in your school? Can you make it intersectional by creating connections with other affinity-based student clubs? As part of a wider equity unit, I teach a
series of lessons I call “Gender Splendour” in which we analyze gender norms, critique gender-based violence, and celebrate human diversity. As part of this unit, we look at So- phie Labelle’s work. Sophie is a trans, French- Canadian cartoonist who’s best known for her Assigned Male comics, which challenge traditional conceptions of gender in pro- vocative and funny ways. Tey centre trans realities and have led my Grade 7/8 learners to think deeply about gender policing and stereotypes. In my Core French classes, I’ve
relied on another French-Canadian cartoon- ist, Elise Gravel, whose work is better suited to younger learners. She creates bilingual posters that touch on social justice and mental health issues. I know from instructing the ETFO AQ course Teaching LGBTQ Students that many French teachers, in particular, are struggling for ways to integrate 2SLGBTQ+ content into their classroom. I’d recommend checking out Gravel’s work, then inviting students to create a poster with simple French and drawings in- spired by her aesthetic style.
PUSHING PAST FEAR
Instructing the ETFO AQ has also taught me that the vast majority of educators want to show up for their students and engage in this work, but fear holds them back – fear of mak- ing a mistake and fear of pushback. However,
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