MPA Program at CCNY
This month the MPA Program was honored to host a workshop facilitated by PFLAG NYC. The workshop focused on creating an inclusive and supportive learning environment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ+) members of the MPA community.
PFLAG, which was founded nearly 50 years ago and has more than 400 chapters, works to make life better for LGBTQ+ people through education, advocacy, and direct support to youth, families, and allies.
Clark Hamel, who lead the workshop, manages PFLAG’s Safe Schools Program, which gives trainings in public schools focused on LGBTQ+ inclusion and transgender rights.
Hamel’s co-facilitators were PFLAG Executive Director Drew Tagliabue, Support Services Coordinator Lo’An Nguyen, and community member Erin Kyle.
Nguyen opened the workshop with a poem by Micky ScottBey Jones about the practice of creating a “Brave Space” where participants can question assumptions, risk mistakes, and commit to supporting one another in confronting oppression and growing as social change agents.
Hamel cited data showing that bullying, negative comments by educators, and unsupportive staff contribute to LGBTQ+ students feeling unsafe at school, skipping school, and contemplating suicide at higher rates than other students.
The workshop introduced practical ways that educators can demonstrate openness and support to LGBTQ+ students, avoid biased pedagogical practices, revise the curriculum, address mistakes, and find help and resources. Participants discussed these ideas in greater detail in breakout groups.
Hamel explained central concepts and key terms that people may have heard but not fully understood. These include the distinction between sexual orientation and gender identity, the importance of sharing pronouns and avoiding misgendering, and the reclamation of the formerly derogatory term “Queer” which refers to identities that are not straight or not cisgender.
Erin Kyle, a transgender woman and active member of the PFLAG community, shared with the group her inspiring life story and spoke of the importance of supportive spaces and allies in the context of a transphobic society.
The workshop also reviewed the laws and policies already on the books that defend the rights of LGBTQ+ people, including Title IX at the federal level and the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) in New York State.
Educational institutions must play a leading role in supporting LGBTQ+ students along with all marginalized and oppressed people. Inclusive learning environments allow students and educators to co-create and cultivate new values for a society free of oppression.