DID YOU KNOW?: AN ARIZONA PERSPECTIVE ON SOLIDARITY
GLSEN Arizona Board Co-Chair Shawnte Rothschild (she/her) shared her thoughts on what it means to stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ students as part of the StoryBank project.
“When you stand in solidarity with individuals, the outward impact may take some time to see. Realize it takes time to see that long-term change, and it requires open lines of communication. It’s an active choice, so make that choice day in and day out to stand up. Realize that sometimes you may have the heart and the ability to stand up in big ways, but other times that solidarity may not be as visible. Be in the active practice of solidarity, stand up, know it takes time, and know it requires communication.”
GLSEN has great resources about undoing the whitewashing of LGBTQ+ history, how to get involved in student activism, an intro to disability justice, and an intro to immigration justice. We must work across all differences to ensure that every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ+-inclusive education.
Listen to full interview here.
CALL TO ACTION: STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH LGBTQ+ STUDENTS
With more than 600 public and charter districts across Arizona, it’s critical that students, educators, parents, and community members share their perspectives on what it means to create safe and LGBTQ+-affirming schools. A great way of standing in solidarity with LGBTQ+ students is to get involved in school board advocacy!
Attend your next school board meeting. Use our School Board Meetings tracking tool to view upcoming meeting dates, times, and locations for districts across the state. If you don’t see your district there, send us an email at policy@glsenarizona.org and we’ll add it. You can also find this information yourself by visiting a school district’s website and navigating to the “school board” area.
Skill up and testify. Attend an upcoming GLSEN Arizona Testimony Workshop and gain practical knowledge about how to tell your personal story in support of LGBTQ+ students. Register here!
Do your own research. Find out what the issues are, what's on the agenda for upcoming meetings, and model policies / best practices school boards should be implementing. Review GLSEN’s model policies and resources for districts.
Write to or meet with school board members. For practical tips on how to do this, click here. For email templates or to receive feedback and support, email policy@glsenarizona.org.
Consider running for a school board. Learn what it takes to run for school board from the Arizona School Boards Association.
Learn more about Solidarity Week here.
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