🏳️‍🌈 Creating Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ Youth: A Critical Conversation for Educators

Join award-winning educator and Professor Emeritus Lester Laminack in this powerful discussion about supporting LGBTQ+ students in our schools. With suicide rates 3x higher among LGBTQ+ youth, creating inclusive classrooms has never been more urgent.

What You'll Learn:
✅ Why traditional "coming out" should shift to "inviting in" 
✅ The devastating impact of book banning on student identity
✅ How to create safe spaces using inclusive teaching practices
✅ Practical strategies for student engagement and student motivation
✅ Building strong parent communication and family partnerships
✅ Developing a pro-kid mindset for whole child support

Lester shares his 46-year journey in education, from classroom management to teacher coaching, emphasizing how culturally responsive teaching and equity in education can transform school culture. 

Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction & Lester's Background
2:46 - The Inspiring Educator: Fred Rogers
4:30 - How Personal Experience Shapes Writing
8:07 - The Tapestry of Identity
10:06 - The Reality of Being Unseen
15:16 - Challenging the Concept of "Coming Out"
17:43 - From "Coming Out" to "Inviting In"
20:01 - The Ordinary Life Reality
22:28 - Hope Amidst Fear and Silence
25:39 - Call to Action: What We Can Do Now
26:52 - Opening Hearts and Creating Spaces
30:22 - The Role of Adults in Setting Tone
33:16 - Building Understanding Through Connection
34:19 - Closing Thoughts & Resources

• Lester’s Children’s & Professional Books
• Why We Need LGBTQ+ Literature for Children and Youth (6/22)
• LGBTQ+ Suicide Rates
• Rudine Sims Bishop, Ph.D. 
• George M. Johnson - All Boys Aren’t Blue 
• Harvey Milk Day
• Story Corps 

Resources to Help You Support LGBTQ+ Youth:

• HRC (Human Rights Campaign)—Glossary of LGBTQ+ terms
• GLSEN
• The Trevor Project
• Safe Schools Coalition
• Youth Pride Association
• Five Ways to Support LGBTQ Youth
• GLAAD

When coaches, teachers, administrators, and families work hand in hand, it fosters a school atmosphere where everyone is inspired and every student is fully engaged in their learning journey.