How Schools and Educators Can Step Up for Trans Youth

In a special Trans Equity Training this fall, special guest speaker Rebecca Allen — a community leader, recent graduate from the University of Minnesota’s Master of Public Affairs Program, and a proud parent of two — shared her research on best practices for schools to support trans and non-binary students.

We know that trans and non-binary kids are facing high levels of discrimination at school — 80% of trans and non-binary students have heard negative comments about transgender people and 1 in 3 have been physically threatened or harmed. These are incredibly scary statistics, but we are not helpless or hopeless — there are concrete steps we can take to make schools safe and affirming places for all students.

While Allen’s research focused on kids and families from Minneapolis Public Schools, she shared insights that can apply to any school environment:

Anti-bullying Policies: Having policies that explicitly protect gender identity and expression, and punish discriminatory behavior, is the most basic level of necessary support. It’s also required under Minnesota law (Learn more). While critical, this level of support has limitations — it helps prevent specific instances of discrimination, but it does not address the root causes.

Accommodations: The next level of support involves providing affirmation for trans and non-binary students. Examples include respecting pronoun and name changes, and providing access to programming that is consistent with a student’s gender identity. Unfortunately, students and their families often have to take the lead in asking for accommodations, forcing kids to “out” themselves in order to be treated with basic respect and care. Minnesota law protects students’ rights to participate in school activities and use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity (Learn more).

Culture Change: Schools can reach this highest level of support by taking full responsibility for creating a safe and welcoming environment for all students…sounds like common sense, doesn’t it?!? This can look like requiring training for all staff and ensuring that the school curriculum itself is gender-expansive, meaning that the curriculum content itself challenges and expands beyond binary notions of gender. Currently only four states — California, Colorado, Illinois, and New Jersey — have gender-expansive curriculum requirements.

To be truly nurturing spaces for all students, every school should aim for culture change — but unfortunately, many schools are failing trans and non-binary kids at the most basic level. When this happens, the consequences can be devastating.

“It felt like a betrayal, like these people are supposed to stand up for us, and they’re just acting as if they don’t see things,” said one parent Allen spoke with during her research, sharing their 7th graders’ response to educator inaction in the face of anti-trans bullying. “Especially with the climate that we’re living in right now, we need people to speak up.”

Luckily, we know exactly what is required of us to keep trans and non-binary students safe and affirmed at school: common sense support systems that will benefit not just gender-expansive youth, but all young people. Said Allen, “my hope is that by sharing their stories with you tonight and my findings, we can start to make schools a place where trans and non-binary youth can thrive because of their schools instead of despite their schools.”

Resources

• Check out our Supporting LGBTQ+ Students at School toolkit, which includes Know Your Rights information and additional resources for students and families in Minnesota.
• Gender Inclusive Schools provides parent and educator training and general resources aimed at creating safe learning environments for LGBTQ+ youth.
• Read Rebecca Allen’s full report, “Gender Inclusive School Policy: Best Practices vs. In Practice at Minneapolis Public Schools.”

Take Action

• Check if you have a school board election this year! Election Day is Tuesday, November 4, 2025.
• Raise your voice: post on socials, get in touch with your school board representatives, and/or write a letter to the editor to show your support for trans inclusion and equity.
• Attend a future Gender Justice Trans Equity Training to get more tools for taking action!