LGBT kids deserve to THRIVE—not merely survive—in Central Bucks School District. Just like every other kid.

The work of public school, which we all support with our taxes, is to educate every single child. They don’t have to meet prerequisites. They don’t have to have money or status or a religious affiliation or meet criteria of any kind. Our schools reflect who we are in all our dazzling variety, where we forgo individual self-interest and instead commit to what is best for our whole community. Schools are uniquely American democratic institutions that must include everyone equally.

What matters is that every child finds in school a place of belonging, where they can be proud of their unique gifts, where they can find the education they need to realize their highest, noblest potential. All children must be appreciated, validated, accepted, and treated fairly in order to achieve their best. Marginalized children in particular need schools that actively welcome and protect them, as feeling unsafe is a genuine barrier to a child’s education.

That requires policy and curriculum reform to foster dignity and belonging and children’s ability to thrive, not just survive, in school.  

Yet, for the past 18 months, in a national climate stoking fear and attacking the rights and humanity of LGBTQ+ people, we have seen no such district-wide effort to improve our most vulnerable children’s experience at their schools. We hear decision-makers say “we support all kids,” but we haven’t seen action that would follow through.

What we see instead ought to alarm us all.

• Where are the actions to eliminate the bullying and discrimination our superintendent spoke of so movingly one year ago? Where are the anti-bullying trainings for teachers and other staff? Where are the anti-bullying programs for students?

• Where is the support for our LGBTQ students in the form of teachers voluntarily posting symbols of support for them? In allowing them to choose their names and pronouns? In ensuring that there are books in the library that will help to illuminate their path and empathize with others?

• Where is the condemnation from our leaders of hateful, targeted attacks at public comment that intimidate our most vulnerable community members?

• Where is the respect for local organizations that are trying to do the critical work of supporting LGBTQ youth?

How in the world can it help us to blame one teacher, uniquely and without precedent, for all the problems in a district? How can it help other teachers to do their best work when they know that they, too, could find themselves the unfortunate target of a million-dollar attack, in public, without any possibility of answering any of the allegations? How do the seven students and families whose allegations of discrimination are actively under investigation by the DoE feel when their truth is so blatantly disregarded and delegitimized?

Actions fundamentally based on removal, blaming, delegitimizing, and exclusion do not foster welcoming and inclusive learning environments for queer, transgender, and nonbinary children—or for any other child.

These actions suggest a “Toughen-up! Pull yourselves up by your boot-straps! Achieve on your own merits despite all the obstacles!” approach: to children. In their schools.

Surviving is not the goal. Schools were never designed to intimidate kids into either surviving or quitting. The goal is thriving.

Here is what CB can immediately do to get there:

• Restore safe learning environments by allowing employees to post in their classrooms, offices, or halls a rainbow flag or other sign of support for LGBTQ students or staff, because these are established symbols of inclusion and support that will help our kids. These can help many marginalized kids feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

• Uphold students’ right to use their requested names and pronouns. Establish a comprehensive school policy that carefully balances both the protection of a student's right to privacy in instances where they express concern for their safety and encourages parental input when the student consents.

• Update CB's Equal Opportunity/Non-Discrimination policy to include gender identity and gender expression.

• Repeal policy 109.2 which is so out of the norm that it allows for the easy removal of books, and replace with it with a standard library policy that balances each family’s unquestioned right to guide their own children’s reading with every other family’s right for their kid to read high quality, age-appropriate literature freely and according to their interests.

• Repeal policy 321, which creates more fear than guidance, as we saw in the debacle over Elie Weisel, and instead create Best Practices and in-service workshops for teachers to share their methods of keeping balance in classroom discussion and protecting all kids’ right to think for themselves.

Some in our community fear that our quest to expand the “we” and ensure equity and belonging to LGBTQ kids somehow diminishes some of the kids. We don’t understand this. To fight for change so that every kid belongs, has equal access to a great education, and is prepared to build a better future, amplifies everyone. We are all richer when everyone thrives.

Neither school nor life is a zero-sum game. “If you win, I lose” damages everyone. Culture instead works collaboratively, cooperatively. If you stand in dignity, I stand in dignity with you.

Therefore, creating schools where all kids learn, grow, and thrive equals pride in our strengths, our variety, our abundance, our diversity. It’s a glorious feature of our nation. 

E pluribus unum. Everyone matters.