Across the country, our members are working hard to ensure that young people feel safe and protected at school. In order to build safe environments for students, we need support from decision makers in the community. But it isn’t always easy to build community support for schools that openly affirm people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

Fortunately, our friends at GroundSpark have created an easy-to-use toolkit to help talk about LGBT-inclusive schools, sway decision makers and connect with others in your community.

Created as part of its Respect for all Project, GroundSpark has released Building Support for Schools that Openly Affirm the Diversity of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: A Communications and Community Organizing Guide.

This toolkit is based on years of on-the-ground experiences in leveraging support for school district personnel facing opposition to school policies, programs and lessons that are inclusive of LGBT people. It’s informed by the work of a network of education, media, advocacy, religious and civil rights organizations.

Download the toolkit here.

In this guide you will find:

• issue-specific talking points and messaging guidance;
• how-tos — from asking for support to working within communities of color; and,
• worksheets to help you formulate how you will communicate with and organize in your own community.

As state-based advocates, you can use this toolkit within your own organization, as well as share it with Gay-Straight Alliances, parents, students, and educators in your community. It may be useful for anyone who might need to convince others of the merits of GSAs, gender-neutral restrooms and school lessons and bullying prevention programs that include LGBT people. For analysis and messaging on the role of discipline policies in addressing bullying and harassment, we encourage you to complement this toolkit with Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right from our partners at GSA Network, Alliance for Educational Justice, and  Advancement Project.

When talking about sexual orientation or gender identity, emotions can run high, misconceptions can spread, and divisive politics can get in the way of doing what is best for students and families.

This toolkit is a groundbreaking resource that can be used to ease these uncertainties, and help inspire your communities to take action for schools that are inclusive of LGBT youth.

Download Building Support here.