Some educators recognize that LGBTQ people currently enjoy greater visibility, acceptance and rights and want their curricula to reflect that. Others want to promote greater awareness of human diversity, or take a proactive measure to help reduce the dangers of bullying. Still other administrators are compelled to find ways to teach acceptance of diversity after a violent or discriminatory incident at their school.

Whatever the reason, studies show that inclusive curricula have a positive impact and are associated with reduced harassment and safer environments for all students. LGBTQ-inclusive curricula can also be one part of good planning or intervention to help reduce a school’s exposure to liability for school-related harassment and discrimination.

The First Amendment and federal laws like the Equal Access Act generally protect students’ expressive rights, but they do not control curricular speech by schools and school officials. These laws do not restrict schools’ authority to design curricula. 

Schools constantly make choices about what to teach and what to exclude from curricula, and the law upholds these choices, with good reason. Geography instruction does not have to include “flat-earth” theories to be fair to that point of view, and health classes do not have to include arguments in favor of tobacco use. When school professionals include health, tolerance and anti-bullying in their curricula, that choice is also protected by the law.

Whichever road schools and communities decide to take, numerous leading professional organizations support inclusion of LGBTQ supportive materials in school curricula, including:

• The American Academy of Pediatrics
• The American Association of School Administrators
• The American School Health Association
• The National Association of Social Workers

Furthermore, schools are legally required at the federal level, as well as commonly under state and local laws, to protect students against harassment and discrimination. It is against federal law to discriminate or harass based on sex stereotypes (stereotyped ideas about masculinity or femininity). Many state and local laws, as well as local school policies, specifically protect students against discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identity.

Inclusive curricula align with these legal requirements and also promote the safety and well-being of students and staff.