2025 ACSA Lead With Pride Summit

This interactive session will explore how K-12 educators and administrators can create affirming and equitable environments for LGBTQ+ students. Participants will engage with research-based strategies to address implicit bias, reduce microaggressions, and implement inclusive policies. The session will include an overview of California Education Codes, the importance of culturally responsive teaching, and actionable steps to foster student well-being. Attendees will be equipped with tools to advocate for systemic changes that improve school climates for all students, particularly LGBTQ+ youth.

3 Key Audience Takeaways:
Practical Strategies to Address Bias and Microaggressions
Understanding and Applying Legal Protections
Building Systems of Support

Learn how two districts, San Francisco and Fresno, have created and continue to evolve systems for collaborative and equitable Gender Action Plans (GAPs). GAPs are a great way to empower staff to take meaningful and policy aligned action when supporting LGBTQ+ students and their families. In this politically fraught moment, helping folks know what can be done and said is crucial in turning policy into praxis. We will share our journeys and the tips we’ve learned along the way!
Key Audience Takeaways:
1. Understand how a GAP process can be used to create collaboration between school staff and families in order to meet the needs and uphold the rights of LGBTQ+ students.
2. Develop insight that will allow participants to iterate in the creation of their own GAPs and engender district-wide adaptation and ownership of GAPs.
3. Review materials used in two districts to assist you in reflecting on your own district’s process.

Despite strong laws in California that protect our transgender/non-binary students, there is intense pushback in many districts and increasing confusion amongst staff regarding what they can talk about with queer youth. This workshop will provide tools to engage in positive and affirming conversations with transgender/non-binary students. Whether a student comes out to you for the first time, or you engage in ongoing conversations with them, come learn supportive and affirming ways to connect. Be that loving staff who stands up for transgender/non-binary youth through conversations that can help them feel affirmed in their gender, safe at school and celebrated for who they are.

Join us for an engaging and interactive session designed specifically for administrators and school leaders. This session will explore the progress, challenges, and strategies in fostering inclusive school environments for LGBTQ+ students and families. Through storytelling, data sharing, and collaborative problem-solving, participants will leave equipped with actionable tools and insights to support their school communities.

Key Takeaways:
- Building Community with family, student and teachers
- We must use Data to help schools commit to actions
- Soliciting student , family and staff voice through inquiry and fishbowl protocols will build collective efforts

Administrators rely on the important skill of building consensus across diverse perspectives. This workshop will give administrators specific tools to effectively build allyship for LGBTQ inclusive education among historically reluctant audience.

ince the beginning of 2024, over 660 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced across the country, the majority of which target transgender youth in particular. Many of these bills are backed by pseudoscience and false information targeting gender affirming care and the affects of hormones on the body. In this workshop, we will be going through an expansive conversation of transgender reproduction that will allow you to give your students the inclusive sex education they need, equipping them with up-to-date, evidence-based, non-judgmental information so that they are able to make safe and informed decisions with their bodies. The content will cover the history, science, and experience of transgender reproduction, and will touch on the legal movement determined to hide it.

The experiences of Queer Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
(BIPOC) have been excluded in Queer Educator research, which often focuses on White Queer educators or omits race as a variable (Boren & McPherson, 2018; Conrad, 2018; Taylor, 2018; Thomas-Durrell, 2020; Toledo & Maher, 2019). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the experiences of Queer BIPOC teachers
in the Southern California P-12 school system. Specifically, (a) what are out Queer BIPOC teachers' experiences (b) how did they make the decision to come out, and (c) what are their experiences with discrimination based on their Queer,
BIPOC, or intersectional identities. The goal of this qualitative study was to give a voice to a historically marginalized group, Queer BIPOC teachers. A total of six participants, five Latino/a/e and one Pacific Islander participated in this study.

Participants represented three school levels, elementary, middle, and high school. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. A total of five domains emerged from the data: (a) Outness on Campus, (b) Coming Out, (c) Mental Health, (d) Supportive Networks, and (e) Unsupportive Networks. Key findings included participants coming out because they wanted to be their authentic selves at work, Queer BIPOC teachers experiencing discrimination at work, and how administrators’ decisions can affect Queer BIPOC teachers’ mental health during
experiences of discrimination.

our students and parents thrive best when their educators do too. How is the morale of your staff these days? How has it felt to lead them these past two years?

Here’s the thing: people are not moved into action by thoughts alone—they are moved by emotions. Research shows that positive emotions are more contagious than negative ones, and when leaders create emotionally resonant environments, they foster a stronger sense of community and belonging.

For LGBTQIA+ students and staff, the need for safe, affirming, and inclusive spaces is critical. Emotional resonance—when the emotional parts of our brains align positively and foster connection—plays a key role in building such environments. Leaders who prioritize psychological safety and compassionate leadership inspire trust and belonging, especially in marginalized groups.

In this highly interactive, energetic, and experiential workshop, we’ll explore:

How to lead with emotional resonance to promote inclusion and equity.
Tools to create affirming spaces that celebrate LGBTQIA+ identities and empower staff to do the same for students.
The tenets of effective organizational climates, with an emphasis on fostering a sense of belonging for LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Strategies to build psychological safety through active listening, allyship, and compassionate leadership practices.
All K-16 administrators are welcome to attend and will leave with actionable strategies to make their schools more inclusive for LGBTQIA+ students and staff. No prior experience is needed—just a willingness to learn and grow. Get ready for a session that’s insightful, engaging, and fun!

Over the last decade of LGBTQ+ activism within the Castro Valley Unified School District—through GSAs, alliances, educational programming, marches, community events, school murals, and more—students have remained not only the powerhouse of the movement, but the primary beneficiary of the changes brought about. Through a sustained and concerted effort; teachers, staff, families, and community members have assumed the roles of essential stakeholders in this district-based activism, and together they have provided and will continue to provide the building blocks necessary for the creation of a safer and more supportive environment—not just on campus, but throughout the wider Castro Valley community. This presentation will provide a summary and tour of Castro Valley Unified School District’s “LGBTQ+ Thrive Guide,” a written toolkit detailing the history of Castro Valley and its many LGBTQ+ initiatives with the intent to offer other school districts seeking to better support their LGBTQ+ community a framework for action and ideas to pull inspiration from. The guide is rich in resources, case studies, best practices, advice, examples, explanations, and templates to better support every stakeholder at every step of the work.

Join me for an enlightening lecture on allyship and the backlash against DEIB, illustrating how individuals can bring about change and education during opposition. Discover how to be a supportive ally in both your workplace and community, while recognizing and dismantling biases and discrimination. This discussion focuses on transcending hatred and embracing comprehension, diversity, and inclusivity, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. Through captivating narratives, storytelling, and an interactive PowerPoint, you'll learn how to navigate differences to foster a positive atmosphere at work and in your community. The session also addresses diversity, inclusivity, and proper pronoun usage. Don't miss out on this opportunity to empower yourself to instigate personal, professional, and community changes.

Key Takeaways:
* Personal storytelling can change hearts and minds.
* How to be a support ally.
* Fostering positivity at work and in your community.

Recognizing a growing need to support LGBTQ inclusivity in education, Leading LGBTQ+ Supportive Education was added to the complement of professional development opportunities for school administrators offered by the Los Angeles Unified Human Resources Division. The series focused on critical topics such as transformational leadership, administrator wellness, human capital management, coaching, and leading computer science.
This session aimed to equip school site leaders with the knowledge and tools to foster affirming environments for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families. Topics included foundational LGBTQ+ definitions and concepts, an overview of relevant LAUSD and state policies, and strategies for implementing visible support and inclusive language. The professional development also emphasized the importance of establishing LGBTQ+ liaisons, creating student groups like Genders & Sexualities Alliances, and embedding ongoing training for administrators to address real-world scenarios.
Participants noted several key takeaways:
• The critical role of inclusive language and visible allyship in fostering affirming school spaces.
• The need for sustained training to deepen understanding and tackle practical challenges.
• The value of scenario-based learning and access to dedicated resources to implement LGBTQ+ policies effectively.
This presentation will highlight the program's design, key learning outcomes, and participant feedback while sharing actionable strategies for attendees to replicate.

Discussions on gender and sexuality typically focus on the United States perspective, with English dominating the language we use to discuss these topics. What happens when we switch languages? Cultures? Perspectives? How can these differences impact discussions about Queerness and Queer liberation between people of various cultures?

3 Key Audience Takeaways:
Participants will understand how language and culture influence perspectives of queerness.
Participants will have examples of how Queer people are treated in other countries.
Participants will understand how complex the decision to come out can be for a Queer Person of Color.

This interactive workshop explores the transformative partnership between San Joaquin Pride Center and Stockton Unified School District, aimed at fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and families. Attendees will gain insights into how collaboration between nonprofits and educational institutions can address key challenges such as bullying, mental health, and equitable access to resources.
The session will cover:
• Strategies for creating affirming spaces within schools.
• Training and support programs for educators and staff.
• The impact of community partnerships on student well-being and academic success.
Participants will leave with actionable tools, templates, and inspiration to replicate similar partnerships in their communities. This workshop is ideal for educators, school administrators, nonprofit leaders, and advocates dedicated to equity in education.

The Safe and Supportive Schools Report Card shares data gathered from 146 unified school districts in California on district-wide policies and practices that support LGBTQ+ student wellbeing and education.

This workshop will break down the underlying California Education Code that guides the survey and report, share the statewide and regional data, and discuss how the report card can be used as an advocacy tool for local stakeholders. Participants will leave knowing what is expected of school districts in California and how to take that information back to decision makers in their district.

Secondary schools have seen an uptick in homophobic micro- and macroaggressions in recent years, both from within their school communities and from outside aggressors (Meckler et al., 2024). While those who suffer the most from these homophobic acts are queer students, queer teachers must not be forgotten in the fray. Schools and districts can enact changes to better serve and support their queer faculty members. While schools must make improvements to directly support their queer teachers, they must also better support their queer students in order to improve overall campus climate. Districts also have a responsibility to support their queer teachers through protective policy initiatives.

Self-harm is still a topic that is not talked about enough, especially with the growing concern for the safety of LGBTQIA+ youth. For many, self-harm is an invisible struggle, often compounded by stigma and shame that leads young people to conceal their behaviors. As more LGBTQIA+ youth come out at younger ages, there is increased attention on the heightened risks faced by this group, including a higher incidence of self-destructive behaviors related to social stigma and negative experiences. Research has shown that self-harm, along with depression and suicide, occurs at significantly higher rates among LGBTQIA+ youth compared to their peers. This disparity shows the critical need for providing LGBTQIA+ youth with resources that affirm their identities and increase support. As professionals and parents, it is important to be equipped with a clear understanding of the types of self-harm, average age range when it can occur, causes, populations, risk factors, as well as its connection to mental health challenges such as depression and suicide. It is imperative to provide protective factors for LGBTQIA+ youth in helping to replace self-harming behaviors with positive coping strategies. Compassionate, empathetic approaches are essential in engaging LGBTQIA+ youth, and this presentation provides evidence-based strategies for professionals, parents, and educators to respond to self-harm with care, sensitivity, and empowerment. By drawing on therapeutic techniques, lived experiences, evidence-based interventions backed in research, and experience from working with queer youth, this presentation offers actionable steps for combating self-harm and supporting LGBTQIA+ youth in their journey toward healing and resilience.