Kansas City area district bans teachers from having ‘safe space’ signs for LGBTQ kids
The Grain Valley school board has told high school teachers to remove cards and stickers indicating to students that they are LGBTQ allies, a decision that on Monday was met with widespread criticism.
Officials in the eastern Jackson County school district emailed families on Monday that the school board “received a concern about the display of cards and stickers by some high school teachers to signal students could feel safe approaching them regarding personal LGBTQ questions.” The board directed administration to remove the cards and stickers, which may feature rainbows or text that reads, “Safe space for all.”
“Our goal is for every classroom to be a safe place for all students, not just in classrooms where teachers choose to display a particular sign,” officials wrote in the email. “We remain committed to providing professional development to help our staff create a safe, collaborative, and inclusive environment, consistent with our core beliefs, where each student feels a sense of belonging. The use of these cards, however, is determined to not be an appropriate step at this time.”
Many parents, teachers and advocates are opposing the decision, saying that LGBTQ students in the 4,500-student district need to know whom to turn to with questions or concerns.
“The fact that there were some teachers that had the signs and some teachers that didn’t indicates that there were not safe teachers, which personally I feel is the biggest issue here. No student should ever feel like any teacher is not safe to talk to,” Grain Valley parent Lacy Lynn told The Star.
Travis Holt, a Grain Valley graduate who is gay, said that hearing about the decision on Monday was “disheartening.” He is pushing for the school board to reconsider and “keep the students’ best interests at heart rather than buckling under pressure from a select few parents.”
“I was honestly just kind of sickened by it, because as a society we’ve taken steps toward progress, and it honestly feels like a step backwards on the school board’s part,” Holt said. “That was my home. I went to school there. And it’s hard to see. I found comfort with some of the teachers there, and that’s maybe not going to be the same for students going forward.”
Justice Horn, who is running for the Jackson County Legislature and serves on Kansas City’s LGBTQ Commission, tweeted about his own experience in the Grain Valley district and the importance of such signs in schools.
“In 2011, I tried taking my own life because I was bullied for being gay while attending Grain Valley South Middle School. My parents moved me out of the district,” Horn tweeted.
“This may seem small to some,” he said of the signs, “but to queer students who may feel like they don’t have a place, this means the world. This may save a kid from making a similar decision like I did because we didn’t have these.”
Melanie Willingham-Jaggers is the executive director of GLSEN, an organization that works to create inclusive schools for LGBTQ students. “Young people may feel less safe coming out in this current political climate, so it is critical for teachers and school staff to express their support for LGBTQ+ youth and create an environment where students can feel safe sharing their identity without judgement or harassment,” she said in a statement.
“This can include visible displays of support like putting up a safe space sticker or poster, or introducing yourself to your class with your pronouns. It can also include highlighting books and resources with positive LGBTQ+ representation and discussion of LGBTQ+ history in classes.”
GLSEN’s national survey of schools found in 2019 that many LGBTQ students do not feel safe in Missouri schools. In the survey of more than 400 Missouri students, 81% of LGBTQ students regularly heard homophobic remarks at school. The report said that 75% of LGBTQ students experienced verbal harassment based on their sexual orientation. And 57% of LGBTQ students experienced verbal harassment based on their gender expression.
This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 5:28 PM.
