LGBTQ+ Engagement is a foremost focus of Denver Public Schools. DPS has long supported the right of students and team members to be out and proud. DPS has marched in the Denver Pride Parade for several years, our policies and protections specifically name LGBTQ+ students, and our LGBTQ+ BELONG group helped the Culture, Engagement and Leadership Team (CELT) create LGBTQ+ trainings and supports our LGBTQ+ staff. Many schools have Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSA’s) and we continue to build more. In 2019, DPS formalized LGBTQ+ support by creating the LGBTQ+ Equity Program Manager position. This position supports all LGBTQ+ efforts across our district. 

Reclaiming the Narrative: A Film About LGBTQ+ Students

Stories of LGBTQ+ youth often feature a damage-centered narrative, and LGBTQ+ professional development opportunities for educators tend to focus on foundations of learning—pronouns, inclusive vocabulary, and all-gender bathrooms. While these are incredibly important subjects, there’s more that’s needed to help educators understand how to develop and nurture relationships with LGBTQ+ students, and how to celebrate the whole LGBTQ+ child.  This is why Denver Public Schools and A Queer Endeavor have partnered to create a new documentary, Reclaiming the Narrative: A Film About LGBTQ+ Students. The Denver Public Schools Culture, Equity and Leadership Team and A Queer Endeavor—a nationally renowned center for gender and sexuality in education based in the University of Colorado Boulder’s School of Education—will celebrate the premiere of the film on Monday, June 5, at a private event with educators, students, and families. We can coordinate attendance with the media.  “Reclaiming the Narrative” is an important film that features the stories and perspectives of 16 students in 13 Denver high schools. Their stories paint a broader and more nuanced picture of LGBTQ+ youth. While recognizing some of the challenges LGBTQ+ students face in schools, their stories reframe and disrupt detrimental narratives with moments of joy and celebrations of intersectional identities.  Denver Public Schools and A Queer Endeavor are confident the film—which will be the foundation for a new professional learning opportunity for educators in Colorado and beyond—will provide educators with a deeper understanding of the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth.

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To Access LGBTQIA Resources for Team Members, click the Pride Flag: