Beyond Pronouns: Creating Inclusive Classrooms for Queers of Colour

At the intersections of race, sexual orientation, and gender identity lies a ripe opportunity for educators to exercise and model inclusivity in their classrooms. In this session we will review the critical components to consider in creating a welcoming environment for LGBTQ2SIA+ and BIPOC students to feel safe to learn. We will explore the experiences of queer students of colour within education, reflect on our roles as educators to design learning environments where they can thrive, and explore practical and effective strategies to improve our practice with an eye toward anti-racism and SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity)-inclusion. Beyond Pronouns is for instructors who already have a grasp on the essentials of anti-racism and queer-inclusion and are keen to make lasting changes to their classroom community. 

About the facilitator

Chanelle Tye (she/her) is an equity and inclusion collaborator and facilitator who specializes in the areas of anti-racism and LGBTQ2S+ inclusion. She has a Master of Education in Equity Studies from Simon Fraser University with a focus on improving outcomes for organizational equity, diversity, and inclusion training. With 10 years of experience as an out queer public school teacher, she was recently the Provincial Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity (SOGI) Education Lead with British Columbia’s Ministry of Education. Currently, she partners with a gaggle of equity and inclusion specialists to educate about bringing justice to an unjust world.