Creating Affirming Spaces: Understanding Gender and Sexuality & Best Practices
Professional Development Day of Learning at
Pan American Academy Charter School
Lex is facilitating his session, “Creating Affirming Spaces: Understanding Gender and Sexuality & Best Practices” for the School Leadership Team and DEIB Task Force.
This professional development for Pan American Academy Charter School educators and staff will offer an immersive and thought provoking session loaded with opportunities to advance their knowledge and personal growth on topics of key relevance to their role as champions of belonging and equity.
Dates:
November 20th, 2025 from 1:00-3:00 pm est
December 5th, 2026 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm est
Program Description:
This program moves beyond providing participants with foundational information on gender and sexuality by uniquely incorporating skill building opportunities paired with tangible tools, takeaways, and best practices, for all to proactively reflect on their impact and put our knowledge into action to become effective allies in action in our everyday practices.
Content Areas Include:
1. Intersectionality
2. Break down of gender by separately addressing
a. Gender identity, gender expression, and sex designated at birth / affirming sex
3. Break down of sexuality by separately addressing
a. Attraction (emotional, romantic, and physical) and the LGB+ acronym
4. Defining gender roles, stereotypes, norms and gender attribution
5. Strategies for empowering all to engage in allyship and advocacy to be inclusive and affirming in daily interactions to best support queer, non-binary, and trans people
Objectives/Goals
1. Identify and understand the core terms and concepts related to gender and sexuality and how they influence our perception of others and impact our interactions
2. Understand assumptions, interactions and barriers that uniquely impact the experience of LGBTQIA+ people
3. Identify gender norms to move past assumptions and act from a place of affirmation
4. Leave with tangible tools and best practices to utilize as an effective ally in action to queer, non-binary and trans people and/or for self-advocacy
Takeaways
1. Critically think about areas of improvement to better support queer, non-binary and trans people using an inclusive and affirming understanding of gender and sexuality in our proactive allyship
2. Gain an inclusive and affirming understanding of gender and sexuality
3. Leave with next steps and tangible tools to put best practices into action
