Westwood Public Schools, School Engagement Committee’s latest “Conversations with Caregivers” forum focused on ways to support students who identify as LGBTQ and their families. The evening, hosted by Westwood Public Schools Office of Equity, Integration, and Community Partnerships, was led by Edward Byrne, who spent a decade as the coordinator of Student Diversity Programs with Cambridge Public Schools and helped shape Cambridge’s DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies.
The program gathered parents, community members, and some administrators in person at the Pine Hill Elementary School; other parents and community members joined via Zoom.
“We are here to find out how we as a community can continue to support our LGBTQ students and families,” said Lateefah Franck, Westwood Public Schools Director of Equity, Integration, and Community Partnerships. “How do we make Westwood an even more inclusive community?”
During introductions, many parents shared their family dynamics – some attended because they have children, or they themselves, identify as LGBTQ. Others are parents of straight children who want to learn more about how to become allies for the LGBTQ community.
“I want every student to feel a sense of belonging and to be able to share their authentic self,” said Donna Tobin, Westwood Public Schools Director of Social and Emotional Learning.
Byrne explained the definition of LGBTQ – the acronym commonly used for individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Next there was a discussion about the differences between gender identity, gender expression, and sex assigned at birth.
“These topics can be confusing for many adults, because they were never really taught,” said Byrne. “In my experience, no one has taken a lot of time to unpack this.”
Byrne shared a story about a high school student who identified as LGBTQ, and who walked into their school’s nurse’s office and saw a sticker which read “Ask me about my pronouns.” The student went on to say, “That was really amazing. Going in, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but that kind of told me what I can expect of this person, what I can ask of her. That was really cool. If I hadn’t seen that, I don’t know if I would’ve gone to her for anything.”
That story prompted a conversation about what other ways – aside from asking about pronouns – that students can be supported.
“I’ve found that messaging really matters, too,” said Westwood parent Jessica Stahl. “It meant a lot to us that our daughter came home from first grade with a Mothers’ Day card, and not a Mother’s Day card. And at Downey [Elementary School] the child-parent dance is called the Family Formal instead of something about gender binaries.”
Byrne also shared resources including local groups supporting mental and physical health for LGBTQ members of the community, online resources, and a list of language and gender-inclusive terms.
Several parents also shared things they are doing outside of the schools and in the community to foster LGBTQ acceptance.
“What I’ve heard here tonight is that what the [Westwood] schools are doing is fantastic”, said First Parish of Westwood Pastor JT Hills. “But what are we doing as a community? We have Westwood Pride and various groups, and these are great places to start. Having larger community events, connections, and changes are important. One-on-one conversations and having opportunities to stand up when we experience or hear [derogatory] things in our community is important.”
“We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to host speaker Ed Byrne as a part of our Conversations with Caregivers series,” said Meg Lutze, Westwood School Engagement Committee Co-Chair. “His presentation was insightful and thought-provoking, and provided an opportunity to connect with community members around ways in which WPS and the Westwood community can do more to support our LGBTQ+ students and families.”
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