An inclusive and welcoming learning environment is a central part of any productive classroom. Achieving this, however, is not simply a question of avoiding exclusionary language and practices. It requires an active effort on the part of instructors to acknowledge and respect students’ identities, while opening spaces for them to express themselves freely. For insights about this issue directly from students’ experiences, and for practical guidelines on how you can make your classroom inclusive for trans*, genderqueer, and gender-expansive students, consult these resources:
‘Ask Me’: What LGBTQ Students Want Their Professors to Know (video), Chronicle of Higher Education
Creating Inclusive Classrooms for Trans* and Gender-Expansive Students (page links to pdf), Gender Equity Resource Center, UC Berkeley
Trans* is an umbrella term meant to represent the breadth of gender diversity among those whose current gender identity is different from the gender they were assigned at birth.