Proud & anti-LGBTQ legislation spreads across the nation, Nueva’s new Gender Inclusion Policy aims to solidify a network student and faculty support

fostering a more inclusive environment is through its new all-school Gender Inclusion Policy, which is scheduled to take effect this fall.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 control what teachers can and can’t say by creating an environment where they are forced to ignore the existence of a whole group of people.”

Charlie added that the legislation could trigger ripple effects beyond the queer community.

“[The bans] harm people who aren’t LGBTQ as well, since they are being robbed of education that could potentially help them become more supportive and informed individuals,” they said.

Director of Technology Rynelle Chen agreed; for her, silence and censorship can be more detrimental than overt discrimination.

“I think the politicians understand that if you’re not able to have a conversation, you’re not able to change. It’s that simple,” Chen said. “You’re relegating people to silence. And that is the worst thing that you can do.”

At the same time, Chen felt a slight sense of gratitude and relief as a queer person living in a more liberal and accepting area.

“I’m glad I live in California, I’m glad I’m in the Bay Area, and I’m glad I work at a place where those are not our policies,” said Chen, who came out as transgender to the wider Nueva community in March.

California has historically been considered a haven for queer people. It was the first state to legally recognize same-sex relationships in 1999. And in July 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that protects families of transgender youth traveling from states with transphobic laws to seek gender-affirming care.

However, even in a more progressive enclave like the Bay Area, Communications and Website Manager Rachel Freeman still highlighted the “emotional impact” of anti-LGBTQ legislation in other states.

“No one wants to feel like their ability to live freely in this country is under attack, regardless of whether you live in a state that’s on the attack or not,” said Freeman, who is a faculty co-advisor of QSU. “It’s hard to think about the fact that if I lived in a different zip code, my reality could be very different—one where I do not have job protections, housing protections, or healthcare protections.”

Visiting friends and family who live in states “actively pursuing anti-LGBTQ legislation” has also become more difficult, she said.

“I’m not sure how I’d feel visiting one of these states,” Freeman said. “For example, if I get hurt and need medical attention, will the doctor be allowed to refuse to care for me?”

That fear has also manifested itself as students prepare for their life beyond high school. When applying for college, Abi W. ’23 left states with anti-queer laws off of her list.

“The rights of queer people to just exist are being attacked,” Wee said. “I didn’t apply to colleges in states that have strong anti-queer legislation, and I don’t want to go to Florida ever. As a queer person, it’s really scary—what’s going to come next?”

And although Nueva has overall remained progressive and accepting, Jacobstein advised that the school continue to remain proactive in the fight against homophobia and transphobia.

“We tend to give ourselves a pass like, ‘we’re a super liberal community, we’re perfect,’” Jacobstein said, “but we’re not immune from imperfections.”

One of the steps Nueva is taking towards

II. THE POLICY

The policy was not an overnight decision; it has been in the making for almost two years.

In September 2021, a committee was formed with the goal of creating a student gender inclusion policy, as well as one for employees. Led by Alegria Barclay, former Social Justice and Equity Director, and consisting of Frost, Chen, Freeman, and other teachers across all three divisions, the committee first brainstormed issues the policy should address.

Overall, the policy aims to solidify norms around gender inclusion at Nueva, including setting guidelines for trips, privacy and confidentiality, and standardizing the process for transitioning students.

“We believe that all students and adults in our community deserve to thrive in an environment where students, faculty, and staff are not distracted by fear nor disengaged from learning because of non-acceptance by others in our Nueva community,” the policy reads.

“Specifically, we strive to create an environment that welcomes and celebrates all genders and gender identities.”

“Some of what’s included in the gender inclusion policy seems very obvious, like ‘We respect all genders,’” Freeman said. “Yet, it still needed to be codified. We believe that 90 percent of the policy represents what we already do, and 10 percent is what Nueva wants to be.” the technological aspect of process, including changing student identification cards. especially important to support might have come out at school home.

“One of the questions is: How are we as a school to support a student who or split in their life? And represent something accurately and also accurately to the adding that she had lived years before finally coming know it’s really hard, because it.”

The policy also outlines Support Plan for students transitioning. It includes the student to fill out alongside about how they want to navigate at school.

“There’s a lot of student process,” Freeman said. “Students over who knows this information when, and how.”

After the initial policy Freeman and Barclay, a lengthy ensued. Among those who were Nueva's leadership office, the school's lawyers, members who are parents children. For Freeman, it the time to include those

“We wanted to make sure to sit with the draft and provide feedback,” Freeman explained. would likely have led to holes may have left out some important from whom we wanted feedback.”

Freeman, Barclay, and Savannah Strong also prioritized with students throughout year, the student policy was Student Union’s leadership multiple conversations about were held during QSU meetings.

The main feedback from especially around the transition

“We wanted to make sure have as much information what would be shared and kept confidential,” said QSU N.

The affinity group also think through the implementation of the policy, specifically

Included in that 10 percent was a desire to solidify a network of support for students who are transitioning. Currently, the policy includes two appendices to address this: the Gender Support Plan and the Gender Transition Support Plan.

The Gender Support Plan serves as a guide for ensuring that transgender students have support systems and that students and staff are aware of transgender students’ names and pronouns.

“One of the big pieces of it is around communication and working in tandem with the student,” Freeman explained.

“The plan asks students, ‘Who do you want to know? How do you want the school to tell them? What is the timeline for that?’”

The plan also aims to standardize

Nueva’s network of

of the transition changing email addresses and cards. For Chen, it was support students who school but not yet at we are grappling with school going to be able has that bifurcation how can the system accurately to the parent, the student?” Chen said, a dual life for three coming out at school. “I because I’ve lived through outlines a Gender Transition students who are actively a checklist and form for alongside a trusted adult navigate their transition student agency built into this “Students have control information about them, was drafted by lengthy review process who reviewed the policy team, the business lawyers, and two faculty parents of transgender was important to take diverse perspectives. sure everyone had time provide thoughtful explained. “Rushing this holes in the policy, and important constituents feedback.”

Barclay’s successor prioritized working closely the process. This was reviewed by Queer leadership team, and about the policy meetings. from QSU? Clarity, transition process. sure that kids information as possible on and what will be QSU co-lead Nora also helped implementation in regards to Nueva's trips program—which, at the Upper School, now includes a fill-in-the-blanks template for disclosing information about gender norms in trip locations.

In addition to laying down the foundations for gender inclusion at school, Freeman said the policy also highlighted the need for training for all faculty and staff to ensure that they have the resources to help queer students.

“We need to make sure that teachers know how to engage in those conversations,” Freeman said. “This spring, there’s been a lot of work done around faculty and staff professional development.”

The employee policy was launched in November 2022; Nueva hopes to launch the student policy by the beginning of the next school year.

III. THE POLICY’S IMPACT

In March 2023, Chen officially became the first employee to transition at Nueva under the new Gender Inclusion Policy. Gaining the formal protection and backing of the school was a relief for Chen, who had previously feared losing her job due to her gender identity.

“I think it’s really important that the school has this policy,” Chen said. “Independent schools aren’t government-run, so they can be swayed one way or another by a collection of people. The policy is a statement of acceptance and of what the community values.”

Nora is hopeful that the Gender Transition Support Plan will “give a clearer and more transparent process” for what coming out as trans might look like at school.

“I hope that this will make Nueva a safer environment and also ensure that students know how different things regarding gender identity and mental health will be handled, as well as just generally what the process and support looks like,” they said.

Freeman hopes the policy can serve not only as a practical tool that people can point to when discrimination arises but also as a symbol of Nueva’s ongoing commitment to supporting the LGBTQ community.

“This policy isn’t going to solve everyone's problems right away,” Freeman said, “but I hope it is a step in the direction to show queer employees and queer students that the school is invested in making their experience at Nueva better.”

Beyond the Nueva sphere, Freeman also hopes that the policy can serve as a model for other institutions.

“It is so important, now more than ever, that organizations that have the power to create such a policy actually do,” Freeman said. “This may sound a little lofty, but perhaps other organizations seeing a school like Nueva institute a policy can provide the catalyst.”

Freeman highlighted Nueva’s unique position as “an innovative, forward-thinking institution” and the significance of showing that a policy is necessary even in “what is perceived to be a liberal bastion (the Bay Area).” difficult to address these types of non-inclusion.

“When people say transphobic or homophobic things, nothing’s done about it in a way that prevents it from happening again,” Abi said. “It makes people feel unsafe, but in a more insidious way.”

Jacobstein also acknowledged the complexities of privilege and intersectionality. For example, she observed that all of the QSU faculty advisors are white and cisgender.

“I feel super comfortable at work, but that might not be true for other people,” Jacobstein said.

To help all queer people feel comfortable at Nueva, the community has taken significant steps outside of the policy to integrate and celebrate the LGBTQ community. In April, QSU led a roundtable discussion on anti-trans legislation to commemorate International Transgender Day of Visibility. And the allschool Pride Month assembly this year featured a performance by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, an event also organized by QSU. This year, Nueva will again be marching in the San Francisco Pride Parade alongside other Bay Area independent schools.

QSU co-lead Sofia T. ’24 observed that there is still work to be done; for example, societal expectations surrounding masculinity might make it more difficult for students who were assigned male at birth to come out and attend QSU meetings.

“I get the sense that it’s harder for AMAB [assigned male at birth] queer people to be well integrated into and accepted in primarily straight friend groups,” Sofia said. “That’s something that we definitely want to try to address next year.”

Chen especially emphasized the importance of cementing Nueva’s stance amid potential changes in the surrounding political or legal climate.

“Our hope is that the school will continue to keep that policy even though the laws may change,” Chen said. “For example, what happens when the state of California gets an ultraconservative Republican governor?”

So far, students and staff agreed that Nueva has remained relatively shielded from the turbulent national landscape, even before the implementation of the policy.

“One of the reasons I came to Nueva was because it seemed like a more accepting place than my last school,” said Charlie, who was one of the early student reviewers of the policy. “My last school didn’t feel as educated [as Nueva] on LGBTQ stuff. At Nueva, I’m able to be out without having to think about it; it’s just who I am.”

“Nueva has not only allowed me to be out but has also really encouraged me to be out,” Frost said. “Administrators have asked me to share stories about coming out with students.”

Despite Nueva’s accepting attitude, Jacobstein noted that subtle biases still exist within the community.

“If you come out, you’re pretty much guaranteed that you’re not going to be shoved in a locker or have lunch thrown at you like in an 80s movie, right?” Jacobstein said. “But sometimes what’s more insidious is maybe a microaggression here, a meme post on the group grade Discord there. It's these little moments of non-inclusion.”

Abi agreed, pointing out that it can be

Next fall, QSU hopes to include more AMAB students and students of color on their leadership team. Abi also hopes that the affinity space will continue to be “a base to spark advocacy,” from standing up to microaggressions to planning pride events.

“More advocacy, more involvement, more events, more roundtable discussions, more opportunities for community building!” Wee said. “I want to expand what we are doing already.”

Overall, Chen ultimately believes that the best way to foster a more informed and accepting community is by engaging in conversation around gender and sexuality.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion. What they do with that opinion is something totally different,” Chen said. “I hope people can understand that diversity is always good for any community. In the Beloved Community, everyone has a seat at the table.”