Over the summer I contributed a speeches and rally posters related to the passage of the LGBT Student Rights Law in Massachusetts to the New York City Department of Education’s Hidden Voices LGBTQ+ project for their middle school social studies curriculum.
The curriculum dropped on November 29th. You can read or download the study guides in the public facing version of the curriculum here. Included are my statehouse rally speech, a Leslie College Speech and a rally poster.
The Hidden Voices LGBTQ+ project was initiated to help New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) students learn about and honor the innumerable people who questioned and broke the normed expectations of gender and sexuality, and who were therefore often hidden from the traditional historical record. These individuals influenced the social, political, artistic, and economic landscape in so many ways, and their contributions continue to shape our history and identity. These lesson plans were developed by the NYCDOE Department of Social Studies and Civics in collaboration with scholars and teacher curriculum writers. These 20 lessons build on content found in the Hidden Voices: LGBTQ+ Stories in United States History guide, and provide models for teaching the Profiles and Portraits of an Era found in the book. All of the lessons contain new and exciting sources, including primary sources from local and national archives to make your curriculum more LGBTQ+ inclusive.
Hidden Voices: LGBTQ+ Stories in United States History examines individuals who questioned and broke the normed expectations of gender and/or sexuality, and who were therefore often “hidden” from the traditional historical record. These individuals influenced the social, political, cultural, and economic landscape of the United States in so many ways, and their contributions continue to shape our collective history and identity.
The NYCDOE Department of Social Studies’ Hidden Voices project allows students to find their own voice as they become analysts of the past and make connections between the past and the present. Hidden Voices: LGBTQ+ Stories in United States History is a continuation of the original Hidden Voices: Untold Stories of New York City History volume. Both books supplement and are aligned to the Passport to Social Studies curriculum. The design and included resources allow teachers to integrate and explore inclusive learning experiences that validate the diverse perspectives and contributions of underrepresented individuals and groups in the LGBTQ+ community.
Hidden Voices: LGBTQ+ Stories in United States History is the product of a collaborative effort between the NYCDOE, multiple institutions, and scholars. The 20 individual profiles and five portraits of an era essays featured in this instructional resource are just some examples of the range of LGBTQ+ figures and events that can be integrated within the broader historical narrative and social studies curriculum.