Transgender Awareness Week

The National Transgender Week of Awareness from Nov. 13 – 19 works to help “raise the visibility of transgender people and address issues members of the community face,” according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Over 5% of our student body identifies as transgender (an umbrella term for anyone who does not identify with their gender assigned at birth) or non-binary. Our district is proud of our transgender students, families, and staff. Our DPS community members who identify as transgender and/or non-binary deserve equitable access to education, opportunities, safety, and inclusion. DPS continues to make bold, unapologetic moves to support our transgender and non-binary students.

Our district continues to build programming and structures to unapologetically uplift transgender and non-binary visibilty, inclusion and joy. In the upcoming year we will be increasing visibility through a documentary film project, striving for greater inclusion by piloting a teacher-driven equity program, and celebrating joy with a GSA Summit specifically for DPS students. This year, we are honored to start this important week with testimonials from parents of just a few of our many transgender and non-binary students and to end the week with a powerful statement from one of our transgender students. 

In 2021, DPS updated registration packets to more inclusive of transgender and non-binary students, began collecting data on the lived experiences of our LGBTQ+ students, and participated in a state-wide family summit. Our new superintendent met with four LGBTQ+ specific groups on his listening tour.  We continue to implement the all-gender restroom mandate introduced in 2020 and are seeing many students access our gender updates to Infinite Campus.