Far too often, queer youth experience bullying at school and in other spaces merely for existing and expressing their authentic selves. Unfortunately, another queer teen has passed away after experiencing bullying at school for being non-binary. This episode is dedicated to Nex Benedict, an Indigenous, nonbinary youth who should not have had to endure the bullying that I believe caused their death. In this episode, we explore how discussing and learning about gender identity and diversity in early childhood may support young children to develop a respect for and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals. Listen to how early childhood leaders Carla Blue-Norton and Diana Herrera are making their voices heard and supporting other early childhood educators in embracing practices that support young children in understanding gender diversity.

Content warning: this episode discusses topics of violence toward LGBTQ+ youth and suicide.

Make sure to check out the following scholars and resources who helped inform our conversation for this episode:

• AP News: A nonbinary student’s death after a high school fight has been ruled a suicide. Here’s what to know
• Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Definitions from the Human Rights Campaign
• Book Banning
• Anti-trans Bill
• Anti-LGBTQ+ Legislation
• Next on 9 News with Kyle Clark: Colorado school district to replace Scholastic book fair with conservative-backed alternative
• NAEYC Article: Focus on Ethics: Gender Expression and Identity
• Children’s Books about Gender Identity and Expression

Want to connect with Carla and Diana? Reach out to Carla via email at cbluenorton@gmail and Diana via email at diana@dpp.org.

Want to connect with Julio? Follow him on Instagram at Juicy.J.86 or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/julio-alas-2573542a8/

Music Credits:

"Coffee Date" Beat Provided By https://freebeats.io, Produced By White Hot