LGBTQ Education Resources for Pride Month

In honor of Pride Month, AdoptAClassroom.org has compiled a list of free LGBTQ education resources and supply suggestions. We hope the list below will help you integrate more LGBTQ history and books into your lessons and provide tools to better support queer students. 

The Trevor Project reported that LGBTQ+ students who had a supportive school environment reported lower rates of attempted suicide. Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for queer students is essential to their overall health and well-being. 

There is legislation in many states limiting teacher’s ability to talk about LGBTQ topics, so please be mindful of your school’s policies before using these resources. 

If you’re a teacher and you have a resource that has been helpful to you, please email us at [email protected] and we may add your resource to our list.


Please note: AdoptAClassroom.org is sharing these resource(s) with the intent to spread awareness and promote conversation among educators. Sharing a resource is not an endorsement of the resource for classroom use. Educators are the experts on their students’ needs, their school’s policies, and the policies in their state. Please always be mindful if a resource is a good fit for your classroom.

The stock and availability of the following items may fluctuate. AdoptAClassroom.org cannot guarantee the availability of any of the items below. 


Free Teacher Leader Resources Now Available! 

AdoptAClassroom.org’s Teacher Leaders include educators from across the country who share their expertise and teaching experience with the wider AdoptAClassroom.org educational community.

You can now access these free resources from fellow educators by logging in to your AdoptAClassroom.org account. You can also find a step-by-step video on how to access our Teacher Leader resources on our YouTube channel.

Resources from Teacher Leaders are provided by our Spotlight Funds, which support areas/school subjects of greater need. 

Did you know? AdoptAClassroom.org offers grants as part of our Inclusive Classroom Fund to help teachers access resources for their classrooms. Our Inclusive Classroom fund can support GSA Clubs at high schools, teachers looking to get more LGBTQ+ books for their students, or other classroom needs as teachers strive towards inclusivity. Click here to register your classroom and be the first to hear about our grant opportunities.


Free LGBTQ Education Resources

Best Practices for Supporting LGBTQ Students

Pronouns 

  • GLSEN Pronoun Form is an important LGBTQ education resource to have on hand. It’s a simple template to ask students for their pronouns next school year.

  • The NEA offers a Pronoun Guide that is a simple and helpful explanation of why using the correct pronouns is important.

Questions about LGBTQ+ Topics 

LGBTQ+ History

A quick note: It’s important to remember that LGBTQ people have always existed and to include a person’s LGBTQ+ identity when teaching about them in context of history lessons throughout the year. 

Teachers: We’re looking for more free LGBTQ education resources to highlight in this blog! Please contact [email protected] if you have a resource you’d like to add. Make sure you put “Resource for Pride month blog” in your subject line. 

LGBTQ Education Resources from our Marketplace Vendors

AKJ Education

AKJ Education’s mission is to reduce the barriers—namely time and money—between you and the best quality supplemental materials for your classroom.

Featured: “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” by Rob Sanders

Harvey Milk was a pioneering gay activist and important figure in LGBTQ+ history. This book, which is appropriate for older elementary students, covers his lasting legacy of the Pride flag, which most students will recognize. You can use this free lesson plan from the Human Rights Campaign when reading this book. 

For middle and high school students, AKJ Education has a number of queer YA books, including the popular  “The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School” and “Felix Ever After.”

Lee and Low

Lee & Low Books is the largest multicultural children’s book publisher in the U.S., as well as one of the few minority-owned publishing companies in the country.

Featured: “When Aidan Became A Brother” by Kyle Lakoff

The winner of a Stonewall Book Award, “When Aidan Became a Brother” is the story of a young trans boy who has to get used to the idea of being an older sibling. This story will be relatable to many students’ changing family structures. 

Lee & Low also has a number of YA level stories like “Gabi, A Girl in Pieces” and “Jaya and Rasa: A Love Story.” 

Lerner

Lerner Publishing Group creates fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults. Founded in 1959, Lerner Publishing Group is one of the nation’s largest independent and family owned children’s book publishers with fourteen imprints and divisions. 

Featured: “Just Ash” by Sol Santana

Few YA novels focus on an Intersex main character, but #ownvoices author Sol Santana crafted a compelling teen dealing with the realities of his body and how that changes how others view him. As he deals, Ash becomes obsessed with his ancestor Bridget Bishop, who was executed in his hometown of Salem, Massachusetts, for witchcraft. 

Lerner has a number of LGBTQ education resources, including more queer YA novels and nonfiction books about historical queer figures like “No way, they were gay?: Hidden Lives and Secret Loves.” 

 Kaplan

From furniture to elementary curriculum materials, Kaplan Early Learning is your resource for early childhood education materials and school supplies.

Featured: What Makes a Family – Bundle of 4 Books

For elementary school students, learning about different kinds of families is a great way for them to expand their knowledge of different kinds of people in the world. 


Interested in these school supplies for Pride month and beyond? Register your classroom on AdoptAClassroom.org to gain access to our online fundraising platform and the catalog of Teacher Leader resources. Plus, registered educators are eligible for donation matches and giveaways throughout the year!