National Science Teaching Association Holds Seminar Instructing Teachers On How To ‘Queer Your Classroom’

The National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) held a seminar called “Queer Your Classroom: Supporting LGBTQIA+ Students” on April 2 instructing teachers on “simple tricks and strategies to affirm and represent queer students” who are “marginalized in science,” according to an event announcement.

The seminar, led by Bronx High School of Science chemistry teacher Jamie Kubiak, who goes by “they/he” pronouns, instructed attendees on “how to affirm and represent queer identities” and make “impactful changes” to K-12 curriculum, according to the event announcement and slideshow.

Kubiak instructed teachers on the GLSEN “Gender Triangle Education Guide” which defines gender attribution, gender identity and gender expression, explaining that there is a common misconception that gender and sex are the same thing, according to the presentation slides. GLSEN, a national advocacy organization which aims to “transform” K-12 schools into a “safe and affirming environment” for LGBTQ students and other “marginalized identities” has been criticized by Parents Defending Education as a way to push political activism in American public schools.

No Left Turn in Education Founder and President Dr. Elana Fishbein told The Daily Caller New Foundation that the NSTA has “completely abandoned its educational mission to promote political ideology cloaked as ‘inclusivity,’”

“It is no wonder that America’s students score pitifully lower in science and math than many countries,” she added.

In the presentation, Kubiak provides “simple strategies” for queering classrooms, which includes a suggestion that teachers replace any terms or phrases that “reinforce the binary” like Prom King or Prom Queen.

Teachers are instructed to ask students for their gender pronouns rather than “assuming gender identity and misgendering with incorrect pronouns” and use terms like “everyone” or “you all” to avoid saying “guys.” A “sample student information survey” included in the slides, asks students their gender pronouns, if these pronouns can be used in front of the class, what pronouns the teacher should use when contacting a student’s family and what family members the student lives with.

Kubiak also suggests schools adopt a gender-neutral dress code, gender neutral bathrooms and other policies to “protect LGBTQIA+ students against discrimination,” which includes caution about the observation of holidays like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

The presentation suggests “queer” ideology can be implemented into every subject and provided examples for English, history, math and Spanish.

“In my chemistry class, I’ve infused talking about gender and sexuality even when it doesn’t seem like it would ‘fit’ or that there would be time,” Kubiak states in the slideshow notes. “When we talk about the electromagnetic spectrum, I connect the word ‘spectrum’ to how gender and sexuality can be a spectrum so that students can understand that there can be two ends but that values are possible in between.”

Kubiak also explained that when assigning the book, “The Disappearing Spoon” which does not discuss any LGBTQIA+ scientists, students are also instructed “to research an LGBTQIA+ scientist or other marginalized scientist and talk about how their identity played into their work or their discovery.”

Kubiak, NSTA, GLSEN and The Bronx High School of Science did not respond to TheDCNF’s request for comment.