AHA Session 242
LGBTQ+ History Association 7
Saturday, January 10, 2026: 3:30 PM-5:00 PM
Salon 7 (Palmer House Hilton, Third Floor)
Chairs:
Danielle Bennett, Graduate Center, City University of New York
Rachel Pitkin, Graduate Center, City University of New York
Panel:
Elizabeth Bergman, Wildwood School
Stacie Brensilver Berman, New York University
Kate Okeson, New Jersey Advisory Commission on Advancing LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity and Inclusion in Schools
Wendy Rouse, San José State University
Session Abstract
Myriad laws passed in the last five years, including those that broadly censor topics related to marginalized communities and “Don’t Say Gay/Trans” laws that currently exist in nine states have made history teachers’ jobs more difficult and contributed to a climate of fear and uncertainty for teachers who persist in including diverse voices and perspectives. These circumstances intensified with the recent Executive Order banning “radical indoctrination” in classrooms and threatening to withhold funding from institutions where those perspectives are woven into the curriculum. We are, therefore, at a critical moment in educational history where educators need support from outside the K-12 sphere as they seek to teach accurately and with integrity. For teachers who specifically seek to integrate LGBTQ+ history into their classes, this necessitates building connections among historians, pedagogical experts, and secondary educators who wish to create inclusive K-12 curricula. To fulfill this need, we propose a roundtable with historian and educator partners who have established such partnerships under multiple circumstances and can provide guidance, expertise, and insights for historians and teachers to establish similar models. The roundtable will also include a candid discussion about funding opportunities for continuing this work in view of the current federal government’s changes in policy. Our goal is to facilitate thinking about the potential these partnerships can serve and the impact of solidarity between historians and educators at various levels who value inclusive and up-to-date educational approaches and want to counter the harmful impact of restrictive legislation and intimidation-based campaigns.
This work is in line with the findings published in the AHA’s “The American Lesson Plan,” which argues that the contentious debates about history education that have captured public attention since 2020 generally lack evidence. Contrary to public claims, the report indicates that LGBTQ+ topics are taught unevenly, presented intermittently, and often solely in context of 20th century rights movements. Recent Executive Orders that rely on these outdated tropes about history education increase uncertainty among teachers hesitant to teach these elements of US History; while anti-inclusion initiatives seek to cut off funding for projects that improve access and support for this content.
Each presenter will share insights and ideas based on their experiences working in partnership with historians and K-12 educators, offering session participants pathways for building on this work and establishing collaborative environments of their own. We believe our work provides a critically important link between academia, the LGBTQ+ historical community, and middle and high school teachers who do the bulk of history education in the country.We are aware that we now undertake this work amidst a threat to teaching topics relating to gender and queer and trans history, and we do not dismiss it. Yet it is our belief that strengthening these bonds between historians, pedagogical experts, and K-12 educators will help all involved to outlast the political backlash we understand to be out of step with sound historical and critical thinking.
