How You Can Make a Difference: A Guide to the First Amendment for LGBTQ+ Youth in Delaware
Not all schools and school districts are created equal, and sometimes it can seem like the rules and policies at certain schools are not very friendly to the LGBTQ+ community. Public school districts are run by school boards, which are people elected by the community to represent the school district, to decide what to do with funds, and to come up with policies for the schools in the district. Sometimes when we have just a few people making decisions for an entire community, the things they decide might not always align with the values and opinions of people they represent.
That’s one reason why it’s important to educate yourself about who is running for elected office in your community, because those people will have power over you and the people you care about. Unfortunately, if you’re under 18, you don’t have the right to vote – at least not yet. However, you do still have the right to express your thoughts to elected officials. The First Amendment gives YOU power. If there’s something happening at your school that you don’t like or that you’d simply like to make better, you can use those powers to try and make those changes happen.
Browse the Guide Below
Know Your Rights: A Guide to the First Amendment for LGBTQ+ Youth in Delaware, is packed with information related to students’ rights around LGBTQ+ expression in schools. Click through the links below to read our full guide!
⬆️ A digestible outline of the First Amendment and how it applies to LGBTQ+ students’ expression in schools.
⬆️ Language and definitions that are commonly used in conversations about LGBTQ+ communities and issues.
LGBTQ+ Students: Know Your Rights!
⬆️ A full list of rights that LGBTQ+ people are promised in schools - regardless of individual school policies.
How Can You Make a Difference?
⬆️ A list of ways that students can use the First Amendment to express themselves in schools.
The School Board’s Role in Your Rights
⬆️ Information about the role that school boards play in policy-making for schools, and how students can make their voices heard even if they can’t vote.
⬆️ A list of resources for LGBTQ+ students in Delaware.