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| Stonewall Schools Out | |
|---|---|
| Name | Stonewall Schools Out |
| Type | Nonprofit advocacy organization |
| Founded | 2016 |
| Headquarters | New York City, United States |
| Founder | Jordan Reyes |
| Key people | Jordan Reyes; Aisha Malik; Dr. Samuel Ortiz |
| Area served | United States; United Kingdom; Canada |
| Focus | LGBTQ+ youth rights; school policy; inclusive curricula |
| Methods | Legal advocacy; curriculum development; teacher training; litigation support |
Stonewall Schools Out is a nonprofit advocacy organization focused on promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion and safety in primary and secondary schools. Founded in the mid-2010s, the organization operates programs that intersect with legal advocacy, teacher training, curricular resources, and community outreach to address discrimination and bullying in educational settings. Stonewall Schools Out collaborates with a range of civil rights groups, school districts, and academic institutions to influence policy and practice.
Stonewall Schools Out was established amid debates following the 2015 cultural moment around the Supreme Court of the United States decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, the activism of Human Rights Campaign, and movements such as Black Lives Matter that highlighted intersectional vulnerabilities for youth. Founders drew inspiration from earlier organizations including GLSEN, Lambda Legal, PFLAG, and historical milestones like the Stonewall riots and advocacy by the National Education Association. Early partnerships linked the group to legal strategies used by ACLU affiliates and community organizing modeled on Gay-Straight Alliance networks. Initial funding involved foundations associated with Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and regional philanthropies in New York City, San Francisco, and Toronto.
The stated mission combines school-level intervention, policy advocacy, and educator training. Core programs include curricular development informed by researchers at Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Toronto; professional development modules used by the Department for Education (United Kingdom) pilot projects; and legal clinics run with clinics at Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, and New York University School of Law. Stonewall Schools Out produces model policies for school districts similar to those promoted by GLSEN and Safe Schools Coalition initiatives, and maintains digital resources inspired by repositories like Teaching Tolerance and Edutopia. Programmatic work also intersects with public health agencies such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for bullying prevention frameworks.
The organization has engaged in litigation support and amici curiae briefs alongside entities like Lambda Legal and ACLU in cases affecting school non-discrimination and restroom access. Campaigns have targeted municipal boards such as the New York City Department of Education, the Los Angeles Unified School District, and provincial ministries in Ontario to adopt inclusive policies. Stonewall Schools Out has lobbied state legislatures, worked with policymakers from California State Legislature and New York State Assembly, and filed administrative complaints with agencies like the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. Its advocacy influenced adoption of model guidelines echoing frameworks from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and references to Yogyakarta Principles in local policy briefs.
Community initiatives include regional conferences hosted with partners such as GSA Network, The Trevor Project, Stonewall (charity), and OutSchools. Stonewall Schools Out organizes training workshops at venues like Lincoln Center, university campuses such as University of Michigan and McGill University, and town halls coordinated with advocacy groups like ACLU of Northern California and Equality Texas. Annual events include film screenings, panels featuring authors published by Penguin Random House and Oxford University Press, and fundraisers with entertainers who have performed at venues associated with Carnegie Hall and Apollo Theater.
The organization has faced criticism from conservative policymakers and groups including Alliance Defending Freedom and state legislators in Florida and Texas who opposed its curricular materials. Opponents have compared its approach to contested laws such as Florida Parental Rights in Education Act and restrictions arising after actions by the Supreme Court of the United States in related cases. Internal critiques from some educators and scholars at institutions like University of Chicago and Columbia University have questioned program evaluation methods and metrics. Debates have cited tensions familiar in disputes involving GLSEN and Human Rights Campaign over pedagogy, parental rights, and secular curriculum standards.
Stonewall Schools Out operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a board composed of activists, educators, and legal scholars who have affiliations with Harvard University, Columbia University, University of California, Los Angeles, and nonprofit networks like Open Society Foundations. Major funders have included family foundations and philanthropic programs linked to Ford Foundation, Kresge Foundation, and regional donors active in Silicon Valley Community Foundation circles. Financial oversight aligns with reporting norms required by the Internal Revenue Service while governance practices reference nonprofit standards from BoardSource and consultancy guidance from firms that advise United Way affiliates.
Stonewall Schools Out has contributed to policy shifts in numerous school districts and influenced curricular adoption across municipal and provincial systems, prompting comparisons to the earlier impacts of GLSEN and The Trevor Project. Its legacy includes a network of trained educators, published curricular modules now used in teacher-preparation programs at universities such as Teachers College, Columbia University and reported reductions in harassment in districts that implemented its recommendations, measured in partnership studies with research centers at Johns Hopkins University and Stanford University. The organization continues to inform debates at intersections involving civil rights law, education boards, and youth mental health organizations like Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Category:LGBT organizations