Affirming Gender Diversity in Education: Understanding, Protecting & Supporting Gender‑Diverse Youth in School

Rainbow Connections MasterClass Series

Affirming Gender Diversity in Education: Understanding, Protecting & Supporting Gender‑Diverse Youth in School

November 12, 2025

This 1-hour workshop equips educators with the essential knowledge and tools to affirm and support gender-diverse students in K-12 school environments. Grounded in the Gender 101 framework from TransFamily Alliance and current California law, the session explores how gender diversity intersects with learning, student well-being, and classroom dynamics. Participants will gain insight into the internal and external stressors experienced by gender-diverse youth and develop strategies for mitigating their impact on academic success. Special focus will be given to navigating conflicts between student needs and parental resistance or misunderstanding, in accordance with California’s legal and ethical responsibilities for schools and more broadly. Educators will leave with increased confidence in their role as affirming adults and legal stewards of student rights.

What We Will Cover

Defining key gender-related concepts that educators should know
Overview of student rights in California
Understanding parent rights in CA and where they intersect or diverge from student rights
Educational impacts: how gender-based stressors and lack of affirmation affect attention, engagement, attendance, and academic achievement
Strategies for parent–teacher communication when families are unsupportive or uninformed
Legal and ethical responsibilities of educators when navigating student disclosure, privacy, and safety

Learning Objectives

Define foundational gender concepts and explain how they relate to student experiences in educational settings.
Identify the rights of gender-diverse students under California law, including privacy rights, access to affirming facilities, and the ability to self-identify at school.
Describe how gender-related stress (e.g., misgendering, lack of affirmation) can impact a student’s learning, engagement, and behavior.
Apply practical strategies to manage difficult conversations with unsupportive parents while maintaining student-centered, legally compliant practices

Presenters

Jen Hastings

Jen Hastings, MD (jen/jen) Board Certified in Family Medicine, has been providing transgender health care for many years. Dr Jen is part of Ibis Reproductive Health, a research group studying the reproductive needs and experiences of transgender and gender expansive people in the US, and a national consultant and educator on transgender healthcare, increasing medical access and understanding.
Jen is also an abortion provider with Aria Medical Group. In Santa Cruz, Jen is the physician consultant with SafeRx and the Health Improvement Partnership, working with Opioid Safety, Behavioral Health integration, Trauma Informed Care and Mindfulness in Medicine.

Shawn V. Giammattei, PhD

Shawn V. Giammattei, PhD is a clinical psychologist & WPATH certified member/mentor, specializing in couple & family therapy with a particular focus on trans youth and their families. He is the founder & CEO of the Gender Health Training Institute & TransFamily Alliance, a research consultant, international speaker, community educator, and professor teaching graduate and post-graduate courses in LGBTQ psychology, family systems, and gender affirming care, as well as the author of several articles and book chapters on gender, sexuality, and family work.

Juliette Greenham

Mexican writer, former strategy director at international organizations and DEI expert at Gender Health Training Institute. Juliette is coaching the most important organizations in Latin America to change their culture towards trans inclusivity, implementing solid policies and procedures. Juliette helps trans families in their Gender Journey, translating gender-affirming care to the Latin American culture, helping families understand it and remove cultural obstacles so they can flow and be at peace with the process.