2021 Pride Month #3
- Wed, Jun 9 2021
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Community Spotlight
Andrés Cano represents the 3rd legislative district in the Arizona House of Representatives.
Raised by a single mom, Andrés, 29, saw a path for advancement in Arizona’s public schools. He is a first-generation college graduate.
In 2012, Andrés accepted a position as a senior aide to Pima County Supervisor Richard Elías in Tucson, Arizona. He became the youngest policy advisor in the County's history, overseeing the Supervisor’s constituent outreach and neighborhood relations.
Six years later, in 2018, Andrés, a Democrat, was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives.
Representative Cano sits on the House Committee on Ways & Means, and the House Committee on Natural Resources, Energy, & Water.
Who or what inspires you to work in Arizona’s education community?
I was elected at the height of the #REDforED movement in 2018- a time when Arizonans from all walks of life demanded meaningful investment in our public schools. This historic call-to-action transformed our state. Today, I remain inspired by the thousands of Arizona educators and support staff who are working around the clock to provide hope and opportunity for our children and youth.
What’s one way our classrooms can be more culturally responsive and inclusive?
As Arizona's youngest LGBTQ+ lawmaker, I'm grateful for Superintendent Hoffman's commitment to creating safe spaces for our queer students and allies. One of the simplest actions to lift up our most vulnerable is to listen closely and to be willing to communicate stigma-free. As a teenager, I felt supported most when my teachers let me know they were rooting for my success, no matter what. This gentle and critical nudge went a long way to helping me understand a solid foundation of loved ones were cheering me on.
Resource
"From Learning for Justice and hosts Leila Rupp and John D'Emilio, Queer America takes listeners on a journey that spans from Harlem to the Frontier West, revealing stories of LGBTQ life we should have learned in school. This podcast is produced in partnership with the University of Wisconsin Press, publishers of Understanding and Teaching U.S. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History. The first episode "Incorporating LGBTQ History into Your Classroom" offers a conversation with Historian Daniel Hurewitz who offers strategies for integrating LGBTQ History into your curriculum. He shares lesson examples from U.S. history and insights from educators already teaching queer history in their classrooms."
Incorporating LGBTQ History into Your Classroom
Event
"The Navajo Nation lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and two-spirit community and its allies will host the largest Indigenous Pride in the country in its sovereign capital of Window Rock, Arizona - from June 14-20, 2021.
All planned events will be virtual with a few in-person safe events that will acknowledge the lifelong work of Navajo matriarchs - the Indigenous women who uplift our Sovereign Nations.
Organizers from Diné Pride have announced a monumental week-long celebration that includes several virtual community conversations for Indigenous LGBTQIA+ women, a socially distanced Pride Closing Ceremony with national headliners, the first-ever Indigenous Pride Parade & March, and a rainbow lighting of the Navajo Nation Council Chamber."
Learning Together
Edutopia: Supporting LGBTQ Students in Elementary School
Any reference obtained from this blog to a specific product, process, or service does not constitute or imply an endorsement by the ADE of the product, process, or service, or its producer or provider. Any suggested lessons or classroom materials in these blogs do not supersede the curriculum and materials decided upon by local education agencies.
