🏫 Back-to-School Tips for MA LGBT+ Students 📚
Get prepped for a new academic year & know your rights as a Massachusetts LGBTQIA+ public school student!
With two weeks until the first day of school for Dracut students (and even sooner for those attending the Voke), it's officially back-to-school season! Summer dwindles with the ever-earlier setting sun, last chances at vacation shenanigans nipping at the heels of students and teachers alike. Many students have anxieties about starting up a new semester. For LGBTQIA+ students, the anxieties around school are amplified due to fears around safety & support for students of marginalized romantic attractions or gender identities.
From a queer Millennial Middies alum (DHS Class of 2010) to current Middies & other students sailing through the public education system: you're beautiful, you're valid, and you have a variety of resources at your disposal! You are never alone, and you are always deserving of safety & welcome.
🏳️🌈 Tips for LGBT+ Students this
2025-2026 Academic School Year 🏳️🌈
❔Ask for Pronouns & Discover Who's Safe to Share Yours
When you meet another person—whether a peer, teacher, or staff—ask for both that person's name and pronouns. Most often, folks will be kindly receptive to the question—an indication that sharing your own name & pronouns will be a safe and welcome thing to do! This is something everyone can and should do to help create a safe, inclusive space for all. Cisgender students and teachers sharing their pronouns helps tremendously in the ongoing creation of safe spaces.
🌈 Join Affirming Clubs & After-school Organizations
School improves by leaps & bounds when you find your social community. Take advantage of the various clubs, sports, and organizations your school has to offer. (For me, I was a marching/concert band geek, and to this day, some of my fellow former DHS musicians remain beloved friends of mine!)
GSAs in particular (Genders & Sexualities Alliance) provide welcoming spaces for LGBTQIA2S+ students & allies to come together, hang out, and create community focused on inclusion, justice, & celebration.
Whatever you decide to try—whether that's theater (acting or stagecraft), art club, the aforementioned GSA, Yearbook Committee, orchestra, concert band, the school newspaper, running track, etcetera—may you find what sparks joy!
🧑🧒 Find a Trusted Adult
An adult you can trust offers immense help when navigating life in the K-12 education system. This adult can be a teacher, guardian, guidance counselor, coach, librarian, club advisor, para-educator, or even a school custodian! These trusted adults can help support you if you're dealing with bullying/harassment, trying to find counseling resources, or you just need to vent a little about something school-related!
🥰 The Joys of Self-Expression (& the Question of Closets)
Exploring various forms of self-expression is a joy every human has, but it's especially exciting as a young person! Figuring out what aesthetics you enjoy, how you like presenting yourself, and what hobbies or passions drive you is all wrapped together in a bundle of self-discovery.
Experiment with fashion; try listening to new genres of music; pickup a new instrument; test-drive some new makeup looks; sample new kinds of cuisine; dabble in an old favorite hobby; play around with new games; the list is nearly endless! Follow your heart, and authenticity will follow.
When it comes to the question of coming out of the closet, the answer is one only you can provide. The decision to come out is yours alone. Ask yourself if you have at least one person you can count on for support. Familiarize yourself with your local state's laws regarding LGBTQIA+ protections for youth as well as adults. Remember, too, that coming out is an ongoing process. You will come out of the closet many times to many different people. Priority number one, though, is your safety. It is draining to hide a quintessential part of yourself; if you can't safely be out at school or in public, try to come out to trusted friends in private. GLSEN offers a list of tips & considerations for students who wish to be out & proud.
🗃️ Check Your Records
"If you are going back to school using a different name or pronoun, there are ways that you can prepare. You can change the information on your school records by reaching out to your school office or guidance counselor. Another option is to email your teachers before classes start and explain how you wish to be addressed throughout the school year. You can also ask them to call out only last names to give other students the opportunity to share the name they go by rather than what is automatically listed on the roster. A reminder: you must explicitly state how you wish to be referred to depending upon the audience (to avoid being outed.)"
-GLSEN Back-to-School Tips for LGBTQ Students
Additionally, Massachusetts public school students have the right to update their names & gender markers in the Student Information Management System (SIMS) to one of three currently available options: M (male), F (female), or N (nonbinary). For more information, checkout this FAQ from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
🏳️⚧️ Safe Binding & Tucking Tips for Gender Diverse Youth
Binding & tucking are practices done to help alleviate gender dysphoria among trans & genderqueer folks. It's vital that these practices are done correctly and in a safe manner to maintain good health.
Some binding golden rules: never bind more than 8 hours a day; never wear a binder to sleep; and never use duct tape or bandages to bind one's chest. If you can't afford a proper binder from a retailer like GC2B's affirming apparel, checkout free binder programs like this one from Point of Pride.
When tucking, only ever use medical tape—never use duct tape. Besides tape, consider specially designed tucking underwear available through retailers like TomboyX.
If you're concerned about any safety or long term effects of binding or tucking, speak with your medical provider or a trans-health resource center like the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition (MTPC) with their G.E.A.R. program (which will return in the fall).
⚖️ Know Your Rights
As a Massachusetts public school student, you have a number of state-protected rights. These rights extend to protection against discrimination for sexual orientation or gender identity. DESE provides all schools with guidance on creating a safe, supportive school environment. If you are an LGBTQ public school student in Massachusetts, know that:
- Free speech rights extend to students' expression regarding sexual orientation and/or gender identity
- Equal treatment is the law in school programs & extracurricular activities, including sports
- Students have the right to keep records private from people other than parents or guardians (with rare exceptions)
- Legal protections are in place against bullying, harassment, and discrimination
🚫 Befriend the Block Button
Social media is designed for engagement & corporate profit, not wholesome community-building. One must actively engage in curation of their respective algorithmically defined online social spaces to create a place that doesn't deal instant psychic damage. Muting and blocking certain accounts on various platforms is necessary! Those features are there to be taken advantage of. Balance out the onslaught of negativity by following positive news sources, welcoming accounts, and supportive friends.
If you struggle with doomscrolling, consider using alarms, third-party apps, or features like Instagram's "take a break" option to allot yourself a certain amount of time for checking socials. A cute new productivity app that can help you stay off your phone and focus on tasks is Focus Friend by Hank Green—it's free without any ads! Try to leave your phone off your person at dinner time and before bed, too.
🔍 Tap Available Resources & Connect with LGBTQIA+ Nonprofits
There's a whole variety of individuals, organizations, and groups out there looking to help queer youth thrive during their school years—Rainbow Dracuteers included. Take advantage of these! The list includes the school-specific to the broadly-national.
- Guidance Counselors
For DHS students, there are four guidance counselors: Jennifer Bullard, Cynthia Canfield, Danielle D'Amato, & Geoffrey Kromer.
For GLTech students, HERE is the list of 2025-2026 School Counselor assignments and the LIST of Counseling Staff; the Director of School Counseling is Tracy Encarnacao, and the Administrative Secretary is Lisa Boyd. - GSA Clubs
"Genders & Sexualities Alliances, or GSAs for short, are student-run organizations that unite TQ2S+ & allied youth to build community and organize around issues impacting them in their schools & communities. GSAs have evolved beyond their traditional role to serve as safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in middle schools and high schools, and have emerged as vehicles for deep social change related to racial, gender, and educational justice."
At Dracut High School, English teacher Kerry Reynolds is the advisor for the GSA; for students at the Greater Lowell Technical High School, math teacher Ms. Helen Sullivan is the GSA Advisor. - The Trevor Project
A non-profit organization dedicated to serving LGBTQ+ youth. With public education programs, a crisis hotline, suicide prevention efforts, & online spaces for queer youth, The Trevor Project works hard to protect, uplift, and celebrate those young people on the margins of orientation & gender identity. - Greater Boston PFLAG Support Groups
"All of Greater Boston PFLAG’s work is driven by its vision of a world in which LGBTQ individuals are safe, supported, included, and equal in their families, in their communities, and in society. We are a group of parents, families, friends, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. We help change attitudes and create an environment of understanding so that our LGBTQ family members and friends can live in a world that is safe and inclusive. We accomplish this through support, education, and advocacy." - NAGLY & BAGLY
North Shore Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (NAGLY, located in Salem, MA) & Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth (BAGLY, located in Boston, MA) are queer youth centers that offer a variety of programs for teens & young adults in a welcoming, safe environment. Other AGLY networks can be found throughout the Commonwealth with a diversity of support groups & programs on offer. - Rainbow Chelmsford
A local grassroots group in the Merrimack Valley, Rainbow Chelmsford sponsors local theater performances, nonprofit fundraising for LGBT+ folks, and public outreach & advocacy for the queer community. - Center for Hope and Healing
Based in Lowell, MA, "The Center for Hope and Healing provides trauma and resilience-informed support and safe spaces for survivors to heal through its free and confidential counseling, legal and medical advocacy, and 24-hour crisis hotline. CHH uses a social justice framework to prevent sexual violence, advance equity, educate, raise awareness and organize in the communities it serves and beyond. CHH intentionally delivers anti-racist, innovative, culturally relevant programming designed for BIPOC, Black, Indigenous and other People of Color–survivors and communities which include immigrants, non-English speakers, Black girls, LGBQ/T–Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer/Transgender people, youth, men, boys, and others who have historically been un- or under-served." - SAYFTEE
"SAYFTEE is a socially conscious group practice offering a range of services including family therapy, individual therapy, couple/relationship therapy, groups, workshops, training, consultation, and supervision. We are committed to serving gender expansive and LGBTQI+ people and those who love them."
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NAGLY Staff Intros—Video Courtesy of Peabody Public Television
🍎 Student Self-Care
School can throw a lot at you—stressful group projects, looming deadlines, frustrating tests, social group drama, first-love heartbreaks, inflexible teachers, college applications, etcetera. Take things one-at-a-time.
Your mental health is paramount. Burning out like a meteorite will do no one any favors. Balance your work & expectations with patient self-kindness. Making space for relaxation, enjoyment, and time with friends is equally as important as maintaining a good GPA and study routine.
Kaye Crawford
✨ To the incoming freshman class of 2029:
You have four years of personal & social evolution ahead of you! Most everyone around you shares your worries and social anxieties. You are NOT alone! Take deep breaths and work at creating a routine that's right for your body, mind, and soul. Engage with your community and invest time & effort in the things that bring you joy.
✨ To the incoming senior class of 2026:
Your achievements thus far deserve to be celebrated! It is no small feat to complete all the requirements needed to graduate. In addition to academics, any of your extracurricular efforts also deserve to be lauded! In your senior year, do your best to live in the present and value the time you have with the friends & educators you love. Whether you plan to enroll at a college, take a gap year, apply for an internship, or enter the workforce, may you find acceptance & success with your diploma in hand.
✨ To ALL LGBTQIA2S+ students:
You deserve to both be safe & feel safe. You deserve to live authentically. You deserve to be surrounded by a supportive community. You deserve a world of kindness, acceptance, & celebration.
You are valid.
You are loved.
You are worthy.
You are beautiful.
You are sacred.
