Friends, Allies, and Mentors: Creating LGBTQ+ Inclusive Schools

After a disheartening legislative session for Utah’s LGBTQ+ community and their allies this year with the passing of a transgender bathroom ban and public school book ban, the movement to create a safe space for our youth to thrive as they grow into themselves is more timely now than ever. This Pride Month, meet two passionate educators—Dr. Kody Colvin and Dr. Alli Martin—who are leading the charge to foster an inclusive environment where all students can thrive.

As the co-founders of Friends, Allies, and Mentors (F.A.M.), the pair leads a collective of Utah educators who are passionate about LGBTQ+ inclusive schools and creating a state where all students can feel safe and supported. F.A.M. has a strong core group of educators who support and stand with LGBTQ+ youth on their own campuses across the state, while also helping to contribute to the different initiatives and trainings that the organization offers to schools, districts and fellow educators.

“Just because someone may be conservative, if I don’t first lean in and seek to understand before making any assumptions or judgments, I’m kind of creating that narrative for them.”

Utah has made strides over the last few decades to be more LGBTQ+ inclusive, with schools witnessing a small but growing faction of gay-straight alliances—which Dr. Martin explains was a controversial undertaking in the early 2000’s. Despite progress, many in Utah easily fall subject to mass hysteria and misinformation. In this year alone, conspiracies about furries in Utah’s Mt. Nebo School District made international headlines, legislators attempted to ban pride flags in schools and Utah State Board of Education member Natalie Cline publicly bullied a student she suspected was transgender.

“The fake issue is that we’re grooming children to be LGBTQ+, basically, and the real issue is that kids are still, by a large percentage, suffering from being in hostile environments throughout their childhood,” says Dr. Martin. Emphasizing instead problems that deserve proper attention, she explains: “Suicide is still a very real issue for our kids, but also drug abuse, absenteeism, other forms of self-harm that kids will engage in—because they don’t feel like they have a place in society.”

Dr. Martin’s advocacy over the last two decades hasn’t been without controversy, especially after the birth of her transgender daughter. “I’ve had my picture put up by Natalie Cline, been called a groomer and was told that I shouldn’t be able to raise my own child,” she says.

Teachers have become more paranoid than ever before, and for good reason. “I know teachers who have been swatted. I know teachers who have needed police escorts to get in and out of their rooms and been followed by people in their cars. Teachers have been so harassed and bothered by administrators and parents in their districts here in the state of Utah,” says Dr. Martin.

However, according to Dr. Colvin, it’s important to remember even when we’re politically divided across key issues—not everybody of the same political party or religious affiliation believes exactly the same thing. “Just because someone may be conservative, if I don’t first lean in and seek to understand before making any assumptions or judgments, I’m kind of creating that narrative for them,” he says.

“The fake issue is that we’re grooming children to be LGBTQ+, basically, and the real issue is that kids are still, by a large percentage, suffering from being in hostile environments throughout their childhood.”

From his perspective, it’s all too easy to shut down potential learning opportunities for people who may simply need a little more education before they’re ready to change their perspective. “Once you can touch their hearts, things start to shift for most people,” Dr. Colvin says. “That is why a lot of parents of queer children become strong advocates, because they have someone near and dear to them.”

Dr. Martin also added that when we think of antagonistic groups such as Utah Parents United—a conservative, Christian parents group that advocates for book bans in schools—“they’re not nearly as big as they want us to think they are and they’re not nearly as powerful. They don’t win battles. They just scare people into winning.”

F.A.M. recently hosted their annual rally on May 17 at the Utah State Capitol, where they conferred their 2024 Affirming Teacher award. To participate or nominate an educator next year, stay up-to-date on other upcoming events or to request trainings and other available resources, visit utahfam.org.

Read more from the Pride issue:
Mosaics: Provo’s Only Queer Bookstore
Inclusivity at it’s Core: What’s in Store for SLC Pride