As the LGBTQ+ community faces right-wing legislatures and activists attempting to curtail students from using bathrooms of their correct gender and playing sports on teams that match their gender identity, and as teachers face more pushback from radicalized school boards and parent groups, the ACLU of Wisconsin has put together a Wisconsin-specific guide to navigate the current climate. This guide, aimed at students, their parents, and teachers, outlines what rights each group has, what to do if those rights are limited, and where to find help.

For students, the guide outlines what rights they have in regard to “speaking out,” outlining petitions, social media use, civil disobedience, what can happen as a result of said actions, and what specific rights student journalists have. Students have a right, they outline, to “express their opinions through protest and other forms of speech, even if their views are controversial or make other students, staff, or faculty uncomfortable.” But they continue that “school administrators can intervene if the student’s expressive activities interfere with the school’s operation or the rights of other students. The mere suspicion that speech might disrupt the classroom, though, is not enough.” The guide continues with outlining rights about, and possible challenges to, pronouns, names, and bathroom usage. They state that while students do have the right to use restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity, “laws that support the rights of LGBTQ+ students are facing many legal challenges from transphobic and homophobic organizations and are subject to change.”

After detailing the rights of students, teachers, and parents with regard to clubs, book bans, and bullying, the guide outlines the structure of governance both for school districts, the state, and the federal government, as well as how rules and laws come to be. The ACLU details the role of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, who they are led by, and what their responsibilities are, and includes a flowchart of the Wisconsin Legislative Process Review. Crucially for parents especially, the guide ends by outlining the process for school boards, what their roles are, how to navigate the school board website, how to participate in meetings, and how to reach members if they have a concern or issue.

While not exhaustive in all of the rights of students, teachers, and parents, this toolkit is an approachable way to start understanding how to navigate those rights and how to advocate for them in an environment that has become increasingly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community.