Rainbow flags, cupcakes, arts and crafts - how autistic students celebrate LGBTQ+ history month
Inscape House School hosted their much-awaited LGBTQ+ History month event with lots of fun activities to encourage students to understand, celebrate and promote inclusive communities in school.
The most colourful festivity of the year returned at Inscape hall with multiple stalls ran by students:
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Library stand
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Bookmark making workstation
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Flag-making sensory station
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Colouring table
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“Guess Who?” game, celebrity edition
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Match the flags
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Cupcake station
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Pronoun stickers
Alice, student librarian, says "I took care of everything - choosing the books, carrying them here, arranging the table. I like reading and I think my next book will be the Heartstopper comic book series."
Small changes, big impact
Inscape House School has been working on normalising pronouns for a long time.
Last year for International Pronoun Day, students sent a letter to the headteacher to emphasise the importance of pronouns and to suggest ways to make the school even more inclusive. Staff printed out and distributed laminated pronoun cards for people to put on their lanyards or desks if they wished. This has prompted exciting discussions with a range of students.
This year we introduced pronoun stickers, an easier way to signal your gender.
Emma, lead teacher in the Nurture class said “Pronouns is something our class find very difficult. One of our students has changed their pronoun to she/her. We spoke with the class about respecting everyone's pronouns and today one of her classmates referred to the student as "she" independently and also said "it's their choice and that's okay".
LGBTQ+ culture and acceptance at Inscape House School
Proud Together was started as staff and student-run group by Stéphane, Phase Leader, that empowers students to learn about issues affecting LGBTQ+ people, share their own experiences, and create a more inclusive school and community.
The group has grown significantly since its beginnings and has now been extended into an LGBTQ+ staff network that frequently attends Manchester Pride Parade.
