Standing Room Only at FAM Meeting

            Utah has been on the frontlines of the movement for equal rights within the LBGT+ community since 2013 when Judge Robert J. Shelby ruled on the case of Kitchen v. Herbert which allowed same-sex couples to obtain marriage licenses. Although, Utah has since made great strides in social justice, many feel that there are still many improvements that need to be made.

            Schools are one place where the state has yet to make any major adjustments. Because of this, laws regarding how teachers and administrators are allowed to deal with issues regarding sexuality are incredibly vague. Some, such as Kody Colvin and Tyson Price who are both elementary school teachers in Salt Lake, feel that enough isn’t being done to make students feel safe in their classrooms.

            Because of this, educators in the Salt Lake School District have created a group known as Friends Allies Mentors (FAM) to help address the needs of LBGT+ students. Through many employees’ concerted efforts, this group hopes to make a difference in the lives of Salt Lake’s youth.

            At the FAM meeting on November 9, 2016 in the Salt Lake District Office, the goal was to identify the most pressing needs of LBGT+ students and try to understand how to rectify them. It provided a platform for educators, administrators, parents, and children. The group hopes to create a better understanding of the hardships facing kids in Utah.

            “It’s mostly just to raise awareness,” Kody Colvin, an elementary school teacher and one of the main contributors of FAM, said.

            There were so many members of the community at the meeting that even after adding several rows of chairs, many attendees were still had to stand in the back and in the aisles. Some leaders of the event expressed excitement and appreciation for the widespread support.

            The conversations taking place were incredibly positive and solution-oriented. Many ideas were proposed, and everyone was very open to new thoughts.

            Given the turnout at the FAM meeting, equal rights for the LGBT+ community are clearly concerning many who work in education, but the people who run FAM believe that they can put the school system on the right track to making sure classrooms are a safe space for all students.