Howard County, MD and the Rainbow Ribbon Certification: LGBTQIA+ health lessons, curriculum, and affinity groups for elementary students; no parental consent needed for gender identity changes

SUMMARY

Community Allies of Rainbow Youth (CARY), an LGBTQIA+ advocacy organization in Ellicott City, Maryland, has introduced the “Rainbow Ribbon Schools” (RRS) certification within the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS). In order to receive the designation, schools must include LGBTQIA+ health content and meet a LGBTQIA+ media collection quota.

The program is designed to promote LGBTQIA+ inclusion by requiring schools to meet a set of criteria, including integrating LGBTQIA+ content across curricula, establishing affinity groups and designated staff representatives, providing staff training, and demonstrating visible support for LGBTQIA+ students. Schools that partially meet the requirements can receive a “Rainbow Stripe” designation as they work toward full certification of a “Rainbow Ribbon” school.

In HCPSS, broader district policies promote LGBTQIA+ inclusivity. This includes guidelines that allow students to change their name or pronouns at school without parental consent.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In order to receive the designation, the elementary school level, there must be a LGBTQIA+ health lesson plan.
Similarly, elementary through high schools must not just offer but “promote” a LGBTQIA+ affinity group. Specifically, the third criteria, C3, reads, “The school must offer and promote a LGBTQIA+ affinity group or groups.” The document specifies, “Secondary schools must have a GSA/SAGA (or similar) club.” At elementary schools, they “must have a LGBTQIA+ affinity group, such as a Rainbow Reading Group, Lunch Bunch, Rainbow Family Group, etc.”
For the Rainbow Ribbon Designation, CARY requires that at least 5% of media purchases for the school year include LGBTQIA+ themed selections or that the school’s media purchases with LGBTQIA+ selections has increased by 5% during the application process.
Across Howard County schools, according to written policies, schools will facilitate gender identity changes for students without parental consent. According to the policy document, “A student has the right to be addressed by a name and pronoun that corresponds to their identity….parent consent is not required.”

RAINBOW RIBBON SCHOOL

Community Allies of Rainbow Youth (CARY)–an organization dedicated to LGBTQIA+ youth in Ellicott City, Maryland–has developed a new certification called “Rainbow Ribbon Schools,” or RRS for short.

This initiative aims to help the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) “provide a safe and affirming environment for LGBTQIA+ students.”

In order for a school to receive the “Rainbow Ribbon” designation, the criteria is as follows:

“Inclusive curriculum and instruction in which LGBTQIA+ identities are affirmed, and LGBTQIA+ people’s contributions are highlighted, across all content areas
Establish a Rainbow Representative in the school
Offer and promote a LGBTQIA+ affinity group
Work towards being free from bias-based bullying, harassment, and discrimination of LGBTQIA+ students
LGBTQIA+ staff and allies are visible in the school community
All school staff receive mandatory training on building an affirming and inclusive environment
At least one of the following criteria: all-gender restroom(s), student interactions, visual affirmations, and school-wide celebration”

Eight schools in the district received a “Rainbow Stripe” designation, signifying that part of the criteria on track towards “Rainbow Ribbon” was met.

At the elementary and secondary school level, a LGBTQIA-affirming health lesson must be included, and a LGBTQIA+ affinity group must exist as well. According to the requirements document, the school should not just “offer” the affinity group–they must “offer and promote” it.

Additionally, HCPSS has developed other “identity-affirming” practices, including the ability for students to change their “identity” and/or “pronouns” without parental consent.

Rainbow Ribbon School Designations

Last year, Elkridge Elementary School was recognized as the Rainbow Ribbon School for 2024-25, due to the following criteria shown in the photograph below.

Some of these criteria, for the elementary school, include “Offer and promote a LGBTQIA+ affinity group,” “Inclusive curriculum and instruction in which LGBTQIA+ identities are affirmed, and LGBTQIA+ people’s contributions are highlighted,” and “Establish a Rainbow Representative in the school,” among other criteria.

The webpage reads, “CARY commends Elkridge Elementary School for their work in affirming and supporting the LGBTQIA+ community at their school and looks forward to continued excellence.”

Last year, eight HCPSS schools were designated with “Stripe Recognition Awards,” one of the potential achievements on track to the “Rainbow Ribbon.”

These schools included: Atholton Elementary School, Centennial High School, Hanover Hills Elementary School, Howard High School, Ilchester Elementary School, River Hill High School, Talbott Springs Elementary School, and Triadelphia Ridge Elementary School.

Rainbow Representatives in Howard County Public Schools

According to Howard County’s website, every school in the district has at least one Rainbow Representative. The webpage shares that the goals for this group are to create a more welcoming community, provide instructional support, communicate information, and ensure that each school is an ally and advocate for LGBTQIA+ students.

Rainbow Ribbon Requirements

According to a document on the CARY website detailing the application process, schools have up to three years to complete their application. This process, to be initiated at the start of the school year, includes forming a committee–composed of community members, staff, and administrators to start the application–and then scheduling a focus group with the organization’s staff.

Following the school’s meeting with the focus group, for the following three months, the school will “identify areas of need” and “implement solutions.” By May of that same school year, the actual application is due.

“Rainbow Ribbon” and “Rainbow Stripe” designations are then announced during the district’s “Pride Week.”

Specific Criteria for the Rainbow Ribbon

There exists a series of eight criteria that schools must meet all of to qualify for the “Rainbow Ribbon.”

The first criteria, C1, is, “Demonstrate curriculum and instruction that affirms LGBTQIA+ identities and contributions across grade levels and subjects, using respectful language. Instructional materials and activities reflect the rich diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community, including but not limited to variations in race, ability, and culture (intersectionality).”

At the elementary school level, schools must provide six lesson plans, across grade levels, including a LGBTQIA health lesson plan. A health lesson plan, according to the document, “not omitting required content inclusive of LGBTQIA+ identities OR in the form of a lesson plan with a highlighted inclusive script” is acceptable.

The same curriculum and health requirement goes for the secondary school level.

The second criteria, C2, is to “Establish a Rainbow Representative (RR) for Your School.” According to the requirements, “Students in the school should be aware of the RR as a resource/safe space (as verified by the focus group.)”

The third criteria, C3, reads, “The school must offer and promote a LGBTQIA+ affinity group or groups.” The document specifies, “Secondary schools must have a GSA/SAGA (or similar) club.”

At elementary schools, they “must have a LGBTQIA+ affinity group, such as a Rainbow Reading Group, Lunch Bunch, Rainbow Family Group, etc.”

C4 and C5 consist of anti-bullying policies as well as identifiable allies, ensuring that students who participate in the initial focus group for the school know that they have a staff member who they can confide in.

C6 details professional learning. Under this requirement, “School staff receive training and information on building an affirming and inclusive environment.”

According to the criteria, this means: “At least 65% of the school staff participate in professional learning on building an LGBTQIA+ affirming and inclusive school environment. Examples include: Rainbow Conference participation; completion of an LGBTQIA+ CPD course; attendance at a staff or team meeting at which an LGBTQIA+ PL was conducted; or participation in an LGBTQIA+ book study”

C7 details the school’s media collection, or library purchases and other media selections in class. CARY requires that at least 5% of media purchases for the school year include LGBTQIA+ themed selections or that the school’s media purchases with LGBTQIA+ selections has increased by 5% during the application process.

The final criteria allows for schools to pick two items from the list: all-gender restroom, student interactions, visual affirmations, school-wide anti-bullying campaign, or school-wide celebration.

ADDITIONAL LGBT PROGRAMMING AND POLICIES

Pronouns/identity change without parental consent

According to the district’s “Gender-Inclusive Guidelines,” students have the right to choose their gender pronouns and identity, share that information with staff, and staff (teachers, administrators, etc.) have no obligation to share that with parents.

According to a section on “Commitment to Privacy,” “Students have the right to discuss and share their gender identity and expression openly and to decide when, with whom, and how much to disclose their information. If a student chooses to share their gender identity with staff or other students, this does not give the recipient of this information the right to share this information with anyone else.”

According to the document, “A student has the right to be addressed by a name and pronoun that corresponds to their identity….parent consent is not required.”

When it comes to gender transitioning, the district says, “counselors and staff will work with the student, and family when appropriate, throughout the process of transition.”