LGBTQI + Supports
MHA was awarded the Chancellor's Recognition of "Respect for All" Winner and District Exemplar School for our safe and inclusive school climate and culture
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MHA was awarded the Chancellor's Recognition of "Respect for All" Winner and District Exemplar School for our safe and inclusive school climate and culture 〰️
Pictured above
MHA’s Assistant Principal, MR. CHU, and his husband, as well as MHA’s LGBTQI+ Club Advisor, Mr. Marquez, and his partner, and several MHA students (Serenity, Hailee, Seph)marching together in the NYC Pride March!
MHA’s ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, MR. CHU(he/him), IS A PROUD and OUT MARRIED GAY MAN AND ADVOCATE FOR ALL LGBTQI+ STUDENTS.
MHA ALSO HAS A STRONG LGBTQI+ Club for LGBTQI+ STUDENTS AND ALLIES LED BY OUR out and proud bisexual MATH AND COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER, MR. MARQUEZ(he/him)
Below are some resources and information to help support our LGBTQI+ students and information for allies!
All are welcomed, loved, and celebrated, for who they are and who they choose to love.
MHA’s student bathrooms are all private, gender neutral, bathrooms, following the NYCDOE gender inclusive guidelines for restrooms and locker rooms.
MHA, including all physical education classes, follow the NYCDOE gender inclusiveness guidelines.
All classrooms have teacher names with chosen pronouns, as well as colleges attended and degrees earned.
All staff at MHA have been trained by the student led, LGBTQI+ Club, and the DOE on how to support LGBTQI+ students, including the use of pronouns in all classes to create a safe and welcoming space for all students to feel free to express their gender identity. We follow all NYCDOE guidelines to support transgender and gender expansive students.
The Name and Gender Change form is needed to add a student's chosen name into the official DOE system (in addition to their legal name.) When that update is submitted, the student's chosen name becomes the primary name used on permanent records, like transcripts, diplomas, as well as the name that is generated onto attendance rosters. This form requires a parent/caregiver signature. Because the documents with the student's chosen name are also family-facing documents, we do not want to out a student to a parent who is not aware they use a different name at school.
If a student uses a chosen name that is different from their legal name, but their parent will not submit the form, that student is still entitled to be called the name and pronouns that they ask to be called. Additionally, any non-permanent records (such as school ID and homework assignments) can still have their chosen name.