For Immediate Release: April 8, 2021
Contact: Tony Pals, tpals@aera.net (202) 238-3235
Tong Wu, twu@aera.net (202) 238-3233
AERA Council Votes to Keep Association Meetings Out of States that Pass Anti-Trans Laws
Washington, April 8—Today, members of the American Educational Research Association’s Council unanimously passed this resolution:
Whereas transgender and non-binary youth and educators deserve safe and supportive schools, communities, and workplace environments;
Whereas many states across the U.S. are presently considering laws that would be educationally harmful and otherwise devastating to trans and non-binary persons both in and out of schools;
Therefore, be it resolved that the American Educational Research Association (AERA) has determined that it will hold no conferences or public events in states or any other locations enacting anti-trans laws until such time as the laws are rescinded or AERA otherwise revisits the issue.
The AERA Council met today as the association opened its 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting, hosting more than 12,000 attendees.
“This was the final and most important policy action of my presidency,” said AERA 2020-21 President Shaun R. Harper. “Trans and non-binary persons deserve our advocacy and economic protest of policies, practices, and places that harm them. Their lives would also be improved if we individually and collectively did more with what we know to dismantle transphobia in our society. We must do more.”
“AERA has long been committed to ensuring that students, researchers, and all individuals can learn and engage in environments that are free of constraint or intimidation,” said AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine. “This resolution is rooted in a body of research evidence that has identified the adverse effects of transphobia in learning environments and in society at large. We cannot as an organization stand by in the face of actions and legislation that are likely to inflict harm on students, educators, and other people.”
On Tuesday, April 6, Harper and Levine issued a statement calling for AERA members to form coalitions with each other, as well as with scholars in other academic fields and communities outside of academia, in support of transgender and non-binary persons. The statement also reminded members of our urgent responsibility to extend the reach of our research expertise on gender, trans people’s experiences and outcomes, public policy, and related topics beyond conference papers, scholarly symposia, and academic journals.
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About AERA The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.