Proud to Coach for Pride and Purpose 

During Pride Month and throughout the year, it's important to reflect on how coaching can support students who identify as part of the LGBTQ community, whether or not such students have shared this identification. Because inclusive coaching meets the student where they are and welcomes the whole person, coaches can be some of the most accepting and nonjudgmental allies an institution has to offer. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) lists actions that identify allies, among which are some key characteristics of coaching -- listening, being open-minded, confronting their own prejudices, and recognizing when to refer someone to additional resources, among others. 

As a parent of teen and adult children who identify as queer, LifeBound Master Trainer Sarah Kravits finds that what she learns from her children improves how she shows up as a coach for LGBTQ students. "Coaching assumes that students are the experts on themselves," Sarah says. "If a student's self-knowledge includes identifying as non-binary, for example, my using their preferred name and pronouns is as important a signal of my respect as my showing up on time for our meetings. That respect and nonjudgment can help a student feel safe, which reduces the energy they spend on anxiety or fear, freeing up focus and cognitive load for learning." Educators who would like to learn more about how to support LGBTQ students can connect with the HRC at the above link or explore Campus Pride. 

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