As school boards ban LGBTQ+ books, conservative lawmakers target trans youth, and federal officials threaten funding for inclusive schools, Chicagoeducators are doing something few others can: fighting back — and winning.

On Monday, the Chicago Teachers Union ratified a sweeping new contract with Chicago Public Schools that goes beyond traditional labor demands. The agreement includes meaningful raises, smaller class sizes, and more classroom resources, but it also codifies some of the most comprehensive LGBTQ+ protections ever included in a public school labor deal.

Among the new provisions are gender-affirming health care for staff, a trained Gender Support Coordinator in every school, codified protections for chosen names and pronouns, and a mandate that every school upholds inclusive curriculum standards and supports student-led Gender and Sexuality Alliances.

The message from educators is simple: every student deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported — no matter what extremists in Washington, D.C., or state capitals may say.

The CTU contract is the first in a decade that got hammered out without a strike.Scott Heins/Getty Images

“This contract isn’t just about survival — it’s about joy,” said Bridget Doherty Trebing, a Chicago public school art teacher with more than 25 years of classroom experience and the mother of a transgender seventh grader. “It tells our students: we see you, we protect you, and you are safe here.”

A shield in a time of escalating attacks

Ninety-seven percent of voting union members ratified the contract, an overwhelming margin that CTU President Stacy Davis Gates says speaks not just to solidarity among educators but also to their shared recognition that public education—and LGBTQ+ lives—are under siege.

“We are the counterbalance,” Davis Gates told The Advocate. “We are the resistance.”

Her words come amid a torrent of anti-LGBTQ+ policies and rhetoric. Since the beginning of the year, the Trump administration has moved to restrict Title IX protections, ban trans students from participating in sports, and threaten schools that allow students to socially transition without parental notification. More than two dozen states have passed or introduced laws banning teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ identities, history, or health care.

Davis Gates said that Chicago’s educators and students deserve better.

“If you are not a wealthy, white, land-owning male, you are in the crosshairs of the current occupants of Pennsylvania Avenue,” she said. “Public school is one of the last democratic institutions that centers equity — and that’s exactly why it’s being attacked.”

Making the policy personal

The stakes are clear for educators like Corey Blake, co-chair of the CTU’s LGBTQIA+ Committee and a key architect of the contract’s protections. Blake helped revive the union’s LGBTQ+ committee after years of dormancy and spent years gathering input from queer and trans educators, students, and families across the district.

“Even if the federal government continues to wage its war against queer and trans youth, we have this protection,” Blake told The Advocate. “We made sure it’s written in. We made sure it’s real.”

Each school will designate a Gender Support Coordinator — a staff member who receives training and release time to support LGBTQ+ students, maintain access to affirming resources, and help oversee GSAs. The contract also guarantees space on school websites for LGBTQ+ materials and ensures students know whom they can turn to.

“Our kids are scared because this administration is doing everything it can to erase us,” Blake said. “This contract tells them: we see you. We love you. And we are fighting for you.”

Blake described the work as the most meaningful of their career.

“I have a Ph.D., I’ve worked in Panama, I’ve done a lot — but this? Helping secure real protections for our students and teachers? This is it.”

National groups applaud: “Progress is possible”

LGBTQ+ advocates and labor leaders say Chicago is now offering a powerful blueprint for how school districts can respond to rising political hostility — by leaning in, not backing down.

“Progress is possible when educators and schools focus on what is best for learning in their communities instead of what is convenient for extremist politicians seeking the national spotlight,” Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, executive director of GLSEN, said in a statement to The Advocate. GLSEN advocates for inclusive education opportunities for LGBTQ+ people.

“Especially as the federal government continues a relentless intimidation campaign against schools with inclusive policies, the Chicago Teachers Union is boldly working to ensure that LGBTQ+ students feel safe and included in the classroom,” Willingham-Jaggers added.

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten echoed that sentiment and credited Chicago educators for standing firm.

“Chicago serves as a powerful example of what can happen when we prioritize the needs of working families and their students instead of chaos,” Weingarten said in a statement to The Advocate. “In the face of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s attacks, these educators and their community partners have worked diligently to protect and invest in their public schools and their neighborhoods.”

Weingarten called the contract “a bulwark against national efforts to dismantle and diminish public education,” adding that it “secures dignity and respect for veteran educators and acknowledges their contributions to our schools.”

A beacon for families — and a place to flee to

Chicago’s reputation as a sanctuary city for LGBTQ+ families isn’t just rhetorical. Trebing said that at a recent summit hosted by the Center on Halsted, she met multiple families who had uprooted their lives — moving from hostile states — so their trans children could attend school safely.

“That breaks my heart,” she said. “But it also reminds me why this work matters.”

Her son, a bright and book-loving seventh grader, summed it up: “I’m so glad I’m in Chicago.”

CTU is standing by the LGBTQ+ community.Scott Olson/Getty Images

Still, Trebing said the moment isn’t just about surviving — it’s about thriving. In her classroom, she proudly displays a Pride flag, safe space signs, and a book selection that would be banned in several other states. She routinely invites students to share their preferred names and pronouns and ensures they know she’ll never “out” them to families without permission.

“In another district, I would have been fired already,” she said. “Here, I have the protection of my union. It’s in the contract. It matters.”

Refusing to comply in advance

Trebing said one of the most critical decisions CTU made was not to compromise preemptively in anticipation of legal or political pressure.

“Absolutely no way should we have watered down this contract to comply in advance with these insane directives from Trump,” she said. “We’re going to do what’s right for our students. Period.”

She also challenged Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker—a Democrat who has publicly supported LGBTQ+ rights—to back up his words with action should federal officials attempt to target Chicago’s funding. Pritzker is a billionaire.

“He can put his money where his mouth is,” she said.

The contract also expands mental health services, protects academic freedom in the classroom, increases access to school librarians and counselors, and bans discriminatory dress codes. But for LGBTQ+ students in particular, the changes offer something else: visibility and safety.

“This contract is about teaching students to live in community with others,” Trebing said. “It’s not radical — it’s what good educators do.”

Davis Gates said the moment is bigger than any one city or school district.

“Chicago is in a reconstruction phase,” she said. “We’ve beaten back the worst of neoliberalism and the worst of far-right attacks. Now we’re rebuilding and showing the country what’s possible.”

For Blake, the contract’s impact will be measured in quiet moments in hallways and classrooms when students find the courage to ask for help or be seen.

“This is about telling every queer kid: you are safe here,” Blake said. “You are loved here. And we will fight like hell to keep it that way.”