Increasing Queer and Transgender Inclusion in OER

As OER usage grows, instructors have an opportunity to build course content that is fully reflective of a multicultural, diverse society. In this session, we discuss the particular importance of designing and utilizing OER that are queer- and transgender-inclusive, using a Human Sexuality course as a case study. We offer both a faculty and librarian perspective in seeking out queer/trans-inclusive materials, methods for evaluating existing sources, and give recommendations for best practices. The session will start by checking in with attendees about their current understanding of OER and queer and trans issues. The first section is an overview of why queer and trans topics need attention to be adequately covered in OER, due to systemic historical (and ongoing) erasure and marginalization of these identities. Next, we will walk attendees through what to look for when evaluating sources for queer and trans inclusion; this section includes distinction between the needs of different disciplines as well as practical examples from a Human Sexuality course. The third section covers where to find new materials and how to assess them, with a focus on practicality. To conclude, we will discuss some general recommended practices. There will be time for questions at the end, and attendees will be encouraged to ask them during the session as well. This session is designed to be useful for people at all levels of knowledge about OER. The content will not be confusing for beginners, and experts will find the queer and trans inclusion lens valuable