Rights, Respect, Responsibility adheres to the concept of a gender spectrum, although in the earlier grades, gender binary language is used to accommodate the developmental levels of younger students.  Even when there are transgender or gender non-conforming students in younger grades, they are more likely to identify with the gender binary at that age. Therefore, the terms “boys” and “girls” are used in the early grades, and this language evolves to be increasingly inclusive and non-binary at upper grade levels along with lessons explicitly exploring the concepts of gender and gender expression.

Similarly, in early grades, relationships may be described using gender neutral language, such as “when two people are in love,” or “a couple…” or may discuss families with “two mommies” or “two daddies” while not explicitly discussing sexual orientation.  This approach keeps the earlier grade lessons fully inclusive and supportive of all sexual orientations and relationships while remaining developmentally appropriate by not specifically discussing the more complex concept of sexual orientation.  Later lessons, however, explicitly introduce and explore the concept of sexual orientation as falling along a spectrum.  In middle school and high school lessons, the terms “partner” and “same-sex relationships” are used deliberately and proactively both to avoid heteronormativity (the assumption that people and relationships are heterosexual unless proven otherwise) and to help students explore, at a developmentally appropriate level, the full range of sexual feelings and expressions both in and out of relationships.

Additionally, students with attention-related, intellectual or learning disabilities have a right to receive honest sexuality education that meets their unique needs. There is a strong body of research that confirms that students with special needs benefit from comprehensive sexuality education just like their peers. For professionals looking for ways to adapt curriculum to better meet the needs of these students, the Unitarian Universalist Association has published this 15-page valuable resource with recommended strategies to help students with a wide variety of abilities.