We Refuse to Disappear

A comprehensive account of resisting anti-trans legislation, which serves as a blueprint for creating safe, affirming classrooms

Every day, educators must navigate anti-trans policies that affect numerous dimensions of school life, including curriculum, pronouns, athletics, teacher speech, bathroom access, and gender-affirming care. In We Refuse to Disappear, sj Miller takes an in-depth look at these policies, how they impact schools, and how teachers can continue to promote equity within increasingly constrained legal environments.

Based on a national policy analysis of state statutes, regulatory guidance, and enforcement patterns, this book identifies The Ten That Target—the most consequential policy areas shaping the educational terrain for trans* students and those who teach them. Miller introduces A Pedagogy of Refusal—a teaching practice that consciously resists harmful laws, policies, and norms—as the antidote to a sweeping policy regime intent on erasing trans* students and educators. Each chapter centers a statute, breaks it down to be easily understandable, and pairs it with vignettes that show how refusal is enacted and sustained across educational contexts. Through layered classroom narratives and real-world case studies drawn from elementary, middle, high school, and postsecondary settings, this book empowers educators to act as ethical protectors who nurture student safety and affirmation. In addition, Miller provides proven, classroom-ready strategies and scenarios for K–16 educators across subject areas.

We Refuse to Disappear dispenses powerful guidance for educators, leaders, teacher educators, students, families, advocates, policy professionals, and others who need clarity, language, and tools to sustain justice when laws are being used to erase.