Free Powerpoint Templates

1. Ideas to help to Inform GLBT Conversation Free Powerpoint Templates

2. Diversity & Identity

3. “We should all make more of an effort to discuss with one another, in a truthful and mature and responsible way, the divides that still exist – the discrimination that’s still out there, the prejudices that still hold us back.” President Obama July 29, 2010

4. Critical Conversations • Are usually the conversations that you don’t want to have. • Can make people uncomfortable. • Can show us where our unconscious biases are. • Can challenge our belief system.

5. Critical Conversations • Are usually the conversations that people need. • Can help you gain knowledge, wisdom and understanding. • Can be use to resolve and prevent conflicts.

6. Terminology • GLBT:Abbreviation for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender. Also seen as LGBT. • Gay: A term given to people of the same gender who are attracted sexually and emotionally to each other. More commonly used to describe male homosexuals. • Lesbian:A term given to females who are attracted sexually and emotionally to some other females. • Bisexual:A term given to people who are attracted sexually and emotionally to some males and females. Also “bi”.

7. Terminology • Transgender: • A general, umbrella term given to people whose gender expression at least sometimes runs contrary to what others in the same culture would normally expect. It applies to a variety of individuals, behaviors and groups who vary from usual gender roles. The state of one’s gender identity not matching one’s biological sex (cross dresser – drag kings & queens – transsexuals).

8. Terminology • Gender Identity: • Our innermost concept of self as “male” or “female” or what we perceive and call ourselves. Individuals are conscious of this between the ages of 18 months and 3 years. Most people develop a gender identity that matches their biological sex.

9. Terminology • Transsexuals: • Unlike the “general” term transgender, the word transsexual has a more precise medical definition. • Term given to those who do not identify with their birth-assigned genders. There is a discontinuity between their biological sex and what they feel their core gender is. • American Psychiatric Assoc. refers to this condition as Gender Identity Disorder (GID).

10. Terminology • Transsexuals • Adults and children with GID will typically withdraw from social interaction, cross dress, show habits typical of the opposite sex, suffer from depression, anxiety and feelings of isolation.

11. Terminology • Transsexuals • May choose social, medical and legal steps that will help them achieve the greatest level of comfort with their gender identity and body. • Transitioning is the process (not an event) of changing genders. It may take several months or several years. • Sexual reassignment surgery (only one possible element of transitioning).

12. Terminology • Transsexuals: • U.S. Tax Court ruled in February 2010 that hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery are tax deductible because the procedures are medically necessary. Source: O’Donnabhain versus IRS reported via AOL News (2/3/10)

13. Terminology • Coming Out (of the closet): • To be “in the closet” means to hide one’s identity. Many GLBT people are “out” in some situations and “closeted” in others. To “come out” is to publicly declare one’s identity. Coming Out is a life long process – in each new situation a person must decide whether to come out or not. Parents, friends and co-workers come out of the closet too.

14. Terminology • Conversion Therapy: • An attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation. Also known as a cure for homosexuality. • Doesn’t work and may even be harmful. • Can produce feelings of depression, hopelessness, shame and anxiety. Some people become suicidal. • The American Psychiatric Association recommends that “ethical practitioners refrain from attempts to change individuals’ sexual orientation.”

15. Terminology • Homophobia: • Term first used by Dr. George Weinberg in the late 1960’s to label heterosexuals’ dread of being in close quarters with homosexuals as well as homosexuals’ self loathing. (Society and the Healthy Homosexual - 1972) • An aversion to gay or homosexual people, their lifestyle, culture or behavior. Irrational fear of homosexuality. (American Heritage Dictionary)

16. Terminology • Heterosexism: • Value system that denies, denigrates and stigmatizes any non-heterosexual form of behavior, identity, relationship or community. • An “ism” like sexism or racism where one is considered better than others. • Pervades societal customs and institutions. • Creates misinformation and misconceptions. • Operates through a dual process of invisibility and attack.

17. Terminology • Heterosexism (examples) • Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell • Lack of legal protections against antigay discrimination • Hostility to lesbian and gay committed relationships • Misinformation about homosexuality and the GLBT community. • It’s a choice. • It’s an illness that can be cured. • GLBT individuals want “special rights”.

18. Terminology • Transphobia or Transprejudice • Fear, hatred or dislike of, or discrimination towards a person because that person is transgender. • Negative valuing, stereotyping and discriminatory treatment of individuals based on the expression of their internal gender identity. • Employment and heath care discrimination • Issues for individuals transitioning gender on the job • Lack of medical insurance coverage • Lack of medical treatment

19. Terminology • Offensive terms, phrases and comments: • Queer • Fag, faggot, fruit • Dyke, Lesbo • “That’s so gay.” • Tranny, she-male, he-she, It, gender-bender • Refusing to use the proper pronoun when addressing a transgender individual.

20. Definitions According to the American Psychological Association (APA), sexual orientation is an enduring, emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional attraction to another person.

21. Everyone has a sexual orientation and gender identity. • Everyone falls on a scale of somewhere between purely heterosexual and purely homosexual.

22. Sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior because it refers to feelings and self-concept. Individuals may or may not express their sexual orientation in their behaviors.

23. Sexual Orientation is not a conscious choice that can be voluntarily changed. • Human beings cannot choose to be gay or straight. • Sexual orientation emerges for most people in early adolescence without any prior sexual experience. • Being transgender doesn’t imply any specific sexual orientation.

24. Definitions • Homosexuality is not a mental illness. • 1973 – The American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. • 1975 – The American Psychological Association adopted a resolution stating that “Homosexuality implies no impairment in judgment, stability, reliability or general social or vocational capabilities.”

25. Current Issues for GLBT: • Employment protections • Same-sex partnerships • Domestic partner benefits • Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell • Violence – Hate Crimes

26. Canadian Climate Survey on Homophobia: • 59 per cent of LGBTQ high school students reported they were verbally harassed, compared to seven per cent of non-LGBTQ students. • 25 per cent of LGBTQ students indicated being physically harassed due to their sexual orientation, compared to eight per cent of non-LGBTQ students. • 31 per cent of LGBTQ students reported personal harassment on the internet or via text messaging, compared to eight per cent of non-LGBTQ students. • 73 per cent of LGBTQ students reported they felt unsafe at school, compared to 20 per cent who did not. • 51 per cent of LGBTQ students reported they did not feel accepted at school, compared to 19 per cent of non-LGBTQ students

27. Hate Crime in Canada • Sexual orientation was one of the top three motivations for hate crimes;  •  56.3% of all hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation were violent; •  The second most likely place for hate crimes to be committed was in educational facilities; and  •  Hate crimes predominantly affected youth: approximately one-half of all victims and three-quarters of those accused were between the ages of twelve and twenty-four. • Source: Safe Schools Action Team (2008) Shaping a Culture of Respect in Our Schools: Promoting Safe and Healthy Relationships, Ontario Ministry of Education,Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/teachers/RespectCulture.pdf

28. Suicide • Youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or questioning their sexual orientation are 3.4 times more likely to report a suicide attempt. • Students harassed based on actual or perceived sexual orientation are more than three times as likely as students who are not harassed to make a suicide attempt. • An estimated 28% of completed suicides are by lesbian, gay and bisexual people. • C. Banks, The Cost of Homophobia: Literature Review of the Human Impact of Homophobia in Canada 2003 at 29. Online: Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition http://www.rainbowhealth.ca/documents/english/homophobia_human.pdf

29. Violence - Hate Crimes Legislation • Bias-motivated violence intended to intimidate an entire group of people. • Hate-based crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity continues to increase in both number and severity.* • Named after Matthew Sheppard and James Byrd, Jr., the law was signed by President Obama on October 28, 2009. *References: Brandon Teena (Boys Don’t Cry), Freddie Martinez, Billy Gaither, Jose & Romel Sucuzhanay or Google: GLBT hate crimes

30. Violence - Hate Crimes Legislation • This measure expands the federal hate-crimes law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. • Gives the federal government jurisdiction over prosecuting hate crimes in states where there is no hate-crimes law, where the current law is inadequate or when local authorities are unwilling or do not have the resources to do prosecutions themselves.

31. Workplace Issues • Heterosexism • Inclusion or exclusion • Fear (homophobia and transphobia) • Harassment & hostile work environment • Jokes, comments, threats • Workplace issues for employees transitioning gender • Lavender Ceiling • Advancement and promotion • Unconscious bias • What we don’t know can get us in trouble.