LGBTQ Support in Schools

1. LGBTQ Support in Schools Alyssa Heggen Ball State University 2011

2. What would you do? A student in your classroom identifies himself as gay. The student approaches you and shares that he just told his parents and they had a negative reaction.

3. Facts and Statistics 4 out of 5 Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) youth report they can’t name one supportive adult in their school 64% of LGBTQ youth report feeling unsafe at school on any given day students hear anti-gay comments 25 times a day, and 97% of the time teachers do or say nothing about this type of harassment (GLSEN, 2011)

4. More likely to… • Suffer from lower self-esteem, • Struggle with academics • Exhibit depression. • Run away from home • High rate of substance abuse than the general population of students • Students are… • four and half times more likely to skip school because of safety concerns; • They also have… • a higher dropout rate than their heterosexual counterparts • (GLSEN, 2011) Facts and Statistics Continued This marginalized group of students, who represent 5-10% of any given student body, is two to three times more likely to commit suicide. Almost 30% of completed suicides among youth are related to sexual identity

5. Why does that matter to us? If students do not feel that they are in a safe environment, how are they expected to learn and succeed? We need to set an example of acceptance and respect for all students and faculty so they know how to act in the community It is our responsibility as educators to provide a safe and supportive environment. If not, we can be held Liable.

6. School Litigation According to Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund (2005), more and more schools are being held liable for the hostile environments Henkle v. Gregory- The court ruled that public school systems may be subject to punitive damages if gay and lesbian students are not provided protection from discrimination or harassment. Discrimination of any type has been against the law since Title VII in 1964 and was reinforced by Title IX in 1972 (Williams, 2011)

7. What can teachers and faculty do to help? It’s important to have knowledge and awareness to be effective; understand their needs and experiences Respond to hate incidents as they occur Don’t assume a student’s or parents orientation implement natural inclusion of LGBTQ issues in the curriculum through history class, literature matierals and health courses. Library provide LGBTQ literature and resources, (Jackson, 2011)

8. What can teachers and faculty do to help? Display LGBTQ Materials in your classroom Have continuous conversations about respect *Remember the total student* LGBTQ students often face challenges in other areas of their lives, such as poor grades, that are related to LGBTQ harassment. OR they may not be doing their math homework not because they are LGBTQ, but because they don’t like math. (Jackson, 2011)

9. Tips for Discussion • Seek out “talk opportunities” rather than waiting for incidents to occur • Note: You don’t need to talk about sex to talk about sexual orientation • LISTEN: Students will tell you what they want to know, or what they want YOU to know. • RELAX: It’s OK to say if you don’t know all the answers or if you feel uncomfortable answering that questions • (Mental Health America, 2011)

10. What about elementary schools? it is critical that you are prepared to answer questions in a way thatfosters healthy dialogue, critical thinking, and inclusiveness. With that in mind, your conversations must include all students and perspectives to create a safe and supportive school climate (Morgan, 2011) If children begin asking difficult questions such as, “How to gay people have babies?” Or “How do you know if your gay” simply say they will eventually answer that question for themselves as they get older and learn more about their feelings. (Mental Health America, 2011)

11. Tools and Resources for Schools • www.glsen.org works with educators, policy makers, community leaders and students on the urgent need to address anti-LGBT behavior and bias in schools. • www.nonamecallingweek.org No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling and providing schools with the tools to eliminate bullying. Includes lesson plans for students k-12 • www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/whatdoesgaymean Has a free downloadable, age-appropriate resources that outline how to address questions around LGBTQ issues • “It’s Elementary” http://groundspark.org/our-films-and-campaigns/elementary A video designed to address LGBT issues within an elementary school framework

12. Tools and Resources for Schools • www.dayofsilence.org hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools.  • www.pflag.org Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. A web site that provides tools for educators and the locations of all 500 chapters around the United States • www.safespacekit.com A collection of resources for educators to create a positive learning environment for LGBT Students. • http://stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/Free resources for parents, educators and students to prevent a manage all types of bullying, including LGBTQ harassment

13. Take Home Point Regardless of personal values and beliefs, as educators, WE MUST provide a safe and supportive environment to enhance academic achievement.

14. References GLSEN. (2011). School Climate in Indiana (Research Brief). New York: GLSEN. GLSEN. (2011). GLSEN: Gay, lesbian, and straight education network. Retrieved from: http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/research/index.html Jackson, Ken. (2011, May/June). Safe and sound. ASCA School Counselor, 48(5), 17-19. Mental Health America. (2011). What does gay mean? Retrieved from: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/about-us/what-we-do/programs-and-events/what- does-gay-mean Morgan, Mekina. (2011, May/June). Cultivate respect. ASCA School Counselor, 48(5), 21-23. Robinson, K. (1994). Addressing the needs of G&L students: The school counselor’s role. The School Counselor, 41, 328-330. Williams, Rhonda. (2011, May/June). The duty to address personal bias. ASCA School Counselor, 48(5), 6-8.