Celebrate Diversity Awareness

1. Celebrate Diversity Awareness Marchello A. Johnson

2. Overview • Purpose and Historical Statistics • Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Sexual Behavior • Personal Attitude Assessment • Symbols and Vocabulary • Myth/Stereotypes, Problematic Words, Cultural Differences • The Coming Out Process • What does it means to be an Ally? • Different Levels

3. History… State Nondiscrimination Laws in US as of January 20,2012 • 16 states have banned discrimination based on both sexual orientation and gender identity. • 5 states have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation only • Other nondiscrimination laws include: • Military service: Don't Ask Don’t Tell • Employment: Laws that ban discriminatory employment practices • Housing: Discrimination against potential or current tenants by landlords • Medical facilities: Hospital visitation and medical decision making

5. More History… Relationship Recognition for Same-Sex Couples in US • Broad Relationship Recognition Law? • A law that extends to same-sex couples all or nearly all the rights and responsibilities extended to married couples under state law. • “Civil Union” or “Domestic Partnership” may fall in this category. • Difference • Civil Union is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. • Domestic Partnership is when two individuals live together and share a common domestic life, but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union.

6. Relationship Laws • Only 9 states have broad relationship recognition laws • 5 have civil union laws (Vermont, Jersey, Illinois, Delaware and Hawaii) • 4 have domestic partnership laws (California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada) • Only 4 states recognize same-sex marriage performed • (Rhode Island, Maryland, New Mexico, and Illinois) • Only 7 states recognize full marriage equality • (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, DC, New York)

7. Hate Crimes • A hate crime occurs when someone targets a victim because of his/her perceived membership in a certain social group. Usually identified by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, social status or political affiliation.

9. Historical Statistics • 13 states have laws that include crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity. • 17 states have laws that include crimes on sexual orientation only. • 15 states have laws, but don’t include crimes base don sexual orientation or gender identity. • 5 states do not have any hate crime laws

10. What is the Difference? Sexual Orientation: A consistent pattern of sexual feelings, affections, thoughts fantasies, emotional and romantic feelings. A sexual attraction towards another person. It is a sense of inner identity or of being. Orientation is separate from gender identity. Gender Identity: The identification an individual feels internally about his/her gender roles, behaviors, expectations, and constructions. Sexual Behavior: What the person does. Actual sexual behavior between people. Sexual behavior does not determine one’s sexual orientation or identity. Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and Women who have sex with Women (WSW) or other combinations MSW,WSM, MSTF, MST, MSTM, WST, WSTM, TST,WSTF

11. Something to think about… Taking a look at your personal attitude

12. What Symbols Represents What?

13. Questions to Ask Yourself • Would you be comfortable knowing that your child’s third grade teacher was gay or lesbian? • Would you have difficultly telling others that your daughter or son was gay or lesbian? • Would you be comfortable working with men who wore women’s clothing? • Would you be comfortable working with women who wore men’s clothing? • Would you feel comfortable dating a bisexual person? • Do you think you should be informed if a co-worker is transsexual? • Are you more comfortable with lesbians than gay men? Or vice versa? • Would it bother you if someone thought you were gay? • If a colleague told you that s/he was lesbian or gay, would you feel like you had less in common with them than you had previously? • Would you feel comfortable if someone told you they were lesbian or gay?

15. LGBTQ WORKING VOCABULARY

16. Queer: Now a days used as a positive term by individuals attempting to break from traditional gender and/or sexual expectations • Transgender: Male of female whose gender identity does not match their biological state • Transsexual: A person that feels they have inappropriate sexual organs based on their gender identity. • Cross-Dresser: Someone that dresses in clothing typically worn by members of the opposite sex. • Sex change or Pre-Operative • Preferred: Transition or Transitioning • Hermaphrodite: Outdated!! • Preferred: Intersex

17. Myths/Stereotypes and Problematic Terms

18. All homosexuals are overly promiscuous. • Homosexuals are constantly trying to convert straight people. • If you are not heterosexual, you are homosexual. • Homosexuals are more likely to molest children. • Someone that is homosexual has more than likely been molested as a child. • You can always tell homosexuals by the way they look or act. Men who act in a feminine manner must be gay. Masculine women with short haircuts and deeper voices must be lesbians.

19. Problematic Terms • Sexual Preference: • Asking someone “What’s your sexual preference?” This is implying that they have an option. Being LGBTQ is not a choice. • Asking a person their sexual orientation is more appropriate. • Tranny: • Used as a dehumanizing slur to describe a transgender person. • Research from GLAAD studies indicate that usually this is the last word a transgender person hears before they are brutally attacked.

20. What Terms Have You Heard?

21. Cultural Differences “…I can be all aspects of me. I can be African American, I can be male and I can be openly gay all at once, I don’t have to compromise. I don’t have to censor myself. I don’t have to edit what I say. I can just be myself.” • Sometimes people may feel like they have to chose one identity. Why? • Can one identity be more dominant than another?

22. The Coming Out Process

23. Coming Out “…And it was really nice to be able to go through the whole process and it wasn’t until I felt comfortable with myself as a person that I started coming out.” Coming out is more than self-disclosure of sexual orientation; it is a process of self-acceptance of homosexuality as a positive aspect of one’s identity.

24. Coming Out • Coming out is a stressful experience for anyone • People may fear rejection from friends or family members • People may fear physical harm or violence • People may fear abandonment • To maintain family ties, people often try to conceal their sexual identities from their families

25. Coming Out • People typically “come out” to someone whom they fill emotionally close and secure to first. • Family members experience their own coming out process. • Many parents undergo a lengthy grievance and acceptance process after disclosure

26. Parental/Family Reactions Disclosure of Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual Identity Disbelief Denial Guilt Anger Sadness Mourning of Heterosexual Life Goals Reframing Rejection Ambivalence Acceptance

27. What It Means to be an Ally • An ally can be described as a person who is supportive of their LGBTQ social movement but may not identify as LGBTQ. • Allies are responsible for creating a supportive and safe environment any and everywhere!

28. 4 Levels of Ally Development • Awareness • Becoming more aware of who you are and the differences/similarities to LGBTQ individuals • Knowledge/Education • Learn about LGBTQ experiences in society and on our campuses • Skills • Developing the skills to communicate what you’ve learned • Action • The only way to make change will happen

29. 10 Steps for Creating a Supportive Environment Don’t assume how someone identifies. Educate your coworkers Use gender-neutral language Use LGBT words in appropriate context Have visible LGBT cues Continue to educate yourself If a someone comes out, acknowledge it and talk about it Distinguish between Sexual orientation and gender identity Don’t assume someone sexual orientation Research the LGBT resources in your community

30. Thank You for Attending! Marchello JohnsonAssistant DirectorUniversity of Illinois at Chicagomarchelj@uic.edu