How To Be An Ally GSA’s objective: To promote acceptance amongst all and to advocate against
discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, age, and class. The Basics Terms GSA: Gay-Straight Alliance LGBT+: The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans community (‘+’ signifies inclusivity of
other identities) Transgender (‘trans’): A person who doesn’t identify with the gender assigned to them
at birth Cisgender (‘cis’): A person who identifies with the gender assigned to them at birth Non-binary: A person whose gender identity doesn’t fall within the accepted binary of
male or female Reminder: Everyone experiences sexuality and gender differently! The definitions
here are the most basic representations of identities. PGPs The pronoun or set of pronouns that an individual would like others to use when
talking to or about that individual Oxford Dictionaries on singular ‘they’: “Some
people object to the use of plural pronouns in
this type of situation on the grounds that it’s
ungrammatical. In fact, the use of plural
pronouns to refer back to a singular subject
isn’t new: it represents a revival of a practice
dating from the 16th century. It’s increasingly
common in current English and is now widely
accepted both in speech and in writing.”
How Can You Help? What You Can Do Make LGBT+ students comfortable around you Make your classroom a safe zone Respect pronouns and preferred names Make Students Comfortable Around You Make efforts to let your students know that you are supportive of this cause Sign Ally petitions Attend a GSA meeting Be conscious about birth names Address misgendering The Little Things For LGBT+ Kids Showing the smallest bit of support can be a big deal Monitor language Be a supportive person The Little Things For Trans Kids Cross out and correct names on Scan-trons and attendance Write substitutes a note to inform them of preferred names Take initiative correcting students when they mess up someones pronouns Don’t group by gender Ask questions Recognize that not all trans students’ parents are supportive Redirect students to the appropriate trans student’s name Use correct terms: “real name” =/= nickname or birth name Handling Issues Stand up for students Talk with students Address bullying before it becomes an issue If you need more help, ask! Unsure? Come to a GSA meeting Ask Mrs. Koy or Mr. Agustin Email one of the GSA leaders We are here to help you! Rachel Paul: paulr4875@lz95.net James Vesto: vestoa4971@lz95.net Jessica Minx: minxj6065@lz95.net Joseph Trujillo: trujij5788@lz95.net Ollie Zachwieja: zachwc5819@lz95.net Darby Millan: millad1592@lz95.net Statistics LGBT+ Youth Statistics 60% have felt unsafe at school 71% frequently hear homophobic slurs 80% have been verbally harassed at
school 40% have been physically harassed at
school 90% hear anti-LGBT+ comments in
school 28% drop out of school due to this
harassment In a poll of the GSA… 48% are afraid of being judged for
mentioning they’re in the GSA 52% feel they’ll be judged for
expressing their LGBT+ identity 71% have felt uncomfortable around
peers due to LGBT+ issues 52% have had difficulty concentrating
in school as a result of an issue
(misgendering, etc.) 57% have been harassed in school due to attraction or gender identity 76% have been offended by hetero/cisnormativity in the classroom (people assuming
everyone in the room is straight/cisgender) 71% feel they cannot speak up to teachers about LGBT+ issues like bullying Announcements GSA is open to everyone That includes you! This PowerPoint will be on the LZHS GSA webpage Post your Ally sticker Ally week!