Ideas to help to Inform GLBT Conversation Free Powerpoint Templates Page 1 Diversity & Identity 2 Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 2 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 Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 3 Critical Conversations 4 • 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. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 4 Critical Conversations 5 • Are usually the conversations that people need. – Can help you gain knowledge, wisdom and understanding. – Can be use to resolve and prevent conflicts. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 5 • Terminology GLBT: Abbreviation for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender. Also seen as LGBT. 6 – 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”. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 6 • Transgender: Terminology – 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). Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 7 Page 7 Terminology • Gender Identity: 8 – 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. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 8 • Terminology Transsexuals: 9 – 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). Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 9 Terminology 10 • 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. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 10 Terminology • Transsexuals 11 – 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). Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 11 Terminology 12 • 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) Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 12 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 coworkers come out of the closet too. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 13 Page 13 Terminology • Conversion Therapy: 14 – 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.” Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 14 • Homophobia: Terminology – 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 15 Homosexual - 1972) – An aversion to gay or homosexual people, their lifestyle, culture or behavior. Irrational fear of homosexuality. (American Heritage Dictionary) Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 15 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 Free invisibility attack. Powerpoint and Templates 4/13/2015 16 Page 16 Terminology 17 • 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”. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 17 Terminology • Transphobia or Transprejudice 18 – 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 Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 18 Terminology • Offensive terms, phrases and comments: 19 – 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. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 19 Definitions 20 According to the American Psychological Association (APA), sexual orientation is an enduring, emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional attraction to another person. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 20 • Everyone has a sexual orientation and gender identity. • Everyone falls on a scale of somewhere between purely heterosexual and purely homosexual. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 21 Page 21 22 Sexual orientation is different from sexual behavior because it refers to feelings and selfconcept. Individuals may or may not express their sexual orientation in their behaviors. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 22 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. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 23 Definitions • Homosexuality is not a mental illness. 24 – 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.” Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 24 Current Issues for GLBT: 25 • • • • • Employment protections Same-sex partnerships Domestic partner benefits Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Violence – Hate Crimes Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 25 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 nonPowerpoint Templates LGBTQ Free students Page 26 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 Free Powerpoint Templates Page 27 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 Free Powerpoint Templates http://www.rainbowhealth.ca/documents/english/homophobia_human.pdf Page 28 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. 29 *References: Brandon Teena (Boys Don’t Cry), Freddie Martinez, Billy Gaither, Jose & Romel Sucuzhanay or Google: GLBT hate crimes Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 29 Violence - Hate Crimes Legislation 30 • This measure expands the federal hatecrimes 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. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 30 Workplace Issues 31 • 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. Free Powerpoint Templates 4/13/2015 Page 31