LGBT Students: our response
as educators
Ashley Foster
What is LGBT?
Stands for Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, and
Transgender individuals
Sometimes a “Q” is
added for individuals
who are questioning
their gender identity or
sexual orientation
Our Goals as Educators
What are some of the reasons you became a
teacher?
Was it a passion for kids?
A passion for learning?
A desire to make a difference in students’ lives?
If we want ALL students to reach their potential, they
need a safe and affirming environment in which to
learn
Why Middle School?
When did you have your first
crush?
Middle school is a time when
students are starting to become
attracted to one another
This may be a time when they
discover a same-sex attraction
It is important that we are aware
of LGBT issues so that we can
be affirming of our student’s
choices
Different Obstacles
Some of the obstacles LGBT students face include:
bullying at school disrupting education, family
rejection, and difficulties finding safe places to form
supportive relationships
Higher rates of self-destructive behaviors among
LGBT youth (drinking, drug taking, unsafe sexual
practices and self-harm)
LGBT youth leave home earlier than their peers due
to difficulties coming out and living as LGBT
(McDermott, Roen, & Scourfield, 2008; Muñoz-Plaza, Quinn, & Rounds, 2002)
Safe Schools
Parents, Families, &
Friends of Lesbians &
Gays (PFLAG) provides
10 steps to safe
schools:
1. Learn the Facts
2. Understand the
Language
3. Stop Bad Behavior
4. Set the Policy
5. Plan School-Wide
Activities
6. Be Public
7. Cyber Bullying
8. Train and Educate
9. Comprehensive Health
Education
10. Resources
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009)
#1: Learn the Facts
86.2% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed,
44.1% reported being physically harassed, and 22.1%
reported being physically assaulted at school in the past
year because of their sexual orientation.
73.6% heard derogatory remarks such as “faggot” or “dyke”
frequently at school.
More than half (60.8%) of students reported that they felt
unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation, and
more than a third (38.4%) felt unsafe because of their
gender expression.
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009)
#1: Learn the Facts
Negative effects on learning:
31.7% of LGBT students missed a class and 32.7% missed
a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe,
compared to only 5.5% and 4.5%, respectively, of a national
sample of secondary school students.
The reported grade point average of students who were
more frequently harassed because of their sexual orientation
or gender expression was almost half a grade lower than for
students who were less often harassed (2.8 versus 2.4).
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009)
#1: Learn the Facts
To learn the facts about
our school climate, we
can administer “The
Local School Climate
Survey” provided by
GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Education
Network)
(Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, 2010)
#2: Learn the Language
Sexual Orientation: Refers to one’s sexual and romantic
attraction
Gender Identity: A person’s internal sense of being male,
female or somewhere in between
Gender Expression: How a person chooses to communicate
their gender identity to others through clothing, hair, styles,
mannerisms, etc. This may be conscious or subconscious.
Gay: A man whose primary romantic and sexual attraction is
to other males. Gay is also used as an inclusive term.
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009)
#2: Learn the Language
Lesbian: A woman whose primary romantic and sexual
attraction is to other females
Bisexual: Men and women who have romantic and sexual
attraction to both men and women
Transgender: A broad term describing the state of a person’s
gender identity which does not necessarily match his/her
given gender at birth
Queer: Some LGBT individuals use the word queer as an
umbrella term. Be careful: some still find it offensive
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009)
#3: Stop Bad Behavior
Main ideas:
Don’t ignore discriminatory behaviors
Don’t excuse discriminatory behaviors
Managing Harassment:
Do deal with the situation immediately
Do confirm that the particular type of abuse is hurtful and harmful
and will not be tolerated
Do value everyone’s feelings by listening carefully
Do take those involved aside and discuss the incident
Do use it as a “teachable moment” if appropriate
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009)
#3: Stop Bad Behavior
Managing Harassment:
Don’t less harassment pass unchallenged
Don’t overreact with a put-down to the offender
Don’t impose consequences before finding out exactly what
happened from all individuals
Don’t embarrass either party publicly
Don’t assume the incident is isolated
Note: Some students use phrases such as “that’s so gay” or
“faggot” in ways that are not meant to be discriminatory
towards LGBT students. Do you think that makes it okay?
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009)
#5: Plan School-wide Activities
Every member of the school community (students, parents,
teachers, and administrators) should understand the school’s
commitment to protect students from discrimination
Films
Let’s Get Real (middle school) "Let's Get Real" trailer
Books
Provide resources in school library: www.safeschoolscoalition.org
Programs
“Think Before You Speak Campaign” “Day of Silence” and more...
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009; Gay-Straight Alliance Network, 2010; Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, 2010)
#6: Be Public
Displaying a sign such
as the PFLAG safe
schools sign in your
classroom shows
students that you
support diversity and
oppose bullying and
harassment
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009)
#7: Cyber Bullying
Be aware that much of the
harassment LGBT
students face is online
Take it seriously. Cyber
bullying can be just as
hurtful as traditional
bullying in school.
Educate your students
about the realities of
communicating online
(Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, 2009)
#10: Resources
There are many organizations and resources
available to assist schools in providing a safe
environment for LGBT students:
Safe Schools Coalition
Groudspark
Teaching Tolerance
The Trevor Project
Lambda Legal
Advocates for Youth
Think Before You Speak
Our Next Step
Evaluate your personal values on this topic
Consider your goals for all students
Consider putting some of the strategies into practice
to protect students from harassment
References
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network. (2010). Think Before You Speak:
Local School Climate Survey. Retrieved from:
http://www.thinkb4youspeak.com/ForEducators/
Gay-Straight Alliance Network. (2010). Resources. Retrieved from:
http://gsanetwork.org/resources
McDermott, E., Roen, K., & Scourfield, J. (2008). Avoiding shame: young lgbt
people, homophobia and self-destructive behaviours. Culture, Health & Sexuality,
10(8), 815-829.
Muñoz-Plaza, C., Quinn, S., & Rounds, K. (2002). Lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender students: Perceived social support in the high school environment.
The High School Journal, 85(4), 52-63.
Parents, Families, & Friends of Lesbians and Gays. (2009). Safe Schools for All.
Retrieved from: http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=1011