The treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual (LGBT) students and teachers in the American schools is a subject of much controversy and speculation. LGBT students face terrible obstacles in school, enduring discrimination, bullying, sexual harassment, and verbal and physical abuse. If it is estimated that at most 3% of the population is LGBT, then there are at most 30,000 LGBT students in a in a public school system of more than one million students (Pflagnyc.org., n.d.). These students not only receive awful treatment from students, but also from teachers, school administrators, and district officials, all who turn a blind eye when they witness bullying and harassment and do nothing to help and support gay students. LGBT educators, …show more content…
Students who were frequently bullied in school because of their sexual orientation have lower grades: an average GPA half a grade lower than that of other students. Gay teens are 2 times more likely to contemplate discontinuing their education, either not planning on completing high school or attending to college. LGBT teens are more likely to be diagnosed with depression, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression due to family rejection than straight peers and 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide . About two-thirds of LGBT students reported having ever been sexually harassed in school in the past year, nearly a fifth of students are physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation and over a tenth because of their gender expression. These statistics show that school isn’t a safe place for students who identify themselves as LGBT …show more content…
Through LGBT inclusive curriculums, students learn about the suffering that important members of the LGBT community had endured and the great contributions they have brought to our modern society. they would be less likely to disrespect gay students or make inadvertent homophobic comments. Teaching and pointing out contemporary LGBT individuals and well-known historical leaders would help to enlighten students about the positive contributions of the LGBT community. Well-known figures such as Alexander the Great, Leonardo da Vinci, Alan Turing, Walt Whitman, Sally Ride, Harvey Milk, and Tim Cook where always recognized as great leaders, artists, writers and mathematicians, but rarely for the hardships they endured because of their sexuality (Pino, 2015). The fact that Alan Turing, the founding father of artificial intelligence and computer science, endured chemical castration just because of his sexual preference is something all students should acknowledge (Alan Turing, n.d.). The fact that Sally Ride, American heroine for being the first female astronaut, hid her homosexuality from the world only until she died is something students should understand too (Boyle, n.d.). These facts should be
Almost immediately we are faced with the conflict of everyday life for Brittany, and as she enters the main setting of the story and a place that should be a safe environment she is immediately besieged. The author, using simple diction, describes another morning at school for Brittany where we see how her classmates attack her verbally with derogatory terms such as “Dyke” and “Whore”(Erdly 253). Because of this and other more physical bullying we see a safe setting become a source of anxiety and fear, and instead of combating the problem the school district does nothing. In clearly understandable writing Erdely deciphers the situation and relates to us how the school district passed a regulation effectively stating that staff “shall remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation” (Erdely 264). Effectively preventing children in need of guidance and role models from reaching out. The author uses an easily relatable setting, common vernacular, a clear point of view and familiar events to highlight the issues in this essay. Those issues detail the conflict that LGBTQ children face from people that don’t empathize with them, and understand that just because of who they are doesn’t mean that they aren’t still children in
Matt Zalaznick’s article, “Creating Inclusive Climates”, offers suggestions for how schools can support transgender students and improve school climate by educating classmates and faculty about the needs and experiences of transgender children. The need for such education starts at the elementary school level, with many students beginning to identify as being transgender as early as the age of the average kindergartener. Although the implications of Title IX protections state that schools must not discriminate against students on the basis of sex, many districts have strengthened the wording with amendments to include specific wording to include stronger protections for transgender students. Leaders need to ensure that there are adequate district policies in place to prohibit mistreatment of students based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Increased acceptance among the peers of transgender students.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals people make up more than ten percent of the population; that means if you are sitting in a classroom of thirty, then more than three of those people are LGBT individuals. However, this overwhelmingly large minority group continues to be one of the least protected by the government as well as most heavily targeted by discrimination and hate crimes. Regardless of the powerful shift in public opinion concerning LGBT individuals during the last twenty years, the laws concerning hate crimes have remained invariable.
NC State published a flyer of events scheduled for Gay History Month. Event consisted of workshops for students and faculty, a network luncheon, celebrate National Coming Out Day, and a free screening of the documentary Al Nisa: Black Muslim Women in Atlanta’s Gay Mecca, followed by a discussion with the film’s director. Not every event was open to the public, most where specifically for faculty and students of NC State. I selected to attend the Forgotten Queer History Lecture, conducted in the Talley Student Union, on October 6, 2015.
According to a study done by National Youth Association in 2010, 9 out of 10 students in the LGBT community have experienced harassment in school, and over ⅓ of LGBT youth have attempted suicide. More recently, statistics by the Human Rights Campaign (hrc.org) claim that 4 in 10 LGBT youth say that their community is not accepting of LGBT people. In 1998 the Westboro Baptist Church was brought into America’s spotlight when they picketed the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a young man in the LGBT community who had been beaten to death because of his sexuality. Since then, the cruelty of WBC hasn’t ceased to leave many in sickening shock. Bullying, throughout time, has evolved. It’s not just Little Timmy being beaten up for his lunch money anymore. Now, parents are involved. Many religious households raise their children on the beliefs that bullying is A-OK if Little Timmy is a homosexual. Parents ar...
Media is changing and there is gradually more positive and highly visible LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) role models. I will let the kids recognize some LGBT role models through the media, such as video, newspaper and magazine. I will introduce LGBT role models and explain why they will do so. I will also answer their continuous questions as they must feel curious and strange to these LGBT role models.
Despite there being many reasons as to why people discriminate homosexuals, the most popular ones are due to their religion or cultural norm. They include acts of verbal and physical abuse towards individuals who are homosexual. For those who are homosexuals, they are verbally abused by name calling such as fag, homo or sissy more than two dozen a day. There was a survey conducted by Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and found that 86 percent of LGBT teens are being harassed at school in 2007. In 2013, 82 percent of teens had problems from previous year with bullying about sexual orientation. 64 percent felt unsafe at school and 32 percent did no go to school because of feeling unsafe. Even as an adult homosexual are attacked verbally.
After learning and reviewing the action continuum chart in this class it brought a specific quote to my mind, “if you’re not a part of the solution, you’re a part of the problem,” while I was aware of other forms of oppression, I only really involved myself with topics and intervention tactics that dealt with racism and sexism, as these were the two areas directly affecting me and my life. One of the topics in this course that stood out to me was the discussion on transgender oppression, before coming to college, information about the transgender community and even sectors of the LGBTQ community was somewhat taboo to me..
Currently in today’s society, coming out as gay is easier than admitting to a serious mental problem. This effect puts a burden on teens who suffer from problems and don’t know where to go; which led to the increase of teen suicides as seen in the media. In the average classroom size, about three of the twenty-four students have depression; not mentioning other common disorders such as bipolar disorder, panic disorder, ADHD, conduct disorder, and eating disorders. Without better programs in schools to prevent and inform about mental disorders, the current taboo on them, the bullying of students suffering, and the romanticization of diseases will continue to increase the negative effect mental disorders have on teens.
B., Crothers, L. M., Bundick, M. J., Wells, D. S., Buzgon, J., Berbary, C., & ... Senko, K. (2015). Teachers' Perceptions of Bullying of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students in a Southwestern Pennsylvania Sample. Behavioral Sciences (2076-328X), 5(2), 247-263. doi:10.3390/bs5020247
It is important to present LGBT in a positive light before parents, classmates, and media influence their perceptions. The movie “It’s Elementary” does a great job showing the positive reaction kids have to presenting LGBT issues in the school system. The documentary showed that all age groups can benefit from these lessons. For example, a heterosexual, 8th grade social studies teacher felt it was very important to teach his students to be respectful and not afraid of their sexuality. This teacher started his lesson by asking students to share stereotypes.
Williams, T., Connolly, J., Pepler, D., & Craig, W. (2003). Questioning and sexual minority adolescents: High school experiences of bullying, sexual harassment and physical abuse. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health. Special Issue: Disrupting Normalcy: Lesbian, Gay, Queer Issues and Mental Health, 22 (2), 47-58.
Throughout the years, bullying has become a significant reason for teenagers to become depressed or even suicidal. It does not matter what the teen is being discriminated against, whether it be their race, what they believe in, or who they love. When it comes to homosexuality, “one in three are under 18 who commit hate crimes” (D...
When one hears the words “LGBT” and “Homosexuality” it often conjures up a mental picture of people fighting for their rights, which were unjustly taken away or even the social emergence of gay culture in the world in the1980s and the discovery of AIDS. However, many people do not know that the history of LGBT people stretches as far back in humanity’s history, and continues in this day and age. Nevertheless, the LGBT community today faces much discrimination and adversity. Many think the problem lies within society itself, and often enough that may be the case. Society holds preconceptions and prejudice of the LGBT community, though not always due to actual hatred of the LGBT community, but rather through lack of knowledge and poor media portrayal.
...that school officials can be held responsible if they fail to take steps to protect gay and lesbian students from antigay harassment. The changing educational climate has created a need for school leaders to identify tools, and strategies and programs that will enhance the success of all students. The decision making process used by administration also impacts how other in the organization view them (Dalton, 2006).