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Research. 2007 National School Climate Survey .
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Research. 2007 National School Climate Survey • The presence of supportive staff contributed to a range of positive indicators including fewer reports of missing school, greater academic achievement, higher educational aspirations and a greater sense of belonging to their school community.
QUOTE OF THE WEEKMarch 27, 2009 "The successful strategies of the modern movement for civil rights were litigation, organization, mobilization and coalition, all aimed at creating a national constituency for civil rights. Sometimes the simplest of ordinary acts -- sitting at a lunch counter, registering to vote, going to a new school, applying for a marriage license -- can change the way we think and act. That's why when I am asked, 'Are gay rights civil rights?' my answer is always, ‘Of course they are'. Civil rights are positive legal prerogatives -- the right to equal treatment before the law. These are rights shared by everyone; there is no one in the United States who does not -- or should not -- share in enjoying these rights. Gay and lesbian rights are not 'special' rights in any way. It isn't 'special' to be free from discrimination -- it is an ordinary, universal entitlement of citizenship. The right not to be discriminated against is a commonplace claim we all expect to enjoy under our laws and our founding document – the Constitution. That many had to struggle to gain those rights makes them precious -- it does not make them 'special' and it does not reserve them only for me or restrict them from others. When others gain these rights, my rights are not diminished in any way. My rights are not diluted when my neighbor enjoys protection from discrimination -- he or she becomes my ally in defending the rights we all share.“ -Julian Bond, chairman, NAACP
2008 Child Health Survey Results Percent of parents who reported they would be in favor of their child learning about Gender and Sexual Orientation issues in a human sexuality class … • Elementary : 54% • Middle : 66.1% • High : 78.5%
Do you know where “Fag” or “Faggot” originated?”Fag” or “Faggot”: A derogatory term used to describe gay men. In the inquisition of Europe when witches were being burned, among those sought out for burning were gay people. Witches and gay people were required to gather the very “bundles of sticks” (the real meaning of faggot) with which they would be burnt. When the faggots (sticks) were running out, gay men were thrown on the fire to keep it going for the witches. “Fag” or “Faggot” came to mean “gay man” to force them into “the closet” for fear of death.
Did You Know?LGBT Symbols • The rainbow flag is a symbol of the gay & lesbian movement. • The Rainbow Flag is recognized by the International Congress of Flag Makers • The inverted rainbow triangle was designed in 1978.
Did You Know? LGBT Symbols • The inverted triangle is a symbol of the gay and lesbian movement • The inverted pink triangles were used by the Nazis to identify gay prisoners. • The inverted black triangles were used to identify lesbians and other political prisoners.
LGBT Student Voice • “Last year I was another gay student trapped in the proverbial closet. In spite of my pain and isolation, denial seemed easier than the alternative. I was bullied and called a ‘faggot.’ I faced harassment in the hallways and was forced to change my route to class. Several days later I stopped by the . . . office to ask about my schedule. I noticed a Safe Space Sticker on her door. Presumably insignificant to most students, this sticker gave me a feeling of safety I had never experienced at school and it reignited within me that familiar hunger for change. I asked the adult to consider being a sponsor of a GSA; she excitingly complied which led to Day of Silence, Think B4 You Speak and modified Safe Space training for faculty members. I am now working in the middle schools to do mentoring programs for LGBT students and workshops for faculty members….and to think it all started with a sticker." Austin Laufersweiler, GLSEN Student Advocate of Year 2009.
Homophobia vs. Heterosexism • Homophobia – fear and/or hatred of homosexuality in others, often exhibited by prejudice, discrimination, bullying or acts of violence. • Heterosexism – the assumption that everyone is heterosexual and that this sexual orientation is superior.
2007 National Climate Survey • 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 or often at school.
Lesbian Females who are emotionally and sexually attracted to, and may partner with, females only. Gay Males who are emotionally and sexually attracted to, and may partner with, males only. “Gay” is also an overarching term used to refer to a broad array of sexual orientation identities other than heterosexual. Bisexual Individuals who are emotionally and sexually attracted to, and may partner with, both males and females. Transgender Individuals who express a gender identity different from their birth-assigned gender. Do You Know What LGBT Stands For?
2007 National Climate Survey • 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.
LGBT Voice • For many years I struggled through life; I was alive, but not truly living. Unhappiness plagued my waking hours and nightmares stalked my dreams. I fought each day to try and find where I belonged, but every place I tried didn’t seem to fit. When I discovered that I was different from other girls my age I buried who I really was inside my heart and attempted to be like all the others I knew. I wore bras before I had to, I let them put makeup on me, and I allowed them to dress me in clothes that I hated. I have hid my discomfort well over the years but inside I am miserable.
Data … Did you know? • 25% of LGBT youth are thrown out of their homes when they “come out” to their parents. • 25-40% homeless youth identify as LGBT. • Adolescence who were rejected by their families for being LGBT were up to 8 times more likely to attempt suicide.
Did You Know That In 1987 … • Shaefer et al reported that gays and lesbians are at three times the risk of the heterosexual population for developing alcoholism. Alcoholism has been linked to non-acceptance of gay identity, and that only after attaining sobriety for an extended period of time could alcoholic gays accept their identity as positive (Kus, 1989).
2007 National Climate Survey • 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).
