KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: LGBT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS –WHAT TO DO IF YOU FACE HARASSMENT AT SCHOOL Lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) stunts face discrimatn and harassment at school all too often. Unfortunately, many school officials know very ltle about how the law requir them to protect LGBT stunts. And sometim they do know that they're breakg the law, but
Contents:
- WHAT'S LIFE LIKE FOR GAY KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
- BEG GAY AT SCHOOL REMAS DIFFICULT FOR TEACHERS
- THE BT GAY-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS
- COMG OUT AS GAY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
WHAT'S LIFE LIKE FOR GAY KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
High school is a challengg time for most teens. It n be even more so for lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr stunts. Judy Chiasson of the Los Angel Unified School District and Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network talk about beg openly LGBT school. * gay at school *
”Many LGBTQ stunts report that a support system or an ally—whether a fay member, iend, teacher or guidance unselor—is often valuable helpg them navigate their school, pecially given the negative impacts LGBTQ stunts n fact, the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network (GLSEN) reports their 2017 Natnal School Climate Survey that negative school environments where stunts experience victimizatn and discrimatn bee of their genr or sexualy n adversely affect them.
”El also noted that, while they live Massachetts and their school’s curriculum is not affected by "no promo homo" laws, which prohib teachers om discsg LGBTQ issu, the state's specifilly clive curriculum n vary between teacher to teacher, and those who tght ma them feel validated. If your school’s drs allows stunts to wear T-shirts wh slogans, is unlawful for your school to ask you to take off your shirt jt bee endors gay pri.
BEG GAY AT SCHOOL REMAS DIFFICULT FOR TEACHERS
6 reasons why “don’t say gay” bills are wrong. * gay at school *
The anizatns are stunt-led groups that provi a safe, supportive environment for lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, and qutng youth and their alli. You have the right to be ee om nversn therapy or church servic that say negative thgs about lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr people.
THE BT GAY-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS
High school n be an excg but a strsful time. As you are gettg to know about yourself, you may have realized that you are gay, pansexual, or bisexual. Datg high school n be hard, and fdg someone to love while you are... * gay at school *
Each year, seems, we hear the stori of the clash of culture and genr when a high school stunt who is gay is banned om attendg the prom, or pays a price for gog. This year is no different, om a Mississippi unty school board banng 18-year-old Constance McMillan, who wanted to wear a tux and brg her girliend, to the Miami gay senr who was crowned prom queen -only to be disowned by his own fay. Today, we hear om a Los Angel school admistrator charge of equy and diversy, and om an advote whose anizatn has helped gui gay kids through the maze of high school life.
COX: Now, is there an office, an anizatn, an agency wh the district that is set up to al specifilly wh the issu of gay stunts?
COX: One of the areas that has been an issue the gay, lbian, transgenr muny, as far as public schools are ncerned, is whether or not to tegrate the stunts to the mastream populatn or to some way segregate them, even if is jt for their safety.
COMG OUT AS GAY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Gov. Gav Newsom is takg on nservative Temecula Valley Unified school officials over textbooks that discs sla gay activist Harvey Milk. * gay at school *
COX: Is possible, Judy, to tablish wh a school settg, let's say, a program that will benef stunts who are lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr - not discrimate agast them but at the same time, allow them to have the fort of beg an area where they n feel fortable? You know, so we would do some kd of supprsn terms of the anti-gay harassment that you experienced and plement that wh tnal terventns bee is through tn that we n really end bias. We are talkg about gay stunts and high school, public high school, and we are talkg wh Judy Chiasson wh the Office of Human Relatns, Diversy and Equy the L.
Those are the clear non-discrimatn and anti-bullyg, anti-harassment polici that explicly clu sexual orientatn and genr exprsn and genr inty as among those tegori of protectn; havg supportive faculty and school staff available to young people to help them when issu arise; the prence of stunt clubs, monly known as gay-straight allianc, or GSAs, and other stunt advocy to improve school climate; and the prence of clive curricular elements that accurately and appropriately pict LGBT people, history and life. I am a queer teacher Columb, and the big thg I've noticed, the big problem that I have had, is I live a state where is still legal to fire someone for beg gay. I thk Judy embodi what I thk is bt all people who go to tn, but I do have to pot out that there are ser stutnal barriers across the untry for teachers, gay or straight, who wish to reach out and help stunts who are havg a hard time.
And I thk the key thg - thkg about that first email - is that this is about the fact that 90 percent of stunts, gay and straight, report that they hear anti-gay ments, anti-LGBT ments at school every sgle day.