What's Life Like For Gay Kids In Public Schools? : NPR

Contents:

• WHAT'S LIFE LIKE FOR GAY KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
• CHILD STAR STGGLED TO E OUT AFTER PLAYG ‘THE GAY KID’ ‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’
• WHEN DO GAY KIDS START “ACTG GAY”?
• THE BT GAY-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS

WHAT'S LIFE LIKE FOR GAY KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

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. Lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr stunts face unique and often cel stggl to fd their place Amerin high schools.

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.

CHILD STAR STGGLED TO E OUT AFTER PLAYG ‘THE GAY KID’ ‘SCHOOL OF ROCK’

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? If you'd like to jo the nversatn about the liftyl of gay stunts public high school, you n ll at 800-989-8255.

After one particularly odd sleepover, everyone found out that I was gay, and was absolutely horrible.

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.

WHEN DO GAY KIDS START “ACTG GAY”?

She is the executive director of the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network - to talk more about how gay stunts n be assisted.

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. She is the executive director of the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network, also known as GLSEN.

THE BT GAY-FRIENDLY SCHOOLS

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. You know, when you're gay 's kd of easy to pick out other homosexuals, be gaydar or whatever.

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 fact, eight stat this untry, there are laws that specifilly prohib posive discsns of homosexualy public schools.