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.
Contents:
- WHAT'S LIFE LIKE FOR GAY KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
- I WAS OPENLY GAY ON MY HIGH SCHOOL TEAM AND HEARD SLURS ALL THE TIME
WHAT'S LIFE LIKE FOR GAY KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
* gay high school experience *
Jordan Steffy, a gay teen, was ught on vio standg up to his bully, and the ter lled him a hero. In November 2019, Jordan Steffy, a junr at LaPorte High School Indiana, said a fellow classmate posted a homophobic msage about him on Snapchat. When Steffy nonted the other stunt, the stunt lled him a homophobic slur.
Clark, who is openly gay, cid to leave the ceremony stead of givg to the l.
"He told me that I was termated bee of my sexual orientatn and that they n't have someone that intifi as gay a learship posn, " Taylor told Insir. When Seth Owen, a high school valedictorian, was kicked out of his home for beg gay, he was worried he wouldn't be able to go to llege — until his teachers stepped . But at home, his relig parents found out that he was gay and told him to move he applied to his dream school, Geetown Universy, the school gave him a fancial aid package that was based on his parents' e even though he was not livg wh them.
I WAS OPENLY GAY ON MY HIGH SCHOOL TEAM AND HEARD SLURS ALL THE TIME
"I would tell that sophomore kid to hold their head high, roll their shoulrs back and be exactly who they are, " Owen told NBC News. Keegan Roberts, a gay teenager, has bee one of the youngt elected officials the US at 19. It worked, and Roberts was elected to the cy uncil and beme one of the youngt openly gay elected officials the untry.
A lawyer for the school nied the speech was blocked bee Young was gog to e out as gay, but bee he "didn't munite wh school admistrators and his parents and ed appropriate humor , " the Coloradoan LGBTQ advocy group named Out Boulr jumped and offered Young a safe space to give his valedictorian speech. Intify as lbian, gay or bisexual and an average of 1. ”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. At my school, the very place that I first observed queer cursy, I was sred to e out, fearg my own physil and emotnal wasn’t jt the school locker room where I heard homophobic remarks.