|
|
|
Road Blocks and Responses in Addressing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender (LGBT) Issues: Responding to Resistance from Teachers,
Administrators, Students and the Community
Establish a strong and active support network by cultivating alliances. Consider reaching out to:
Sometimes, people are "passively supportive. They may believe that addressing LGBT student concerns are important, but they do not know how to express their approbation and they do not know that you need and want their assistance. It is important to reach out to members of your school and community, telling them that you want them to join you in coalition, telling them what they can do to help make your school safer for all students. These people can help LGBT students, and can also help build consensus within the school and community that it is important to address these issues. Supporters can write letters. Consider soliciting letters of support and appreciation from a variety of people including students, teachers, administrators, parents, alumni, influential community members, politicians, religious leaders, pediatricians, and other health professionals. These letters can inspire other people to offer their support and can assure hesitant members of the school administration, staff, or community that there is already broad-based support for addressing these issues. If school administrators only hear from a few but loud voices of opposition, they may think that the community in general is more resistant to LGBT student safety than it actually is. Supporters can help LGBT students in numerous other ways. Here are a few suggestions:
The Most Commonly Expressed Concerns and Ways to Respond Schools that have already begun to address LGBT student safety, find that there are a number of concerns that students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members raise about their work. For the most part, the concerns are rooted in misperceptions about what schools are doing to protect LGBT students. (At times, the opposition actually perpetuates misinformation and downright lies about LGBT people and what the schools are doing.) The most commonly raised misperception is that this work is about sex, that schools are going to be teaching students about same-sex acts. It is important to explain to people that addressing these issues is not about sex, but about student safety. (It is not about homosexuality or bisexuality, it is about homophobia and biphobia). Explain exactly what your school will be doing, why it is important, what you hope to accomplish. Use the statistics about LGBT youth suicide, use testimony from students in your school or in other schools about anti-gay violence and harassment, use the Governor,s Commission Report and the Board of Education,s Recommendations on the Support and Safety of LGBT students to help people see that you will not be talking about sex per se, but providing support for all students in your school in creating a safer learning environment. Another commonly expressed concern is that by addressing these issues, schools will be promoting or advocating homosexuality. (This concern sometimes stems from their assumption that "We don,t have any LGBT people here.) This concern is rooted in the myth that people only have two choices on the issues: One, to be silent and ignore LGBT issues and exclude all discussions of these issues from the schools, or Two, to promote homosexuality and advocate for LGBT rights. In reality, however, the real issue is Safety and Inclusion. To include issues that effect LGBT students in the intellectual and social life of a school is not to advocate that students become homosexuals. To work to protect LGBT students from violence, harassment, and self-hatred is not to promote homosexuality, as it is to promote understanding. By including these issues in classroom discussions is simply to acknowledge the truth: That there are LGBT students, that there are students with LGBT friends, that there are students with LGBT parents or relatives. Making schools safer for these young people does not in any way encourage students to become LGBT, nor does it try to alter anyone,s, personal, religious, or moral convictions about homosexuality. It does, however, encourage young people of all sexual orientations and identities to be comfortable with who they and others really are. Finally, the other most commonly expressed concern is that schools should not be dealing with LGBT issues at all, that it is not part of their mission or role. It is important to help people understand that since schools have an obligation to educate all students and to provide them with a safe learning environment, making schools safe for LGBT students is part of their role. What follows are some concrete strategies for getting the backing of hesitant superintendents, administrators, teachers, students, and community members as you work to make your school safer for students of all sexual orientations and identities. Of course, every school and community is different. What works well in one school may not work in another. However, hopefully you will find some of these ideas helpful. Resistance from the Administration, School Boards, and Other School Staff Some school administrators, school board members, and other staff and faculty have been true leaders in addressing issues of safety for LGBT students and staff. Others, however, may not share this enthusiasm or be down-right hostile to your efforts. Many times they have either totally rejected any proposal, if one needs to be submitted, or have needed to be convinced of its merits. Many have failed to appreciate the safety issues involved; others have simply feared the disapproval of community or other monitoring bodies. Some have not seen homophobia as a form of prejudice or have been unaware of its existence. E. Van Seasholes, the principal of Newton South High School, said, "If you don't believe that each and every student deserves our very best efforts, then you don,t belong in teaching. At the Equity for Gay and Lesbian Students Conference: Progress and Promise in Our School held in Cambridge, Mass. in 1994, administrators, superintendents, and principals discussed different strategies groups interested in working on LGBT issues can implement to get support from their administrators. The panel suggested that groups emphasize that supporting LGBT students is simply one more way administrators help all students. They suggested putting the fight against anti-LGBT prejudice and discrimination into the context of the school,s core values (e.g. fostering an appreciation of diversity). One can emphasize that providing a safe environment for LGBT students is integral to providing a safe school environment for all students and to helping students learn and live in a society filled with diversity. Finally, they stressed the need to distinguish for administrators the difference between "supporting gay and lesbian youth and "promoting homosexuality. The following strategies may be useful in overcoming resistance to you work
Also, look at your own feelings on the issue. Homophobia is pervasive throughout our society, and no one is completely immune from its corrosive effects, whether that be heterosexual allies or lesbians, gay males, bisexuals, and transgendered people. Be realistic and try to acknowledge how you have internalized and have been limited by society,s negative notions of LGBT people. By becoming aware of and acknowledging your own feelings, you can be better prepared to move forward. Resistance from Students Students -- some of whom may be dealing with their own feelings about relationships, sex, love, and identity in volatile ways -- are likely to respond "energetically to these issues. Many students tend to use the topic of homophobia as a vehicle to ask all kinds of questions about sex, probably because there are few avenues available for them to explore safely this general topic. There are always some students who express very strong homophobic feelings. Some of this is the energy of youth as well as bravado expressed as a means of seeking support from peers. Other students probably think the very same things, but have been socialized to submerge some outward expressions of hostile prejudiced beliefs. In both cases, it is important for students to be able to vent a full range of emotions within acceptable parameters. Only by airing their gut reactions can they move into a different level of discussion, which allows for change. It is also important to note that the absence of negative reactions does not necessarily indicate the absence of negative feelings. Some students might manifest their attitudes in a number of ways -- defensiveness, yelling, name-calling, obstructiveness, arguing, and withdrawal. Such hostility can be a symptom of a host of emotions such as anger and fear -- often a result of the negative stereotypes and other misinformation they have been taught. These issues may strike too close to home and elicit powerful emotional responses. Sometimes more sympathetic students will intervene, and a lively dialogue will then ensue. Sometimes the best thing an educator can do is just to listen. Classroom Guidelines Before beginning any discussion of homophobia, however, the educator should set clearly defined limits or guidelines for discussion. These could include the following:
Additional Strategies
Name It, Claim It, Stop It Kevin Berrill, former Director of the Anti-Violence Project of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and Daryl Cummings-Wilson devised a three-phase model to empower people in the face of homophobic remarks. Their method can be used in stopping the whole range of name-calling in certain school situations and other public settings -- when you hear anti-LGBT remarks in school hallways, on a bus, in a restaurant, other general public areas. It is used not necessarily as an "educational opportunity (i.e. teaching another person) as much as it is a way of maintaining your own integrity in standing up against harassment. It can be used in situations in which there is low risk to your personal safety. The three phases can be summarized as follows: "Name It, "Claim It, "Stop It. In Phase I, you name the behavior you observe ("That is harassment). In Phase 2, state how it makes you and others feel ("I don,t like that. The other members of this class [people in this hallway, other people on this bus, in this restaurant, on this street] don,t like that). In Phase 3, tell what you want to happen ("So stop it!). Following this sequence, you need not get involved in a dialogue or argument. You stated your concern, and can leave the situation with your integrity in tact. Resistance from Parents and Other Community Members Some parents and other community members may genuinely support discussions related to homophobia and issues affecting LGBT students. They may support, for example, the formation of a "Gay/Straight Alliance in their school. Others, however, have organized locally and nationwide to obstruct these important discussions on campus. There are some strategies to help lessen this resistance:\
When working with parents, stress that you are available to discuss their concerns. Sometimes, parents simply need to be reassured that you are addressing these issues in a "responsible manner and that you are not advocating or promoting anything other than safely and support. Finally, Be Smart Use common sense and a little creativity to get this important work done. You might also consider:
HANDLING RESISTANCE: In the Classroom or at a Speaking Engagement (The following section was written by Warren J. Blumenfeld for the Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Speakers Bureau of Boston,s Speaking Out Manual.) Occasionally, you might be invited to speak before an audience you know will be unreceptive to the information you want to present, or you might encounter hostility from a few individuals within the group. Hostility can be seen as a symptom of a host of emotions such as anger, fear, or hurt. Hostility might be a direct expression of insecurity around the basic emotional issues of human sexuality, or can be placed in "religious or political terms. For those expressing it, hostility is serving some sort of function. It is not so much about attacking you as it is about filling a need in them. Hostility might be manifested in a variety of ways, such as defensiveness, obstructiveness, yelling, arguing/debating, disrespectful laughter, or pointed silence and withdrawal, often manifest vividly through body language. Verbal hostility can range from a simple question with veiled hostility, to an outright statement like: "You people disgust me!, to a persistent attempt to disrupt the entire engagement to make a point. Remember, in all likelihood you will not change this person. Do not try to convince or get involved in power struggles with hostile members of the audience. If there is any name-calling involved, do not throw it back. Within the short amount of time you have, you will not convince those who are firmly entrenched in their prejudices. Try to avoid taking personally any expressions of hostility. You might feel a tremendous amount of anger directed toward you, but in the majority of cases these feelings have absolutely nothing to do with you personally. You may represent issues that many people are struggling with themselves. You can distance yourself from the hostility by reminding yourself and your audience of this. Be comforted to know, however, that most of your audience, even if they disagree with you, do not want to see you harassed. If you can handle a potentially hostile situation effectively, you will win some points. Ultimately, you are in charge, and you can set the tone. The presence of hostility, in a limited number of people, does not mean you are alone or that you have lost control of the situation. When you enter a potentially hostile situation, it is good to remember two basic objectives:
Post or State "Guidelines Whether you are a classroom teacher or other school staff member, or a speaker/facilitator from outside the group you are invited to address, it is a good idea to begin by posting or stating a series of guidelines setting the parameters for discussion. As stated above in "Classroom Guidelines, these guidelines include:
Sometimes the best tactic to take is simply to ignore a hostile comment coming from the audience. This often works when the comment is an off-hand remark rather than a direct question or statement. Acknowledge the Hostility You can also acknowledge that you are aware of the comment, without necessarily agreeing with the person, and move on without responding further. Acknowledgment can be given by a slight shake of the head, or simply by saying "I,ve heard what you said, or "That is interesting. You might want to recognize the person,s feelings without directly responding to the comment or question, and then proceed. For example, "I can see that you have some strong opinions about this issue. If a question or comment has little to do with the topic under discussion, you might simply make this known and move on. Deflect the Hostility Appreciate people for asking questions and recognize their feelings. "Thank you for your honesty in making that comment. Many people have similar concerns. You can then decide to address the comment ("In my experience, however, I,ve have found that ... or "I do not agree. However, here,s what I think...), or move on. A good strategy can be to toss the question back to the questioner: "That is an interesting question, what do you think? Or, to give yourself a bit more time to formulate your response: "Can you say more about what you mean? You can also toss the question to the entire group, where you may find allies: "I have my opinions on this question, but before I give my response, I would like to hear from some of you. Does everyone here agree with that view? Co-opt the Hostility You can agree with or support a portion of the person,s statement while making a point supporting your own position: "It is true that some gay males are raised in families that might be defined as having a distant father and overbearing mother, but so are some people who are heterosexual. By no means is this the only kind of family situation that gay males, lesbians, and bisexuals grow up in. Treat a question or comment intended to bait you as if it were legitimate and use your answer as an opportunity to provide other information. Be aware of the underlying assumption, stereotype, or question beneath the question that is actually being asked. Audience Member: To a lesbian -- "You,re just here to pick up women.Sometimes you can silence a person,s disruptive behavior, or potentially even win that person over, by providing accurate information to contradict the myths and negative stereotypes that result in hostility. Explain to the audience in general, as well as to the person who asked the question, what assumptions you think are being made. Try to give a calm alternative to the comment. Audience Member: "If everyone were homosexual, humanity would be destined to extinction.Though you should not take hostility personally, you can frequently personalize the issues by relating your own experiences and giving a number of personal anecdotes to support your position. Let your audience see your humanity, your humor, your joy. Address Repeated Hostility If an audience member continually interrupts with hostile comments, you might wish to address this disruption by allowing the member a few minutes to say anything he or she needs to say, after which time the disruptive member agrees to let other people speak: "You obviously have a point you want to make. Why don,t you take two minutes to say whatever it is you want to say without interruption. Than we will go back to the general discussion (or presentation) without further comments from you. Go ahead, you have two minutes. Alternatively, you could give a disruptive person the opportunity to share concerns either at the break or following the engagement: "We don,t have time now to continue with this particular point, but I will be available at the end of the discussion to talk with you about this matter. Move Beyond the Hostility Focus your comments on audience members who want to learn. You can do this by addressing the disruptive individual ("I,m aware that you have asked a lot of questions, and I really need you to hear that I want you to allow others in the room to ask theirs.) or by addressing the group as a whole: "We seem to have a difference of opinion that I don,t think we can resolve today. Since we,re all here to learn, let,s move on to other people,s questions. or "It seems that we will not be able to reach agreement on this point right now, so I suggest we agree to disagree. or "I think I,ve already answered that, so let,s give some other people a chance to ask their questions. or "I,m aware that people in the back of the room have some concerns. Would you like to share them with the rest of us? There are, of course, many other strategies to deal with resistance and some of those listed might not be suitable to your individual style of presentation. Talk with other facilitators about their strategies and experiences, and spend some time thinking about how you might react to and deal with these kinds of situations. Above all else, you should consider your own well-being to be your top priority. On those rare occasions when the atmosphere gets too strained, do what you need to do to take care of yourself and don,t worry about how well or poorly the workshop might turn out. (Thanks to Pat Griffin and Janice Doppler of the Social Justice Education Program, University of Massachusetts - Amherst for their input into this paper.) THE STUDENT ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW Massachusetts has passed a landmark law that outlaws discrimination against students on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation in public schools, an action spearheaded by young people of all sexual identities. The Law amends an existing state law (Chapter 622 of the Acts of 1971, An Act to Prohibit Discrimination in Public Schools, codified as Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 76, Sections 5 and 16) adding the phrase "sexual orientation to the list of categories (race, color, sex, religion, and national origin) protecting students against discrimination. The act to prohibit discrimination against students in public school on the basis of sexual orientation passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Senate, December 6, 1993, signed by Governor William F. Weld, December 10, 1993, and became effective March 10, 1994. * * * Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: Section 5 of chapter 76 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1992 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the second sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence: No person shall be excluded from or discriminated against in admission to a public school of any town, or in obtaining the advantages, privileges, and courses of study of such public school on account of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation. Section 16 of Chapter 76 of the General Laws: The parent, guardian, or custodian of a child refused admission to or excluded from the public schools or from the advantages, privileges, and courses of study of such public schools shall on application be furnished by the school committee with a written statement of the reasons therefore, and thereafter, if the refusal to admit or exclusion was unlawful, such child may recover from the town in tort, and may examine any member of the committee or any other officer of the town, upon interrogatories. RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE SUPPORT AND SAFETY OF GAY AND LESBIAN STUDENTS In addition to the students, anti-discrimination law, based on the recommendations of the report Making Schools Safer for Gay and Lesbian Youth: Breaking the Silence in Schools and in Families of the Governor,s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, the Massachusetts Board of Education voted in May 1993 to adopt the following steps to improve the safely in schools and school-based support services for these students:
MANDATE TO TEACHERS In the fall of 1994, the Massachusetts State Board of Education, in response to a recommendation of the Governor,s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, made it a requirement that all classroom teachers learn about gay and lesbian student concerns in their training. College and university programs that certify teachers and other school personnel will be required by the state to include the concerns of gay and lesbian students within teacher and school personnel certification programs. This certification change is the first time any state in the country has mandated teachers and school personnel to learn about gay student rights issues. The change affects classroom teachers, school guidance counselors, school administrators, and school psychologists who will be certified to work in Massachusetts public schools in grades K through 12. A statewide Higher Education Certification Task Force on Gay and Lesbian Students was formed to provide guidelines for teacher training programs in Massachusetts colleges and universities on implementing the changes. ON HARASSMENT AND INVISIBILITY: ONE STUDENT,S STORY Nobody tells Latino kids in the high school that nobody cares if they,re Hispanic so long as they keep it to themselves. Jewish kids aren,t told that they,re sinners, and they could change into Christians if they wanted to. People don,t tell black kids they should put up with racism because they,ve come so far from when they were slaves. They don,t have to defend why there is a black history month, or why people want black studies included in the curriculum. People don,t say, "That,s so Korean! when they mean something is stupid or weird. People don,t tell disabled kids that the community isn,t ready to defend their equal rights and inclusion yet. You never hear any one argue that breast cancer is God,s way of killing off the women, and it,s a good thing. If a teacher hears anyone use a slang insult for a Chinese kid, they jump on it. When foreign exchange students ask teachers about dating in the school, they aren,t sent to see a guidance counselor. But every day in the high school, I hear it,s okay if I,m gay so long as I stay in the closet, that I,m an abomination against God, that I can change if I want to, and that people like me shouldn,t be taught about in school. I,m told I should be satisfied because our school is far better than it used to be, and that I shouldn,t push for my equal rights and inclusion because the community isn,t ready yet. I hear, "That,s so gay! all the time, and I hear that AIDS is my punishment for being who I am, like I hear the word, "faggot all the time. It,s hard not to walk around angry all the time.
Anonymous Massachusetts High School Student
BIBLIOGRAPHY Allport, Gordon W. (1958). The Nature of Prejudice. New York: Doubleday/Anchor. Anti-Defamation League (1994). The Religious Right: The Assault on Tolerance & Pluralism in America. ADL, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017 Bean, Joseph. (ed.). (1986). In the Life: A Black Gay Anthology. Boston: Alyson Publications. Blumenfeld, Warren J. (ed). (1992) Homophobia: How We All Pay the Price, Boston: Beacon Press. Blumenfeld, Warren J. and Raymond, Diane. (1988, 1993). Looking at Gay and Lesbian Life, Boston: Beacon Press. Borhek, Mary V. (1983, 1993). Coming Out to Parents: A Two-Way Survival Guide for Lesbians and Gay Men and Their Parents. Cleveland: Pilgrim. DeCecco, John P. (ed.), (1985), Bashers, Baiters, & Bigots: Homophobia in American Society, New York: Harrington Park Press. Dew, Robb Forman. (1994). The Family Heart: A Memoir of When Our Son Came Out. New York: Addison-Wesley. Governor,s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth. (1993). Making Schools Safe for Gay and Lesbian Youth: Breaking the Silence in Schools and in Families, State House, Room 111, Boston, MA 02133. (617) 727-3600, Extension 312. Governor,s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth. (1993). Making Colleges and Universities Safe for Gay and Lesbian Students. State House, Room 111, Boston, MA 02133. (617) 727-3600, Extension 312. Governor,s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth. (1994). Prevention of Health Problems among Gay and Lesbian Youth: Making Health and Human Services Accessible and Effective for Gay and Lesbian Youth. State House, Room 111, Boston, MA 02133. (617) 727-3600, Extension 312. Harbeck, Karen M., (ed.) (1992). Coming Out of the Classroom Closet: Gay and Lesbian Students, Teachers, and Curricula. New York: Harrington Park. Herdt, Gilbert and Boxer, Andrew. (1993). Children of Horizons: How Gay and Lesbian Teens are Leading the Way Out of the Closet. Boston: Beacon Press. Herdt, Gilbert. (ed.). (1989). Gay and Lesbian Youth. New York: Harrington Park. Heron, Ann. (ed.). (1993). Two Teenagers in Twenty. Boston: Alyson Publications. Heron, Ann. (ed.). (1983). One Teenager in Ten: Writings by Gay and Lesbian Youth. Boston: Alyson Publications. Hutchins, Loraine and Ka,ahumanu, Lani. (eds.). (1991). Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out. Boston: Alyson Publications. Jennings, Kevin. (1994). Becoming Visible: A Reader in Gay and Lesbian History for High School and College Students. Boston: Alyson Publications. Jennings, Kevin. (1994). One Teacher in Ten: Gay and Lesbian Educators Tell Their Stories. Boston: Alyson Publications. Levin, Jack, and McDevitt, Jack. (1993). Hate Crimes: The Rising Tide of Bigotry and Bloodshed. New York: Plenum Press Lighthouse Institute for Public Policy, (1994), Meeting the Challenge of the Religious Right in Massachusetts, The Lighthouse Institute for Public Policy, PO Box 5249, Cochituate, MA 01778. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. (1993). Fight the Right Action Kit. NGLTF, 1734 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC. Pharr, Suzanne. (1988). Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism. Little Rock: Chardon Press. Remafedi, Gary. (ed.). (1994). Death by Denial: Studies of Suicide in Gay and Lesbian Teenagers, Boston: Alyson Publications. Savin-Williams, Ritch C. (1990). Gay and Lesbian Youth: Expressions of Identity. New York: Hemisphere. Sears, James T. (1991). Growing Up Gay in the South: Race, Gender, and Journeys of the Spirit. New York: Harrington Park. Spong, John Shelby. (1990). Living in Sin? A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality. San Francisco: HarperCollins. Unks, Gerald. (ed.) (1995). The Gay Teen: Educational Practice and Theory for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents. New York: Routledge Woog, Dan. (1995). School,s Out: The Impact of Gay and Lesbian Issues on America,s Schools. Boston: Alyson Publications. |
| |
| © Copyright 1995-2004 OutProud. Outpath™, QueerAmerica™ and TransProud™ are trademarks and OutProud® is a registered trademark of OutProud. Use subject to Terms of Service. Our Privacy Policy protects you. | 
|