Dealing with Challenging Behaviour Focus on LGBT Staff Development Training Session

Objectives Identify discriminatory behaviour in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity and its impact Reflect on own practice of challenging discrimination Identify 3 to 5 strategies to challenge discriminatory behaviour

Ground rules Keep an open mind Respect others by allowing people to have their say Challenge the view, not the person

Name the discrimination

Grouping according to experience Get yourselves in 4 groups according to your level of experience 1.Never ever encountered homophobia, transphobia or biphobia 2.Have encountered the above but not in the classroom 3.Rarely encountered in the classroom (or have heard of it) 4.Have got experience of actually challenging homophobia, transphobia or biphobia

How confident do you feel challenging homophobia, transphobia or biphobia? 1.Very confident 2.Somewhat confident 3.Not sure 4.Not confident

Discriminatory behaviour what does it look like.docx

More than language Body language & gestures Stereotypical portraiture Attitude Dynamics Invisibility Snigger, laugh etc.

Impact 2 minute conversation How did it feel? What strategies did you use? What do you think the purpose of this activity was?

List the potential impact it can have on the individuals concerned Impact

1. Shorter life expectancy 2. More likely to be the victims of violence 3. Higher risk of cardiovascular diseases 4. Higher suicide rates 5. More likely to suffer from mental illness 6. More likely to abuse substances 7. The inability to establish long-term relationships 11

Scenarios How do these impact on you, the student and the college? 1.A student makes homophobic remarks in the canteen / library 2.A teacher talks openly about a bisexual student in the staff room 3.A student refuses to work with another student in class because they think they are gay 4.An trans* student wants their gender changed on the college system from female to male. List 3 things you can do to make the student feel safe.

Example of induction

God hates green chairs All green chairs should be destroyed All chairs should be purple, being green is not natural How does the chair feel? Are these insults or opinions?

Introducing analogies Being vegan Religion Mental health issues Making the invisible visible

Awareness raising Eliciting the difference between: an insult and an opinion accepting and agreeing normal and normative religious teaching and personal interpretation prejudice and bigotry prejudice and discrimination

It’s about Having zero tolerance Developing respect Understanding the impact of what they are saying. NOT changing someone’s mind in a confrontational manner

Objectives Identify discriminatory behaviour in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity and its impact Reflect on own practice of challenging discrimination Identify 3 to 5 strategies to challenge discriminatory behaviour