Think Before You Speak- Homophobia in High School I8JQT8&feature=related

QT8&feature=related Ballenas High School Students’ Civil Action Project- Homophobia in High Schools A High School tackles the problem of Homophobia in High Schools by creating a video That highlights the gay slurs that are prevalent among High School students and teachers in school. The video contains staggering references to how often the slurs are heard in the course of a day. It is also interesting to note that it is not always the students that are the ones responsible.

lated Father of Harper Junior High School student speaks to Davis Joint Unified School Board about his son’s ongoing problem of harassment. He shares that his car has been burned to the ground in the drive-way of their home, their house has been egged and, his son receives threats on a daily basis. He has approached the school and the school board and nothing has been done. The father makes a plea to change the school climate.

Levy, P. and Friedmann, J., (2009) Student faced gay slurs by teachers. Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. Retireved from local/north/ html The article, featured in the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, MN tells the story of a High School Junior that was harassed by teachers : “He Has A Thing For Older Men” “The Boy’s Fence Swings Both Ways” “He Enjoys Wearing Women’s Clothes” Although the school district reports this has not been an issue in the past, the young man was still awarded $25,000. To read more details please follow the link below.

According to the article, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) parents are more likely to volunteer in schools, attend parent-teacher conferences, attend school functions, and, more are highly engaged in their child’s academic pursuits. These statistics show that the LGBT parent community could serve as assets to our schools. Yet, the statistics also show that this parent population is not embraced and often feels neglected, excluded, and even abused in the school setting. According to the research, one-fifth of the students of LGBT parents report hearing negative comments about their family structure. While this alone is alarming, more so is the fact that one-third of those comments come from the faculty or staff of the school. In addition to highlighting the staggering statistics of maltreatment, the report outlines the steps a school can make in creating a safe school environment for all learners including; professional development of diverse family constellations; professional development covering bullying and intervention practices; and, creating sensitive and aware Parent-Teacher organizations Follow the link to read more about the issue. Kosciw, J. G. and Diaz, E. M. (2008). Involved, Invisible, Ignored: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parents and Their Children in Our Nation's K–12 Schools. New York: GLSEN retrieved from GLSEN -InvolvedInvisibleIgnored.pdf.