1. Phil Harbour Anti Bullying Team

2. We are all different…
In many,
many,
different ways

3. Some people…
are tall

4. Some people…
are short

5. Some people…
are larger

6. Some people…
are slimmer

7. Some people…
are blonde

8. Some people…
are brunette

9. Some people…
are black

10. Some people…
are Chinese

11. Some people… Are Lesbian Gay and Bisexual…
(Wait for several seconds and take note of the reaction of the children and adults. Some will be smiling, others will be laughing and others looking uncomfortable. Some will be trying very hard not to react at all).
It’s really interesting looking around the room at your reaction to that last slide. Some of you were smiling, some were laughing and others were trying really hard not to react. For all the other slides and for all the other types of differences, you kind of looked uninterested and shrugged your shoulders like “Yeah, I know, so what”? That last slide caused a real reaction in lots of you and I wonder why? I wonder why? I wonder why this particular difference was the one that caused you to react in the way that you did? All of the slides showed people’s differences and aspects of themselves that they were born BUT it was their sexuality that caused the biggest reaction. Perhaps you all might like to think about why you reacted differently.

12. In what ways are you different?
I’d like you to think about the ways in which you are different and turn to the person to your right and tell them one way you are different to them and listen to one way that they are different to you. 30 seconds off you go…
I don’t need to hear those differences from you but I would like you to keep them in your mind because we will come back to them in a little while…
Ok, I am here to talk to you today about a very specific form of bullying…something called homophobic bullying. But, before we can talk about that, I need to make sure we all know the same information. I’m sure most of you know most of this but let’s make sure… ? ? ? ?

13. Definitions Heterosexual (straight)
Person attracted to the opposite sex
Homosexual (gay)
Person attracted to same sex
Bisexual
Person attracted to members of both sexes.
Bullying
STOP
Homophobic Bullying
Bullying someone because of real of perceived sexual orientation
(Quickly and as a matter of fact, read out the definitions of each concept)
So homophobic bullying takes 2 forms….one is the bullying of someone who is openly LGB, specifically for this reason. The second and most common way is through this word “perceived”. Can anyone tell me what the word perceived means? It means what someone thinks, their own view, belief or perception. So it means that anyone can be bullied in this way if someone or some people THINK you might be LGB. So in this way we are all potential targets, any one of us. And it is this difference that makes this type of bullying different to all other forms…for example, could someone bully me for having blonde hair? (or any difference you clearly don’t have)…no. Because I don’t and it wouldn’t make any sense. But, if someone wanted to bully me because they thought I was gay, there would be very little I could do to prove them wrong.
Ok, I’d like you to take a look at this next slide….

14. Bender Dyke Queer Gay Poof Bummer Lezzer Gay Lord Mincer Homo
(Allow the slide animation to finish and again wait for a few seconds)
Now, these words are clearly hurtful and damaging for the LGB community in the same way that racist language offends people from various cultures and races. But, how can these words also be hurtful to those who are heterosexual or straight? Why would a non LGB person be offended by these words?
Rumours and untruths being told
Family and friends who may be LGB
Mincer
Homo
Batty Boy
Bent
Faggot

15. Tell the person next to you..
If you hear these words in school
If you have ever been called one of these names in school
If you have ever called someone one of these words
I’d like to ask you this time to turn to the person to your left and tell them the answer to these 3 questions…
(Once they are quiet again). Put your left arm in the air if the answer to Q1 is a yes (give a rough estimate of percentage with their hand up in the air). Please put your right arm in the air if the answer to Q2 is a yes (Again do a percentage estimate). Now, be honest, put both hands in the air if the answer to Q3 is a yes (Again do a percentage estimate).
So, we know these words are painful, we know they are damaging to everyone, yet we all use them…

16. “That’s So Gay!” “They’re So Gay!” ????? Bad Weird Rubbish Useless
(Use stand up or hands up as preferred for this one)
Those trainers are well gay, that computer is so gay, your haircut is well gay, This task is so gay…Stand up if you have heard one or both of these phrases in school….Stand up again if you have heard one or both of these phrases in school this week…Stand one last time if you have heard one or both of these phrases in school today.
(Ask for examples of how the phrases were used)
(Get a chair from the area and place it in front of you)
So, if this chair was a bit wobbly, broken or unstable you might say this chair is well gay? Would you mean that by “gay” this chair is homosexual? (there will be laughter) Would you mean that this chair would like to have a relationship with another identical chair? Would you mean that this chair might like to have sex with another identical chair? No, of course not. What do you mean? (Answers like bad, out of order, not working, weird etc will be given. Then reveal the ones on the slide).
Bad
Weird
Rubbish
Useless
Out of order
Horrible
Ugly
Terrible

17. “That’s So …………!” “They’re So ……...!” What if? Black Fat Short Short
I’d like to ask you now to think about the way that you are different to the person next to you. The way you described to them right back at the beginning of this assembly. Imagine that when you come into school tomorrow morning that instead of the word gay, everyone was using your difference as a replacement for one of these words. For example, all you blonde people, imagine that when you came into school everyone was saying “Errr, that’s well blonde” for everything that was bad, rubbish, useless etc. It might be funny for a day. But what about after a week, a month, a year? How might you feel then? You would probably feel picked on, isolated, victimised and maybe bullied? You might even want to change your hair colour so you’re not picked on any more. Effectively hiding who you really are. You might have friends or family that have blonde hair and feel embarrassed. You might not want to be seen out in the street with your blonde friends or family, just in case you get abuse. Perhaps this is how LGB people feel?
Fat
Short
Short
Brunette
Blonde
Tall
Thin
Chinese
White

18. Stereotypes
Finally, hands up if you think you can tell a LGB person from just looking at them? From their hair, their clothes, their posture, the way they walk and talk? Ok, let’s see how good your gaydars really are.
Look at these 6 men and decide in your head 3 that you think are gay.

19. Stereotypes
Now, do the same for the women.

20. Stereotypes Ok, stand up if you picked one or more of these men/women.
You might be surprised to hear that you actually know these people….
(After they are revealed)
Each of these well known celebrities are also well known because they are in heterosexual relationships. Which goes to show us that stereotypes are dangerous things and that we should not make assumptions about people based on how they look.

21. Things aren’t always what they seem at first
Be careful making assumptions
(to ASSUME makes an ASS of U & ME)

22. Trade? Can you go for a day without saying “gay”?
The last thing I want to ask you today is whether you are willing to make a trade with me? I’d like to ask you to trade me those phrases we talked about earlier “That’s so gay” and “You’re so gay” as a way of saying something is rubbish or not very good. And instead, I’d like to give you back those phrases you actually mean…Try a little competition with yourself and see if you can go for a day without saying gay. If you do, well done, but try to go for 2 days, then 3 etc. If you make a mistake and use the phrase then like snakes and ladders, you have to go back to the beginning and start again.
You don’t have to make the trade and can carry on using the language, BUT I’d like to ask yourself why you want to carry on using language that you know is hurting and damaging people and the world we live in.
Thanks for listening to me today.