GLSEN’s 2019 National School Climate Survey - Challenges, and a "Win" for Queer Kid and Teen Lit

GLSEN's mission is pretty awesome: "to ensure that every member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression."

Towards being able to quantify that, GLSEN does this National School Climate Survey- the results for 2019 are in, and while the graphics are lovely, the data shows we have quite a distance to go to achieve that mission.

2 in 5 LGBTQ+ students of color were bullied or harassed based on race or ethnicity

86% of LGBTQ+ students were harassed or assaulted at school

84% of trans students felt unsafe at school because of their gender

What's the good news?

"Twenty years of research shows that dedicated support from teachers and staff, LGBTQ+ inclusive school policies, and continued investments in resources relate to better school outcomes for LGBTQ+ students. For example, the 62% of LGBTQ+ students who said their school had a GSA in 2019 felt safer, were less likely to miss school, and were less likely to hear homophobic or transphobic remarks."

GSAs change school dynamics and help shift the culture. 

And one other really nice piece of news: 

"Access to LGBTQ-related books and library resources increased in 2019 and was higher than all previous years"

Yay for Queer Kid Lit!

Check out the full report here.

Stay safe, all.
Lee 

Matthew Shepard Continues To Make A Difference: An ELA/History Resource Guide For High School Educators

GLSEN, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, Lesléa Newman and Candlewick Press have collaborated to develop He Continues to Make a Difference: Commemorating the Life of Matthew Shepard, a resource for high school educators interested in:

• Commemorating and learning from the life of Matthew Shepard

• Teaching themes of empathy and social justice

• Implementing LGBT-Inclusive curriculum while meeting reading and writing standards

• Supporting LGBT students

Using Lesléa Newman’s award-winning book of poetry, OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD, as a foundation, educators can foster meaningful dialogue with students while meeting English/Language Arts and Social Studies standards.

I like a lot of this guide - the discussion of windows and mirrors, the core curriculum tie-ins, the call to educators to include more LGBTQ curriculum materials, and especially Lesléa's introduction "Why Matthew's Story Still Matters," which included these very moving words:

When someone is reduced to a slur, he or she becomes, in the
eyes of a tormentor, less than human. He or she becomes, in a
tormentor’s eyes, someone of no consequence, someone who
doesn’t matter, someone—or something—easy to destroy.
And this is why we must keep telling Matthew Shepard’s story.
Matt was not a “fag.” Matt was a person. He was a son, a brother,
a boyfriend, a classmate, a friend. In the Jewish tradition, which is
my tradition, it is said, “Whoever saves a life, saves a whole world.”
I believe that the opposite is also true. Whoever destroys a life,
destroys a whole world. We will never know all the great things
Matthew Shepard would have done had he not been murdered
(ironically, he wanted to work for international social justice). We
will never know how he would have looked once his braces were
removed. We will never know what he would have done upon
graduating from the University of Wyoming. We will never know
if, later in life, he would have married and raised children. We will
never know all the joy and love he would have continued to bring
to his family and friends and to those he had yet to meet. When
his life was cut short, a whole world was destroyed.


In my tradition there is a concept known as “tikkun olam” which
means “repairing the world.” Every person is assigned this task at
birth even though it is assumed that our broken world will never
be fully repaired. Still, each one of us must contribute to “tikkun
olam” in some way. It is also assumed that no individual can do
this alone. And that is why I am so excited to be working with the
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the Matthew
Shepard Foundation, and Candlewick Press. Together we can
do so much. Together we can reach high school educators and
administrators, political activists, LGBT youth, librarians, parents,
and readers of teen literature, all of whom can work together
to carry on Matthew Shepard’s legacy to make the world a safer
place.

The resource guide is available as a free pdf, and is well worth checking out.

Namaste,
Lee

GLSEN, The Anti-Defamation League and Story Corps' Unheard Voices Project - an incredible resource!

Over the last four Mondays, I've shared a few of the stories that are part of the GLSEN Unheard Voices project.

And there are more interviews and teacher guides to explore!

Kendall Bailey speaking about the impact of Don't Ask, Don't Tell

David Barr talking about The Early Days of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic

Terry Boggis on LGBT Family Rights and on being a queer parent

Charles Silverstein on his role and view of the Declassification of Homosexuality as a Mental Illness

and

David Wilson on the Struggle for Marriage Equality

With California's passage of the FAIR Education Act, GLSEN's Unheard Voices is an important resource for middle and high schools to tell (and discuss and learn about) our untold LGBTQ history.

Unheard Voices is a joint project of GLSEN, The Anti-Defamation League, and StoryCorps.

James Dale tells his story of taking on the Boy Scouts of America

Part of the incredible Unheard Voices project,

Check out this minute and half MP3 interview with James Dale, an Eagle Scout who came out as gay in college, received a letter from the Boy Scouts saying if he was gay he couldn't continue to be a Boy Scout, and he knew it was wrong.  He started a 10 year legal battle... and ultimately lost in the Supreme Court.

There's also an accompanying Teacher Guide (with an introduction to the audio interview, discussion questions, suggested activities and assignments and student handout.)

This battle with the Boy Scouts of America over including gay scouts continues today, with recent news in July 2012 that the Boy Scouts will continue to exclude Gay people.

I love this moment from the discussion questions:

James said that “seeing those words in that letter, I wasn’t going to walk away from it.” What would you have done in James’ situation? What personal qualities do you think it takes for someone to stand up for what he believes is right?

With California's passage of the FAIR Education Act, GLSEN's Unheard Voices is an important resource for middle and high schools to tell (and discuss and learn about) our untold LGBTQ history.

Unheard Voices is a joint project of GLSEN, The Anti-Defamation League, and StoryCorps.

Jamison Green, Transgender Activist, Has His Voice Heard

Part of the incredible Unheard Voices project,

Check out this two minute MP3 interview with Jamison Green, a trans man who is honest about his life journey in a conversation with his daughter, Morgan.

There's also an accompanying Teacher Guide (with an introduction to the audio interview, discussion questions, suggested activities and assignments and student handout.)

There's a really powerful moment in the interview, when Jamison says to his daughter

"And after you were born, as I was experiencing my relationship with you, I didn't feel that I could actually be an honest, whole person in my relationship with you, or with anyone, if I didn't transition."

And then his daughter responds, "And I think that I am probably a better person for it."

With California's passage of the FAIR Education Act, GLSEN's Unheard Voices is an important resource for middle and high schools to tell (and discuss and learn about) our untold LGBTQ history.

Unheard Voices is a joint project of GLSEN, The Anti-Defamation League, and StoryCorps.

Michael Levine was at the Stonewall Bar the night the Rebellion began

Part of the incredible Unheard Voices project,

Check out this two and a half minute MP3 interview with Michael Levine, a gay man who came out in the 1960s and was at the Stonewall bar the Friday night the famous Stonewall Rebellion began.

There's also an accompanying Teacher Guide (with an introduction to the audio interview, discussion questions, suggested activities and assignments and student handout.)

“When we came back on Saturday night,” describes Michael of returning to the Stonewall Bar with his boyfriend after the first night of the Irish police and Puerto Rican Drag Queen confrontation, “we stood there on the street and held hands and kissed – something we would never have done three days earlier. It made me feel wonderful."

With California's passage of the FAIR Education Act, GLSEN's Unheard Voices is an important resource for middle and high schools to tell (and discuss and learn about) our untold LGBTQ history.

Unheard Voices is a joint project of GLSEN, The Anti-Defamation League, and StoryCorps.

National Day of Silence is TODAY! (Friday April 20, 2012)

The Day of Silence is GLSEN's annual day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.

These students explain it so well:




This year's slogan for today, asking each of us, "WHAT WILL YOU DO TO END THE SILENCE" is brilliant.

Silence can be very loud.

Let's dedicate ourselves so every day of the year we speak up, and stand up, and join together to make things better for gay, lesbian, bi, trans, questioning, queer and allied youth and teens!

Check out lots more Day of Silence poems, videos and resources at GLSEN's official Day of Silence website.

Namaste,
Lee

GSA Mondays: Next week is ALLY WEEK - Let's Get YOU (and your GSA) ready!

One thing I've learned from over two years of volunteering with a local high school's Gay-Straight Alliance club is that some meetings are inward-focused, and some extend the club out into the larger school community.

Next week (Oct 18-22, 2010) is "Ally Week," and GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) is helping everyone get ready to celebrate our Allies and have members of the broader community stand up and say, "Yes, I'm an Ally to the Gay Community."

You can have people sign up and take the Ally Pledge to end Anti-LGBT Bullying and harassment.

If you are an Ally, you can stand up and let people know you believe in LGBTQ Equality. That you believe that our schools and our communities should be a safe space for all people, Straight and Gay and anywhere in-between.

And if you are a member of the GLBTQ community, let our Allies know that THEY are part of our community as well. Invite them to be part of our GSA clubs, invite them to share our journey and struggle - and ultimate triumph as we all change the world together... And make it a better place!

So this week, plan how you (and your GSA) can reach out to our Allies in your school and in your communities.

And next week, we'll celebrate our Allies!

Namaste,
Lee