Creating Safe and Inclusive Schools for Youth

Rob Darrow, Ed.D.
Director of Research Safe Schools Project
Santa Cruz County.
PH 487, CSUMB. September 2017
Rob’s Wiki:
http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com
Creating Safe and Inclusive
Spaces for
LGBTQ Students

PH487.CSMB. Sept. 2017.
Information
 Please get out a computer or phone to use
for a game we will use in a bit.
 All information about this presentation can
be found on my wiki.
Rob’s Wiki:

This is a Safe Space

Who am I? Who are you?
What is my identity?
What is your identity?

My Lens Today
 Strategies that make schools safe,
inclusive and affirming ? (Especially
for LGBTQ Youth)
 Syllabus Outcome #5:” Demonstrate
proficiency in employing effective
educational strategies to teach sexuality
education”
 Current laws

A little history:
LGBTQ Terms and Year First Used
 L = Lesbian (1732)
 G = Gay (1955)
 B = Bisexual (1960)
 T = Transgender (1990)
 Q = Queer / Questioning (1894, 1990)

What causes schools to be
safe and inclusive?
 Safe Schools Research Brief 14

Time for a Game

Why this matters:
A Few Stories

Frank Kameny
 1925 – Born in NY
 1941 – Joined Army
 1956 – Harvard: Doctorate
in Astronomy
 1957 – Hired by U.S. Army
Map Service – Produced
maps for U.S. military

Frank Kameny
 1953: President Eisenhower signs
Executive Order 10450.
 “Immoral and sexual perversion
were a security risk – sexual
deviants” (In place until 1975).
 1957: Kameny released from
government service
 1960: Files lawsuit. Supreme Court
denies claim. First civil rights claim
based on sexual orientation
 1960: Forms Mattachine Society in
Washington DC to advocate for
gay people.

Frank
Kameny
 1965: First of many protests at the White House
 1973: Lobbies American Psychological
Association to remove gay/lesbian as a disease.
 2010: Present at the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t
Tell” signed by President Obama
 2011: Dies at age 86

David Schroer
 1959: Born in Chicago
 1979: Joins the military
 Special Forces Commander
 Haiti Special Forces Commander
 Post 911 Coordinated Secret
Counterterrorism Unit in Pentagon
 Briefed VP Dick Cheney on secret
missions
 2004: Retires from Military
 2005: Applies for job with Library
of Congress. Job Offered.

Diane Schroer
 Shares that she is transitioning to Diane
(Transgender male to female).
Library of Congress rescinds job offer.
 2005 – Files employment lawsuit – Title VII
(Schroer v. Billington – Library of Congress)
 2008 – U.S. District Court – Discrimination and
$500,000 awarded
 Works in Pentagon advising transgender affairs

Ronin Shimizu
 2nd Grade: Joins Cub Scouts
 4th Grade: Became a cheerleader – Vista
Junior Eagles Cheer Team
 Enjoyed art and fashion – made his own
clothes
• 2002: Born in Folsom, Ca

Ronin Shimizu
 2008: Began being bullied and taunted
with: “gay,” “girly” and “a fag,”
 2008-2012: Moved to different schools to
escape the bullying
 2012: Awoke every day worried about who
would pick on him.
 2014: Removed from school, placed on
Independent Study program

Ronin Shimizu
 2014 (December):
Took his own life (Age 12)

A few Stats
 20% of homeless youth are LGBT youth.
 63% of LGBT students in California report
being harassed because of their sexual
orientation or gender expression (2015,
GLSEN)
 But, very few of them reported

A few other Stats
 More than 30% of all students reported being
bullied or harassed in California
(Ca Healthy Kids Survey, 2013)
 16% of districts reported that they taught students
that using condoms is not an effective way to
prevent pregnancy or STDs/HIV (Bixby Center for
Reproductive Health Survey. 2011).
 30% of new HIV infections occur in people ages
15-24 (County of Santa Cruz Health Service
Agency Statistics website, 2016).

5 Variables that impact Safe and
Affirming Schools…
Especially for LGBTQ Youth
 1. Administrative leaders
 policies and actions that create a culture of
acceptance and inclusiveness
 2. Teacher and Curriculum leaders
 LGBT history integrated into various courses,
school library books, inclusive sex education
Darrow, R. (2015). Implementation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender (LGBT) Inclusive Policies and Curriculum in California School
Districts and Recommendations for Creating Safe School Environments.

5 Variables that impact Safe and
Affirming Schools…
Especially for LGBTQ Youth
 3. Student leaders
 Gay straight alliances, yearly supportive events
e.g. National Coming Out Day or Day of
Silence
 4. Health leaders
 HIV prevention / Sex Education
 5. Mental health leaders
 ongoing programs to promote wellness and
reduce bullying, sexual assault and suicide

Handout: Related Laws
 2016 – Suicide Prevention Policies in
Schools
 2015 – California Healthy Youth Act: Sex
Ed and HIV education must be inclusive.
 2013 –School Success and Opportunity
Act: Transgender youth
 2011 –Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and
Respectful (FAIR) Act. LGBT history in
curriculum.

The Bottom Line
 We want all students to be
successful in school – to be engaged
and happy – and to be college and
career ready.
If school is safe and affirming for
LGBTQ students – it will be safe and
affirming for all students.
More cost effective when students
graduate from high school

LGBTQ Task Force
Santa Cruz County
Student Panel

LGBTQ Student Comments
 Important to have staff and teachers talk
about how to support LGBTQ students.
 Use pronouns and/or ask students which
pronouns they use.
 Use more inclusive language in the
classroom
 Helpful to have a “gender transition plan”
for students

 Important that LGBTQ people are talked
about across the curriculum – literature,
history, Sex Ed – even in math, teachers
could talk about gay mathematicians.
 How is a gay boy or lesbian girl supposed
to learn about gay or lesbian sex if it is not
talked about during sex education class?

 Coming out is a personal decision and if a
student wants to come out at whatever age,
then support him/her, they/them in that
process.
 Most literature and poems and short stories
taught in schools are about white, straight,
heterosexual love stories – there must be
some literature that includes queer love
stories that could be included.

Curriculum as a Mirror / Window
 Think about how
school curriculum is
a mirror (reflecting
who you are) and a
window (looking at
others’ experiences)
 Share your ideas

A little history:
History Curriculum in Ca
 1998: New Ca History Standards – first state to
adopt such standards. New textbooks.
 2010: Common Core Adopted.
 2011: Fair Education Act Passed. Added Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans to the
curriculum – especially related to history.
 2016: New State History Framework
 2017: K-8 History Textbook Adoptions
(State Board vote in Nov. 2017)

Cultural Sensitivity
 Latinx (gender inclusive term)
 African American
 Asian
 Civil Rights
 Women
 Gay and Lesbian
 Transgender

What can you do now to
create safe spaces for
students now or in future?
As public health professionals.
What can you do now?
What can you do in the future?

6 Ways to Be Proactive
Power of presence. Visit a GSA in
your county and ask them to share
with you if they feel safe.
Put a rainbow flag or safe space
symbol in your room or office
Participate in national coming out day
(Oct) or day of silence (April).

Ways to Be Proactive
Prepare how to react to bullying or
harassment among students or adults.
Participate or implement task forces
or networks to promote inclusivity,
safety and CSE.
Promote safe schools every day…in
your words and in your actions

Deficit Based vs. Asset Based
Practice asset based practices and
beliefs vs. Deficit based.

Ideas from Santa Cruz County
 LGBTQ Task Force – Countywide
 School District LGBTQ Task Force
 Website resources for LGBTQ families
 Annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards
 Safe Schools Project – reactive and
proactive (curriculum integration)
 Organization: The Diversity Center in
Santa Cruz

Equality Schools Indexes
 Campus Pride Index:
https://www.campusprideindex.org/
 Equality California – Safe and Supportive
School Quality Index (To be distributed
for the first time at end of September to
selected unified districts)
http://www.eqca.org/bay-area-reporter-
political-notebook-eqca-to-grade-ca-
public-schools-on-lgbt-policies/

Further Reading
 Santa Cruz Diversity Center
 Safe Schools Project
 CSUMB
 State Organizations
 Resources
Rob’s Wiki:

Contact Info
 Rob@Onlinelearningvisions.com
Rob’s Wiki:

Creating Safe and Inclusive Schools for Youth

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