This document discusses the importance of inclusion and protecting LGBTQ students in schools. It notes that around 10% of people are gay, but educators often do not protect gay students and encourage negative attitudes. Gay youth face high rates of bullying, harassment, and violence at school. They are more likely to skip school, drop out, and attempt suicide. The document advocates for creating safe, welcoming environments for all students and families, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Teachers should allow open discussion and make students feel comfortable sharing their experiences.

1. By: Kelly Laurila

2.  Discourse:Verbal expression in speech or
writing that allows for conversation
It’s important for our students in all other
aspects, including this one!

3. Here’s the Facts

4.  “Around 10% of the population is gay.”
 Too often, educators do not protect students
who are gay and indirectly encourage
negative attitudes from both students and
educators
(Peterson and Hittie, 2010)

5.  Bullying
and Gay Youth –Mental Health
America 2012
 Teenagers are facing the challenge of identifying
as a gay or lesbian in their community with
harassment, threats and violence
 Interesting Fact: Teenagers hear anti-gay words
such as “homo,” “faggot” and “sissy” 26 times a
day or once every 14 minutes
 31% of gay youth have been threatened or
injured in schools in 2011
(Mental Health America, 2012)

6.  Gay and lesiban youth are more apt to skip
school because of the fear and threats that
are directed at them within the school
setting
 “22% of gay respondents had skipped school in
the past month because they felt unsafe.”
 “28% of gay students will drop out of school. This
is more than three times the average for
heterosexual students.”
(Mental Health America, 2012)

7.  When students feel unsafe or not included in
the classroom community, they can shut
down and become unable to focus in the
classroom
 Students are often ashamed or embarrassed
about the situation that they are in that they
are afraid to seek help or confide in someone
who can provide them with resources
(Mental Health America, 2012)

8.  Teens who are being bullied in schools
because of their sexuality, gender, etc. are at
high risk because “their distress is a direct
result of the hatred and prejudice that
surround them”
 These youth are 2-3 times more likely to
attempt suicide than their heterosexual
peers
(Mental Health America, 2012)

9.  Ifstudents feel alienated because they
identify with the lesbian and gay
community, they will not feel like they are in
a safe environment which could impact their
learning

10. If the students themselves do not identify as gay or
lesbian

11.  Ifstudents have family members in the
lesbian and gay community, they need to feel
comfortable and safe with sharing their
family experiences with the classes

12.  What about students in our classrooms who
have two moms? Or two dads?
 In second grade, when a student is drawing who
is in her family and is expected to present it to
the class, can she feel comfortable talking about
her family? Can she answer questions from
students about her two moms or two dads?

13. Schools in Boulder Valley School District

14.  BVSD is overall, a very accepting and diverse
district that welcomes students from all
kinds of different backgrounds
 BVSD also makes a point to include families
in school activities and classrooms

15.  Maddy (pseudonym for the teacher
interviewed) is a teacher at an elementary
school in Boulder
 I interviewed Maddy about the idea of
differentiation and inclusion in the classroom
 Maddy said that students are encouraged to
bring their own experiences and backgrounds
into the classroom to share

16.  “We talk about different kinds of families.
We have had students with two mommies or
two daddies, and students who are adopted.
In this school, we make these situations
teaching opportunities. We talk about how
families come in different shapes and sizes.
We welcome everyone to share and say that
there is simply no right family.”

17. Iasked Maddy about the school district and
the school specifically when addressing
gay/lesbian parents
 “We will never shut a student down if they want
to share their experiences with the class. We also
welcome questions and answer them the best we
can. Our students are taught to respect
everyone, including their stories of who they
are.”

18. Iasked Maddy if students have ever been
shocked or concerned about a family that has
two mommies or two daddies.
 “No they were not. They were very
accepting, because that is the culture that the
school has created.”

19. Schools located elsewhere such as Brighton and
Denver

20. I have observed schools in both Brighton and
Denver
 I got the impression that students are asked
to stay on topic with their academic work
 If a debatable topic comes up in the
classroom, it is acknowledged but then not
talked about

21.  The class was asked to draw a picture and
write a story about something they would
like to change in the world
 One student wrote about how he wishes there
were no drugs anymore because his family “does
drugs too much.” During share out time, his
piece was acknowledged with a head nod, but
not talked about with the rest of the class. The
teacher quickly moved on to a story written by
another classmate.

22.  During my observation at these schools, the
topic of sexuality never came up
 Discourse in the classroom revolved primarily
around academic work
 Students did not bring in their own
experiences or share their thinking as much
as Boulder Valley School District schools

23. What can happen if this discourse is not welcome in
our schools?

24.  Childrenof Gay Parents Bullied: Would you
Intervene?
 Zach Wahls was raised by 2 mothers
 An experiment was conducted to see how
bystanders would react if they saw children being
bullied for having gay parents
 Strangers stood up for the bully victims in light of
growing awareness of the consequences of
bullying
 A number of teens have committed suicide due
to bullying
 States are beginning to pass anti-bullying laws
(Zepeda, 2012)

25.  Teen’sparents: After
suicide, he’ll still be bullied
 A teenage boy committed suicide
for being harassed for being gay
 After his death at a school
dance, his bullies began
changing, “You’re better off
dead, we’re glad you’re dead.”
 The It Gets Better Project aims at
supporting gay and lesbian youth
who are targets of harassment
 Message: GET YOUR KIDS TO TALK!
Don’t let them be silenced by the
bullying.
(Stump, 2011)

26.  This bullying primarily happens in schools, in
the education environment
 Teachers are in every classroom in schools
 We need to know our students on a personal
level and allow them to confide in us
 We have to show them that we care
 BE ADVOCATES FOR YOU STUDENTS

27. What is being done

28.  Schooldistricts are making efforts to change
this oppressive treatment through four
different strategies:
1. Support services for gay and lesbian students
including counseling, student organizations and
policies prohibiting harassment and
discrimination
2. Discussion of homosexuality and damaging
impacts of prejudice in sex education programs
(Peterson and Hittie, 2010)

29. 3. Staff development training
4. Inclusion of gay and lesbian issues and
information in their curriculum
(Peterson and Hittie, 2010)

30.  Gayand lesbian youth are often unsure of
who to turn to, and often feel like there is
no one who they can trust or feel
comfortable with.
 “Four out of five gay and lesbian students say
they don’t know one supportive adult at school.”
(Mental Health America, 2012)

31. As an educator in our schools with our kids

32.  We need to offer a safe and respectful
learning environment for everyone. This ties
into the idea of inclusive education: a safe
and engaging learning environment for all
 We need to face the problem instead of
looking the other way and contributing to the
problem

33.  “Kids who say that they had a supportive
faculty or openly gay staff member were
likely to feel as if they belong in their
school.”
(Mental Health America, 2012)

34.  Inclusiveeducation means inclusion of ALL
students in the classroom
 As educators, we need to value the
ideas, background, experiences, culture, etc.
of every person in the classroom and let that
influence our classroom environment

35.  We also need to be cognizant of the families
our students come from

36.  We need to create a safe environment in our
classrooms and in our schools where all
students feel welcome to express their
opinions and be open about their own
identity and how it has influenced their
development

37.  Be alert
(Mental Health America, 2012)

38. Here’s a few solutions

39.  Work with students to have problems against
bullying, to implement programs that offer a
safe space for LGBTQ youth, etc.
(Mental Health America, 2012)

40.  Askschool personnel to allow discussion
within the classroom or within an after
school space to talk about gay prejudice
(Mental Health America, 2012)

41.  Help
start a Gay, Lesbian and Straight
Education Network chapter at you school
(Mental Health America, 2012)

42.  Arrangepresentations about bullying
prevention activities and programs
(Mental Health America, 2012)

43.  Encourage students to confide in
teachers, coaches, counselors, or their
parents/guardians for help
(Mental Health America, 2012)

44.  Make your classroom a safe environment
where students know how to respect each
other

45.  Ensurefor a collaborative environment in
your classroom

46. There is a curriculum out there

47.  Rainbow schools
allows students the
opportunity to engage
in discovery and
exploration in the
school environment
 This curriculum
focuses on the student
and allowing them
more choice in the
classroom for
experimental learning
(Rainbow Schools, 2004)

48.  Designed to help the child in 4 ways:
 Socially-by providing experiences to help each
child learn to share
 Emotionally-by helping each child to recognize
and express feelings in acceptable ways
 Physically-by encouraging children to develop
large and small muscle strength and coordination
 Intellectually-by providing creative learning
opportunities to develop reasoning skills
(Rainbow Schools, 2004)

49. All in all,

50.  Peterson, M., & Hittie, M. (2010). Inclusive teaching the journey towards effective
schools for all leaners. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson
Education.
 Mental Health America. (2012). Bullying and gay youth. Retrieved from
http://www.nmha.org/index.cfm?objectid=CA866DCF-1372-4D20-
C8EB26EEB30B9982
 Zepeda, R. (2012, March 28). Children of gay parents bullied: would you intervene?.
ABC news . Retrieved from
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/03/children-of-gay-
parents-bullied-would-you-intervene/
 Stump, S. (2011, September 27). Teen's parents: after suicide, he's still being
bullied. Today news . Retrieved from
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44684938/ns/today-today_news/t/teens-
parents-after-suicide-hes-still-being-bullied/
 Rainbow Schools. (2004). Rainbow schools curriculum info. Retrieved from
http://www.rainbowschools.com/curriculum.html

51.  http://blog.simplek12.com/education/a-fun-way-to-get-your-students-talking/
 http://guerillawomentn.blogspot.com/2011/10/tennessee-principal-bullies-student-for.html
 http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2010/10/07/abc-links-teen-bullying-wedge-issues-
gay-marriage
 http://www.therainbowbabies.com/ParentingTips.html
 http://www.sonomacountygazette.com/cms/pages/sonoma-county-news-article-296.html
 http://akenyangirl.com/2012/10/you-cant-demand-respect-without-change/
 http://www.ooph.com/table-talk/table-talk-the-oscars/
 http://www.ibe.unesco.org/
 http://www.sdcity.edu/CollegeServices/StudentSupportResources/Counseling/OnlineCounseling/F
AQ.aspx
 http://www.mysafetysign.com/Safety-Signs/Restricted-Expect-Unexpected-Sign/SAF-SKU-S-
4107.aspx
 http://gsaday.org/info/gay-straight-alliance-history/
 http://edudemic.com/2011/09/collaboration-matters/
 http://www.facebook.com/rainbowschools
 http://clc2.uniservity.com/GroupHomepage.asp?GroupID=541054