"Supporting LGBT Youth in Our Community: Words and Actions Matter" Presented by Amy L. Reynolds, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology at the University at Buffalo February 16, 2012

1. Supporting LGBT youth
in our community:
Words and actions matter
February 16, 2012
Amy L. Reynolds
University at Buffalo

2. Agenda
Introductions/Goals
Take a Stand Activity
The Reality of Anti-LGBT Attitudes &
Bullying
Sharing Strategies for Combatting Anti-
LGBT Attitudes & Bullying
Addressing competencies
Next Steps

3. Goals
Highlight the realities of anti-LGBT bullying
Share strategies for combatting anti-LGBT
attitudes and bullying
Explore necessary competencies
Discuss next steps to ensure safe schools for
ALL students

4. Terminology
LGBTQ
Bullying is often more about gender
expression than sexual orientation
Actual sexual orientation is less important than
what others suspect or assume

5. Take a Stand
Talking about LGBT issues in the schools is risky in
our district because of how some parents might
react
The best way for LGBT youth to survive in school is
to not come out beyond telling their closest friends

6. Just One Story:
Joel Burns
http://www.itgetsbetter.org/#ax96cghOnY4

7. Addressing Anti-LGBT
Bullying in the Schools
Controversial
Regardless of our values and beliefs, we can
all agree that EVERY student deserves a safe
and affirming school environment

8. The Reality
Young people are coming out at younger ages
(in past 30 years from 19 to 16 years old;
sometimes in middle school)
Living with bullying is a DAILY reality for LGBT
students
Children and teens are targeted not because
they are out as LGBT but because they are
different

9. The Reality
For last 10 years, GLSEN has collected data
on experiences of LGBT youth
Nationwide schools are hostile environments
for many LGBTQ students
Many LGBTQ youth hear homophobic
remarks and face verbal/physical harassment
and assault because of their sexual orientation
or gender expression

10. Just the facts
88.9% of students hear “gay” used in a
negative way (“that’s so gay”) frequently
86.5% report feeling distressed
72.4% heard other homophobic remarks
(e.g., fag, queer, dyke)
62.6% heard negative remarks about gender
expression (not acting masculine or feminine
enough)

11. This high incidence of harassment and assault
is exacerbated by school staff rarely, if ever
intervening
62% of those students believe little or no
action will be taken or the situation will be
made worse
34% of those students who did report an
incident said that school staff did nothing

12. Academic consequences of
not feeling/being safe
29% of students skipped class at least once in
past month
30% missed at least one entire day of school
in past month
3X more likely to missed school if they were
victimized
GPAs almost half a grade lower and more
likely to have lower educational aspirations

13. Personal consequences of
not feeling/being safe
Victimization leads to higher levels of
depression, anxiety, and lower levels of self-
esteem
2-6X more likely to attempt suicide and may
account for as many as 30% of youth suicides

14. Overall Effects
LGBTQ youth suffer emotionally, socially, and
academically
Unlike other youth targeted by bullies, they
cannot often ask for help at home for fear of
rejection
These effects can be life altering

15. External Influences on
School Climate
• Government legislation
• Community values and attitudes

16. Anoka-Hennepin
School District
• MINNEAPOLIS — The board of Minnesota's largest school district
prepared to vote Monday night on a replacement for a policy that
requires teachers to stay neutral when sexual orientation comes up in
class, a stance that has been blamed for fostering bullying.
• Critics say the neutrality policy keeps teachers from preventing
bullying of students who are gay or perceived as gay. It has the
support of some parents who believe homosexual conduct is immoral
and don't want their children taught otherwise.
• The policy has been under fire since six students in the district
committed suicide in less than two years. A parent of one of the
students who committed suicide says her son was bullied for being
gay. Gay advocacy groups say some of the others students who killed
themselves were also bullied.

17. Matt’s Safe School Law
• Michigan law, SB 137 or Matt’s Safe School Law, was named in memory
of Matt Epling, who committed suicide in the wake of relentless
bullying, was passed 26-11 into law in November 2011. While intended
to combat bullying, the law offered a loophole to those who bully LGBT
students. All they need to do, according to the legislation, which received
no democratic votes, is claim that their bullying was based on “a
sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction.”
• The exact language inserted:
• This section does not abridge the rights under the first amendment of the
constitution of the united states or under article i of the state constitution
of 1963 of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil’s parent
or guardian. This section does not prohibit a statement of a sincerely
held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school
volunteer, pupil, or a pupil’s parent or guardian.

18. School climate
Norms, values and expectations
that support students feeling
socially, emotionally, and
physically safe.

19. School Climate
Ultimately school climate affects how LGBT
students feel about being at school
A “null” environment is never enough
An affirming and safe school climate for
LGBT youth is one where they are
proactively told that they matter and where
visible allies exist

20. What research says
makes a difference
Having a comprehensive, effective, and
enforced bullying/harassment policy that
explicitly addresses bias-based bullying
Creating an inclusive curriculum
Training teachers and school personnel to
intervene thus creating a presence of
supportive educators
Supporting Gay-Straight Alliances and other
visible programmatic efforts

21. What Schools Can Do
Support national programming (e.g., No
Name Calling Week, Day of
Silence, National Coming Out Day)
Form a Gay Straight Alliance
Expose students to positive messages
about LGBT individuals

22. “That’s so gay”
http://www.thinkb4youspeak.com/videos.asp?
play=tvspots&video=TV_Cashiers_30

23. GSAs: Why they matter
Presence in school sends a message that
hate speech and bullying will not be
tolerated; moving beyond the null
environment
Schools with GSAs have less verbal
harassment and in-school victimization;
LGBT youth are less likely to miss school
and more likely to report feelings of
belonging
Provide LGBT students with contact with
supportive adults in the school

24. Using a competency
approach
Necessary competencies will vary for
students, teachers, and administrators
Many students want to intervene but don’t
know how
Create opportunities for students to learn skills
(e.g., role plays, Use Another Word)
Show videos/movies that offer alternative
perspective and provide examples of how to
respond

25. Necessary
Competencies
 Responding to Bullying Incidents
 Be Aware
 Intervene (Stop the behavior)
 Show Empathy
 Educate
 Report

26. Necessary
Competencies
 Responding to LGBT students
 Be Aware
 Demonstrate openness
 Initiate and anticipate
 Be LGBT affirmative

27. Barriers to Success
Brainstorm barriers and how to
deal with them

28. Questions/Answers

29. It Gets Better
http://www.itgetsbetter.org/video/entry/4vutaav
5s3k/