Students - Know Your Rights!

This is for all American public school students who are Queer or allied. This is a small write up about your rights provided by the ACLU - Get Busy, Get Equal!

"If you experience any problems at school, first talk to your principal or another official. If nothing happens it's time to take action.

HARASSMENT:
If you are being harassed, or witness harassment, report it to the principal, a counselor, or another official immediately, and keep notes with dates and descriptions of all incidents and when you reported them. Being silent may seem easier but it will not end the abuse, and you have the right to be yourself and safe.

PRIVACY:
Teachers and school officials do NOT have the right to "out" you to anyone without your permission or use your sexual orientation to manipulate you in any way.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH:
Sometimes schools try to silence students who are open about their sexual orientation. If you go to a public school you have a constitutional right to be out of the closet and express your opinions.

GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCES:
Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA's) are non-curricular student clubs, just like Chess clubs or Key Clubs, that allow students with a common interest to get together and have discussions and activities. The law says public schools must allow GSA's if other student clubs exist.

*For info on starting or being part of a GSA go to GLSEN or call 212-727-0135

PROM:
Public schools cannot stop you from bringing a same-sex date to prom. Federal law protects this as freedom of expression, and you cannot be barred from prom because of your date's gender."

If you are encountering difficulty, the ACLU can provide free assistance... Do not hesitate to contact them with questions about your rights or to ask for legal assistance.

getequal@aclu.org
Phone: 212-549-2627

No Name-Calling Week Jan 25-29th

GLSEN's No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.

To order a kit, plan something for your school, get buttons, ad banners and more, check out their website.

GLSEN Spins on "That's So Gay" Catchphrase

Look out for adverts mocking the infamous phrase "that's so gay" by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). This outreach is being coordinated by their 'Think Before You Speak' campaign and has released several billboards, print ads, TV, radio, and internet graphics throughout the country in an effort to get students to stop using language that is hurtful towards LGBT students. The campaign seeks to make the phrase look outdated, meaningless, and ignorant.

Below are some of the new posters that have been released featuring a jock, cheerleader, and a gamer that attempt to make the point.



Sign the pledge and come up with something original to replace "that's so gay" with something that actually makes sense!

Stop the Anti-Gay Slander Against Kevin Jennings

Kevin Jennings the founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has been tapped by the Obama administration to be the new Assistant Deputy Secretary of Education for the Department’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. Mr. Jennings is will qualified having worked nearly all of his career as a teacher and then as a safety advocate to ensure a respectful and safe environment for all of America's students.

The anti-gay right is seizing on the opportunity to defame Mr. Jennings because he is an openly gay man in a position of power. They are using fear tactics and misquoting Jennings to suggest that he is an ardent atheist, militant sex activist, and a drug addict. They are waging a campaign to ensure he does not receive this post within the Obama administration.

Mr. Jennings is a hero not a threat to the nations youth. Please use GLSEN's form to contact the US Dept of Education and urge them to approve his appointment.

Day of Silence - 4.17.09

This is a guest post by Renee over at Womanist Musings:

The National Day of Silence is fast approaching. On April 17th to support our TLBG members, spend the day in silence and let the world know that there is a cost to the violence that they are forced to endure because we refuse to believe in the equality of all bodies.



We need to realize that each day a life is snuffed out somewhere on this planet for the supposed crime of loving another or their gender identity. It is far to easy to believe that because two marriage amendments were passed in one week that things are improving. The truth is no matter how many states pass same sex marriage the issues of homophobia and transphobia extend far beyond that. They include discrimination in housing, health care, education, employment, and in fact every sphere that you can possibly think of. This is why I am a huge advocate of ENDA.



What I love most about this idea is that this is an action that we can all participate in to show our solidarity and raise awareness directly in our communities. So many times people ask what can I do to show support. Well now you have an answer. On April 17 you can spend a day in silence reflecting on how are dissonance in worth and value wrongfully privileges certain bodies and allow your silence to speak the words that you may no be able to express.

TransAction Day 2009

TransAction is a national day to encourage dialogue about gender, gender roles and the full range of gender identities, and to advocate for inclusive, safe schools for all students.

The 2007 National School Climate Survey, a national study of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) found:

85.1% of transgender students reported being verbally harassed based on their sexual orientation and gender/gender expression

96.1% of students heard negative comments related to students’ gender expression

38.4% of students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their gender expression.

Transgender students reported experiencing higher levels of harassment and assault related to various personal characteristics than other students.

GLSEN is encouraging people to celebrate, educate, and advocate on behalf of transgender people.

To sign up or to see the resources available, please check out TransAction Day!

GLSEN Fundraiser in Miami Beach, Florida

GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is having a fundraiser Jan. 31 in Miami Beach.

Miami Honor Society Reception
Sat, jan 31st 2009
7-10pm

At the home of
Dan Schres
1545 Meridian Ave
Miami Beach, FL 33139

RSVP by Thurs Jan 29th to Solonje Burnett, Special Events Manager ay 646.388.6589 or sburnett@glsen.org

Shared Differences Examines LGBT Students of Color Experiences in School

LGBT students of color face unique and diverse challenges regarding victimization at school, according to Shared Differences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students of Color in Our Nation's Schools, a report released today by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

Key Findings:

Across all groups, sexual orientation and gender expression were the most common reasons LGBT students of color reported feeling unsafe in school. More than four out of five students, within each racial/ethnic group, reported verbal harassment in school because of sexual orientation and about two-thirds because of gender expression. At least a third of each group reported physical violence in school because of sexual orientation.

More than half of African American/Black, Latino/a, Asian/Pacific Islander, and multiracial students also reported verbal harassment in school based on their race or ethnicity. Native American students (43%) were less likely than other students to report experiencing racially motivated verbal harassment.

About a quarter of African American/Black and Asian/Pacific Islander students had missed class or days of school in the past month because they felt unsafe. Latino/a, Native American, and multiracial students were even more likely to be absent for for safety reasons - about a third or more skipped class at least once or missed at least one day of school in the past month for safety reasons.

Native American students experienced particularly high levels of victimization because of their religion, with more than half reporting the highest levels of verbal harassment (54%), and a quarter experiencing physical violence (26%).

Less than half of students of color who had been harassed or assaulted in school in the past year said that they ever reported the incident to school staff. Furthermore, for those students who did report incidents to school staff, less than half believed that staff’s resulting response was effective.

Native American (57%) and multiracial (50%) students were more likely than other students of color in our survey to report incidents to a family member.

Performance at school also suffered when students experienced high levels of victimization. Students’ overall GPA dropped when they reported high severities of harassment based on sexual orientation and/or race/ethnicity. Students experiencing high severities of harassment also reported missing school more often.

The report also looks at differing experiences based on the racial/ethnic make-up of students’ schools. For all groups, LGBT students of color who were minorities in their school were much more likely to feel unsafe and experience harassment because of their race or ethnicity than those who were in the racial/ethnic majority.

To download the full report, click here.

Think Before You Speak - Cashier

The Ad Council and Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has released a new public awareness ad calling on people to stop saying "that's so gay."

Wanda Sykes Isn't a Fan of "That's So Gay"

Open Forum: That's So Straight!?

Well all grew up hearing the famous phrase "sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me". It probably didn't take long to realize that this line is the furthest thing from the truth.

"75.4% of students heard derogatory remarks such as "faggot" or "dyke" frequently or often at school, and nearly nine out of ten (89.2%) reported hearing "that's so gay" or "you're so gay" - meaning stupid or worthless- frequently or often." (GLSEN)

The National School Climate Survey found that LGBT students are more likely to by physically harassed, skip class, drop out, and have a lower GPA due to assault.

Words are hurtful and many times abuse begins verbally and eventually leads to physical violence. As Queer activists & Allies it is important to stand up, many times people utter these words without thinking twice about what their connotation is and whom they might be offending.

So I pose the question, what if anything do you do to combat hateful words? Do you say something, and if so how do you handle it and what has the outcome been?