Resources for Teachers from Project 10 East

Introduction

The annual Day of Silence is a silent protest of the discrimination and harassment experienced by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning people and their allies. On April 16, 2008, students from over 3,000 schools in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. participated in this important day of action -- and CRLS was one of them.

The following resources were collected to support teachers in working together with their students to reduce homophobia and harassment in our community.

ZERO-INDIFFERENCE: A Guide to Stop Name-Calling & Bullying

A Zero-Indifference response to name-calling means that members of the school community take collective action to not tolerate name-calling and bullying. Although there is no one right way to intervene, consistent intervention is key to establishing a school environment where all students feel safe and respected.

THREE THINGS THAT YOU AS AN EDUCATOR SHOULD NEVER DO:

• Ignore the incident.
• Excuse it.
• Allow yourself to become immobilized by fear or uncertainty.

EFFECTIVE INTERVENTIONS CONSIST OF TWO STEPS:

1. Stop the behavior (immediately).
2. Educate those involved (either publicly, on the spot, or later, in private).

The determining factor about whether to educate on the spot or privately, immediately or later, should be the needs of the targeted student. Both options have advantages and disadvantages.

Distinguish between what feels right and what is best for a given student or situation.

Incidents of name-calling and bullying can be complex, calling for educators to use thoughtful, critical judgment in each situation. You may want every student within fifty feet to hear you loud and clear when you reprimand the tormenters of a targeted student, so that students will get the message that your school will not tolerate name-calling. This response, however, may cause targeted students to cringe at the attention your public intervention draws, and to increase their
concerns for their safety on the way home, when no one will be there to protect them.

Ask targeted students what they would like you to do.

As a teacher, you may feel you need to take charge and determine on your own what s best for all students. Instead, you can stop the name-calling immediately, and set aside a time to educate harassing students later. Establish a time to meet privately with targeted students and discuss what they think might work best for them. Determine whether targeted students have a history of being harassed in general, whether offending students have a history of harassing other students, and whether the involved parties have a history with each other.

Continued (PDF) >

© 2003 Anti-Defamation League

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Ten Things Educators Can Do...
Ten Action Points to Ensure Respect for All is Taught in Your School

1. Do Not Assume Heterosexuality
The constant assumption of heterosexuality renders gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
(LGBT) people invisible. Such invisibility is devastating to the individual’s sense of self. Both the
school as an institution and its professionals must be inclusive in their language and attitudes.
By reminding themselves that LGBT people are found on every staff, in every classroom, and on
every team, faculty can “unlearn” heterosexism.

2. Guarantee Equality
LGBT members of the school community need to know that their schools value equality and that
they are protected against discrimination. Schools should add sexual orientation and gender
identity to their non-discrimination and harassment policies. In addition, sexual orientation and
gender identity and gender expression should be included in multicultural and diversity
statements as a way to communicate a commitment to equal treatment for all.

3. Create a Safe Environment
It is the school’s obligation to take proactive measures to ensure that all members of its
community have a right to participate without fear of harassment. Schools must make it clear
that neither physical violence nor harassing language like “faggot” and “dyke” will be tolerated.
Creating a “Safe Zone” program—displaying posters, stickers, and other literature encouraging
acceptance—is a great way to communicate that your school is a safe environment for all.

4. Diversify Library and Media Holdings
The library is frequently the first place to which students turn for accurate sexuality and gender
information. Too often, few or no works on LGBT issues are found there. Librarians and media
specialists need to be sure their holdings are up to date and reflect the diversity of our world.
Materials that reflect LGBT themes and authors should be prominently displayed and easily
accessible to students seeking them. The library and media center should reflect LGBT holidays
and events in their programming, and should strive to make sure that individual classroom
libraries are similarly inclusive. The GLSEN Bookstore is a great online “one-stop shopping”
resource for LGBT materials.

5. Provide Training for Faculty and Staff
School staff need to be equipped to serve all the students with whom they work, including LGBT
students and children from LGBT families. Understanding the needs of LGBT youth/families
and developing the skills to meet those needs should be expected of all educators regardless of
their personal or religious beliefs.

6. Provide Appropriate Health Care and Education
While being LGBT is not only a “health issue,” health education on sexuality and sexually
transmitted diseases should sensitively address the issues of LGBT people. Counselors and
health staff should be particularly careful to make their sensitivity to LGBT issues clear. By
educating themselves about related support services and agencies, and making pamphlets and
other literature available, health professionals can provide for the needs of the LGBT students
and families with whom they work.

7. Be a Role Model
Actions speak louder than words. The most effective way to reduce anti-LGBT bias is to
consistently behave in ways that appreciate all human beings and condemn discrimination of any
kind. Though both straight and LGBT students will benefit from having openly LGBT educators,
coaches and administrators, staff members need not be “out” or LGBT themselves in order to be
good role models. By demonstrating respectful language, intervening during instances of anti-
LGBT harassment, and bringing diverse images into the classroom in safe and affirming ways, all
staff members can be model human beings for the students with whom they work.

8. Provide Support for Students
Peer support and acceptance is the key to any student’s feeling of belonging in the school. “Gay-
Straight Alliances” (GSAs) offer students this sense of belonging as well as the chance to effect
positive change in their schools. GSAs welcome membership from any student interested in
combating anti-LGBT bias and raising awareness of heterosexism and diverse gender/sexual
identities. There are currently over 1200 GSAs registered with GLSEN and countless more across
the nation. Consider being a GSA advisor and helping students in your community to form a
club that provides support, understanding and an avenue for promoting equality and school
change.

9. Reassess the Curriculum
Educators need to integrate LGBT issues throughout the curriculum—not just in classes such as
health education, but in disciplines such as English, History, Art and Science. Pre-existing
curricula should be broadened to include LGBT images where appropriate (such as in studies of
the Holocaust and Civil Rights Movement). Current events, popular music and film, and other
media that include LGBT people and issues should be regularly discussed in class. Classroom
libraries, story times, and assigned reading should be thoughtfully structured to include the full
range of human diversity. Finally, educators should take advantage of “teachable moments,”
treating questions, comments and instances of name-calling as opportunities to educate students about LGBT people and issues. Children spend the majority of their time in class. As long as
LGBT issues are seen as “special” and outside the classroom, students will continue to see LGBT
people as marginal.

10. Broaden Entertainment and Extracurricular Programs
Extracurricular activities often set the tone for the community. Programs such as assemblies, film
nights, and school fairs should regularly include content that reflects the diversity of our world.
Special LGBT events and holidays such as LGBT History Month (October) and Pride Month
(June) should be incorporated into school-wide celebrations. Guest speakers and lectures that
can inform the school community about the unique needs and accomplishments of LGBT people
should be a regular part of school programming.

©2002 GLSEN

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