Monday, May 21, 2012
Dignity for All Students Act Info Session at Pride for Youth
School faculty and administrators, parents, students - Want to know all about the Dignity Act and how it will impact NYS schools? Then attend this free info session at Pride for Youth on Thursday, May 31st at 6:30pm and get the info you need!
Dignity for All Students Act
Information Session
Thursday, May 31th from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Pride for Youth
2050 Bellmore Ave,
Bellmore, NY 11710
2nd Floor
Open to students, parents, school faculty, and concerned community members
Co-sponsors:
New York Civil Liberties Union
Pride For Youth
Send RSVP and questions to:
asinha@nyclu.org or 631-650-2301
Friday, May 18, 2012
Victory for Valley Stream Central HS GSA
by Jill Estes, Program Leader Coordinator
Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs across the country have one of the most difficult missions there could be in a high school. That mission is to promote and celebrate diversity while creating a safe school environment for LGBTQ youth. This is a huge challenge for these clubs as they are sometimes faced with misinformation, closed minds and homophobic attitudes from their peers.
For over 2 years now I have been going into schools to provide support for Long Island GSA’s. In those years I have seen clubs of all different sizes with a variety of goals. One common goal that I have seen is to gain permission to have a school-wide assembly on the topic of homophobia. This is a very difficult goal to accomplish. Schools face unique challenges between student resistance, bullying, and of course scheduling. Often it doesn’t look like a realistic goal to have a school-wide assembly on many topics that need to be brought out into the open.
Valley Stream Central High Schools GSA has made this goal a reality! On Thursday, April 19th I had the honor to speak for an assembly that was required for the entire 10th grade. This is absolutely ground breaking and a huge victory for Valley Stream Central High School and their GSA.
Although there was some anxiety and worry about how the information would be received, we were pleasantly surprised! Many would assume that with almost 400 students in an auditorium and a speaker talking about homophobia and her own experience growing up gay that there would be some issues. Well I am proud to say that I barely needed the microphone. The students were respectful and engaged in the discussion for its entirety. After the assembly many students approached me thanking me for sharing my personal struggles and giving them hope. The faculty of Valley Stream Central High School was also very warm, welcoming and accommodating.
I would like to thank the faculty, administration, the GSA and the students of Valley Stream Central High School for the amazing opportunity to speak on your stage about issues near and dear to my heart, that affects us all. What a celebration for Valley Stream Centrals GSA! Now hearing that this goal has finally been accomplished I can only hope that more schools GSA’s work on achieving this common goal of a school wide assembly on this topic. We have proven that it can be done!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Don't Say Gay Bill
By Becca Harrington
Imagine for a moment you are twelve years old and struggling with your sexuality.
You think you might be gay, lesbian, or bisexual. You have tried to reach out to your parents, and they told you it’s a phase that will pass, yet you continue to struggle. You feel different from your peers, lost, and isolated. It seems that there is nobody you can talk to who will hear you out and help you understand your feelings. In fact, other students at school start to bully you. They call you names, they push you, they whisper behind your back, and they openly laugh at you.
You are humiliated.
You reach out to a teacher or guidance counselor with the hope that they might stand up for you and stop the bullying. However, you are told you can’t talk about being gay at school because it is not age appropriate and sexuality is something to be discussed at home. Your struggles and the bullying are dismissed.
The isolation you were experiencing before grows stronger. You have nobody to talk to and there is nowhere you feel safe. You come to the conclusion there is something wrong with you. You don’t deserve to live. You want to end your life.
For too many young people, this situation is all too real. In Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin school district, faculty and staff were required to “remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation.” Meanwhile, as reported recently in Rolling Stone Magazine, students were facing rampant anti-gay harassment and bullying. Six LGBT bullying victims committed suicide in a two year period.
The school district’s policy on sexual orientation has since been changed to “affirm the dignity and self-worth of all students, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation,” and they recently paid out a settlement of $750,000 to two students who filed discrimination complaints. It’s a shame that it took tragedies and legal action to address student safety and wellness.
The state of Tennessee is moving in the opposite direction. Just last year, lawmakers voted to ban schools from discussing matters of “homosexuality” before the ninth grade. The bill, known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents, is sponsored by Republican Senator Stacey Campfield of Knoxville.
School staff are on the front lines of bullying prevention, and they are frequently the first adults to notice student behavior that may indicate suicidal intent. If there’s a gag around their mouths when LGBT issues come up, many troubled students will be ignored. Not only does this put youth in harm’s way, it also perpetuates a cycle of violence that impacts society as a whole.
Similar policies to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, whether formally or informally enforced, are in place all over the U.S. schools. They need to be exposed, challenged and overturned. It’s a matter of social justice.
Imagine for a moment you are twelve years old and struggling with your sexuality.
You think you might be gay, lesbian, or bisexual. You have tried to reach out to your parents, and they told you it’s a phase that will pass, yet you continue to struggle. You feel different from your peers, lost, and isolated. It seems that there is nobody you can talk to who will hear you out and help you understand your feelings. In fact, other students at school start to bully you. They call you names, they push you, they whisper behind your back, and they openly laugh at you.
You are humiliated.
You reach out to a teacher or guidance counselor with the hope that they might stand up for you and stop the bullying. However, you are told you can’t talk about being gay at school because it is not age appropriate and sexuality is something to be discussed at home. Your struggles and the bullying are dismissed.
The isolation you were experiencing before grows stronger. You have nobody to talk to and there is nowhere you feel safe. You come to the conclusion there is something wrong with you. You don’t deserve to live. You want to end your life.
For too many young people, this situation is all too real. In Minnesota’s Anoka-Hennepin school district, faculty and staff were required to “remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation.” Meanwhile, as reported recently in Rolling Stone Magazine, students were facing rampant anti-gay harassment and bullying. Six LGBT bullying victims committed suicide in a two year period.
The school district’s policy on sexual orientation has since been changed to “affirm the dignity and self-worth of all students, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation,” and they recently paid out a settlement of $750,000 to two students who filed discrimination complaints. It’s a shame that it took tragedies and legal action to address student safety and wellness.
The state of Tennessee is moving in the opposite direction. Just last year, lawmakers voted to ban schools from discussing matters of “homosexuality” before the ninth grade. The bill, known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by opponents, is sponsored by Republican Senator Stacey Campfield of Knoxville.
School staff are on the front lines of bullying prevention, and they are frequently the first adults to notice student behavior that may indicate suicidal intent. If there’s a gag around their mouths when LGBT issues come up, many troubled students will be ignored. Not only does this put youth in harm’s way, it also perpetuates a cycle of violence that impacts society as a whole.
Similar policies to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, whether formally or informally enforced, are in place all over the U.S. schools. They need to be exposed, challenged and overturned. It’s a matter of social justice.
Monday, January 30, 2012
An Inspirational Visit to Kennedy High School's GSA
by Program Leader Meredith Barranco
Kennedy High School, in Bellmore, looks like many other schools on Long Island. But within Kennedy High School there is an amazing story about the power of youth leadership that many other schools could stand to learn from.
The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) of Kennedy High School has a jaw-dropping 70+ members. In a social environment where sexuality is often a taboo topic, it’s incredible how many students are committed to making their school more tolerant, understanding, and safe for LGBT youth.
GSAs are clubs that give LGBT youth and their straight allies a safe space to discuss sexuality, acceptance, coming out, and how to educate others. GSAs can be controversial. Getting school administrators and the Board of Education to sanction a club can be a difficult journey. Once a club has been established, it’s often difficult to keep a steady membership. Other GSAs I have visited have had 10 to 15 members. The story of how Kennedy’s GSA became one of the largest and most active GSA on Long Island is impressive and touching.
When I came to visit them, the faculty advisors filled me in on the beginnings of this incredible club. The GSA started in May 2011. Students and faculty had discussed the need for such a club for several years, but one student Camila helped the school take the first step.
After one of her teachers put up a ’Safe Spaces’ sticker in his room, Camila felt encouraged to talk to him about some concerns. She confessed that she felt unsafe and isolated as the only “out” lesbian student at school. After doing some research and discussing it with the school administration, Camila got approval for a GSA.
According to one of the advisors, the first few meetings were “thrown together” and held in the school social worker’s office. With just a few weeks before the end of the school year, they brought together ten students. In September 2011, the membership exploded, and they completely outgrew their meeting room. They started meeting in a much larger room to accommodate the 65-80 students who wanted to attend each week.
An after-school club with 70 members poses unique challenges to the advisors and the student leaders. They decided to divide the membership into committees, such as public relations, event planning, education and outreach, fundraising, and media.
In less than a year, the GSA has accomplished several actions. They held an ‘Ally Week,’ recognizing straight allies, during which they a banner in the main hall, and asked students to sign it and pledge to defend and support their LGBT classmates. They asked allies to wear purple on certain days, rainbow ribbons on others, and they encouraged teachers to put Safe Space stickers in their classrooms. Ally Week was well-received, and they’re planning on having a similar week of activism in the spring.
The GSA also made a video for the popular ‘It Gets Better’ campaign. It is student-written, developed, filmed, and edited, and it was broadcast to first-period classes so every student was able to see the video.
Reaction to the GSA has been generally positive, but there have been a few incidents of hate and intolerance. During a bake sale to raise funds for the club, one student returned what he was going to buy with the comment: “I don’t want a faggot cupcake.”
Nonetheless, the GSA believes that their cause is viewed positively by most of the school community, and beyond. News of their success travelled to another Bellmore/Merrick high school which has a fledgling GSA that comes to observe Kennedy’s meetings and receive training. GSA members are also exploring the possibility of doing presentations at the district’s middle schools to prevent bullying and intolerance.
Kennedy High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance is an incredible success. Through student leadership and positive faculty/student collaboration, they have built an enduring resource to improve the lives of students.
Kennedy High School, in Bellmore, looks like many other schools on Long Island. But within Kennedy High School there is an amazing story about the power of youth leadership that many other schools could stand to learn from.
The Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) of Kennedy High School has a jaw-dropping 70+ members. In a social environment where sexuality is often a taboo topic, it’s incredible how many students are committed to making their school more tolerant, understanding, and safe for LGBT youth.
GSAs are clubs that give LGBT youth and their straight allies a safe space to discuss sexuality, acceptance, coming out, and how to educate others. GSAs can be controversial. Getting school administrators and the Board of Education to sanction a club can be a difficult journey. Once a club has been established, it’s often difficult to keep a steady membership. Other GSAs I have visited have had 10 to 15 members. The story of how Kennedy’s GSA became one of the largest and most active GSA on Long Island is impressive and touching.
When I came to visit them, the faculty advisors filled me in on the beginnings of this incredible club. The GSA started in May 2011. Students and faculty had discussed the need for such a club for several years, but one student Camila helped the school take the first step.
After one of her teachers put up a ’Safe Spaces’ sticker in his room, Camila felt encouraged to talk to him about some concerns. She confessed that she felt unsafe and isolated as the only “out” lesbian student at school. After doing some research and discussing it with the school administration, Camila got approval for a GSA.
According to one of the advisors, the first few meetings were “thrown together” and held in the school social worker’s office. With just a few weeks before the end of the school year, they brought together ten students. In September 2011, the membership exploded, and they completely outgrew their meeting room. They started meeting in a much larger room to accommodate the 65-80 students who wanted to attend each week.
An after-school club with 70 members poses unique challenges to the advisors and the student leaders. They decided to divide the membership into committees, such as public relations, event planning, education and outreach, fundraising, and media.
In less than a year, the GSA has accomplished several actions. They held an ‘Ally Week,’ recognizing straight allies, during which they a banner in the main hall, and asked students to sign it and pledge to defend and support their LGBT classmates. They asked allies to wear purple on certain days, rainbow ribbons on others, and they encouraged teachers to put Safe Space stickers in their classrooms. Ally Week was well-received, and they’re planning on having a similar week of activism in the spring.
The GSA also made a video for the popular ‘It Gets Better’ campaign. It is student-written, developed, filmed, and edited, and it was broadcast to first-period classes so every student was able to see the video.
Reaction to the GSA has been generally positive, but there have been a few incidents of hate and intolerance. During a bake sale to raise funds for the club, one student returned what he was going to buy with the comment: “I don’t want a faggot cupcake.”
Nonetheless, the GSA believes that their cause is viewed positively by most of the school community, and beyond. News of their success travelled to another Bellmore/Merrick high school which has a fledgling GSA that comes to observe Kennedy’s meetings and receive training. GSA members are also exploring the possibility of doing presentations at the district’s middle schools to prevent bullying and intolerance.
Kennedy High School’s Gay-Straight Alliance is an incredible success. Through student leadership and positive faculty/student collaboration, they have built an enduring resource to improve the lives of students.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)