Karlee Reid: "I was openly insulted by a group of classmates in one particular class. Terms such as 'dyke' and 'disgusting' came up, and I certainly did my best to ignore them -- as did the teacher. On other occasions, when a student was being harassed that same teacher would put a stop to it immediately."
Lyle Qualls: "On the day of the talent show … I got up and walked to the stage when they called my name, and with all of my nerve, belted out the song I had practiced so hard. … [Then] people started yelling names throughout the crowd. 'Queer' and 'fag boy' were the only words I could hear. … School was once one of the only things I had. Now even it has been taken away."
James Slusser: "[After Coach called me a 'faggot'], my heart began to beat like a drum. … If a teacher, someone paid to instill tolerance in my life, was going to call me a 'faggot,' then what chance did I have?"
These are the voices of students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) in U.S. schools. Their experiences are not anomalous, but rather representative of the very harsh realities facing millions of gay youths in our nation's schools.
For LGBTQ students, school is rarely a safe space, much less an environment conducive to learning. Research shows, for example, that LGBTQ students are five times more likely to report having skipped school in the last 30 days because of safety concerns than the general population of students.
Next month, on April 18, the 11th annual Day of Silence (TM), tens of thousands of LGBTQ students and their allies will remain silent, refraining from speech in class or with peers. This symbolic act of civil disobedience highlights the ways anti-gay prejudice and discriminatory behaviors limit the life and school-based opportunities of LGBTQ youth and silence the very being of who they are.
Whether students in your school are participating in this national act of consciousness-raising, you can honor the silence and realities of these youths by overcoming common roadblocks and working to ensure that your school, your district, your state are safe and inclusive so that, one day, LGBTQ students need not protest in silence for us to see them and honor their needs.
Carrie Kilman, Tiffany Rogers, Jeff Sapp, Rhonda Thomason and Victoria Williams contributed to this edition of the ABCs. Teaching Tolerance extends special thanks to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) for its excellent research and its permission to include information about the Day of Silence (TM) in this issue.
Contact us for permission to reprint this article. Please reference its title in your request and provide the name and location of your school or organization. |
