LGBTQ news and entertainment
Some news items you might have missed: • Reuters: By a vote of 369-10, Thai lawmakers overwhelmingly passed four draft bills on same-sex marriage in their first reading, moving the country closer towards its legalization in a country with one of Asia’s most open and visible LGBT communities. Continue reading “Thai Lawmakers Approve Same-Sex Marriage In 369-10 Vote + More News”
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| GSA bus in Pride parade (image via Flickr/jglsongs – CC License) |
According to the 2017 National School Climate Survey from GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), progress in making schools more inclusive and less hostile for LGBTQ students has slowed down after years of improvement.
The survey polled more than 23,000 students across the United States ages 13-21 between April and August of 2017.
The average age of participants was 15.6 years-old and four in ten of those surveyed identified as gay or lesbian.
The results of the survey showed that after years of declining harassment, the improving climate seems to have plateaued (see graphic below).
The data from the survey shows:
• Almost 60% of LGBTQ students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation; 44% because of their gender expression
• Almost 35% of LGBTQ students say they missed a day of school in the past month because they felt unsafe
• 4 in 10 avoided gender-segregated spaces like bathrooms or locker rooms due to safety concerns
• 98.5% of LGBTQ students have heard the term “gay” used in a negative way; 70% say they hear these remarks frequently
• 70.1% of LGBTQ students say they’ve experienced verbal harassment based on sexual orientation; almost 60% based on gender expression
• Almost 30% say they’ve been physically harassed (pushed, shoved) based on sexual orientation; 24.4% based on gender expression
• 12.4% of LGBTQ students say they’ve been physically assaulted (punched, kicked) based on sexual orientation; 11.2% based on gender expression
• 42.2% of LGBTQ students say they considered dropping out of school due to harassment
• 48.7% of LGBTQ students have experienced cyberbullying in the past year
• 57.3% of LGBTQ students reported being sexually harassed in the past year at school
The majority of LGBTQ students (55.3%) who were victimized in school did not report the incident believing no effective intervention would happen or the situation could become worse.
Of the students who did report an incident, 60.4% say school staff did nothing or told the student to ignore it.
One piece of good news: more students reported having a Gay/Straight Alliance (53.3%) at their school than ever before.
The data shows that when a school offers a GSA, LGBTQ students were less likely to hear homophobic or transphobic slurs; saw more intervention by school personnel; and were less likely to feel unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation.
Head over to GLSEN to read the full report.
In celebration of LGBT Pride Month, GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) announced a new collaboration between the NBA, GLSEN, and Teespring.
Beginning on June 7, fans can purchase an exclusive line of Teespring NBA Pride T-shirts featuring the logos of all 30 NBA teams, with all proceeds benefiting GLSEN.
From GLSEN’s Executive Director, Dr. Eliza Byard:
“Support from professional sports for LGBT people has been one of the biggest cultural developments of the past five years, and the NBA has consistently led the way. Thank you, NBA and Teespring, for this generous support, and for standing with your LGBT fans, LGBT youth, and GLSEN with these Pride-themed shirts.
For LGBT fans and players alike, visibility and inclusion in the family of sports remains a key goal. The entire GLSEN family is proud of our longstanding partnership with the NBA, and excited about all of the work we are doing together to make K-12 physical education and athletics – and all of K-12 education – more inclusive and welcoming of LGBT students.”
Today is GLSENs Day of Silence – a national day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.
Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
From the first-ever Day of Silence at the University of Virginia in 1996, to the organizing efforts in over 8,000 middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities across the country in 2008, its textured history reflects its diversity in both numbers and reach.
Students may decide to be silent for the entire school day, or at lunch, passing periods, or only on social media. But by taking part, they become part of a collaborative against bullying.
Sadly, the haters can’t even stand kids being silent as an act of opposing bullying. Anti-gay organizations actually encourage parents to keep their kids home from school today so they aren’t “indoctrinated” in being kind to other kids.
The National Day of Silence – organized by GLSEN and to observed this year on April 17th – is a day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.
Since 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
BUT – the haters don’t like seeing this national attention bringing to light the bias and bullying LGBT students receive. Today, a group of anti-gay organizations issued their annual call to action urging parents to not have their children take part in the day.
If you have school age children, contact your administration as soon as possible to ask this specific question: Will you be permitting students to refuse to speak in class on the Day of Silence?
If the administration either answers “Yes” or dodges the question, please call your child or children out of school on the Day of Silence. Every absence costs districts money, and money talks.
The Day of Silence is the queen of all the numerous homosexuality-affirming activities that take place in public schools. It started in one university and then like a cancer metastasized to thousands of high schools, and then into middle schools. Before long it will take place in elementary schools.
Leftists know that it’s easier to indoctrinate 16-year-olds than 36-year-olds and easier still to indoctrinate 6-year-olds.
Can you imagine? Urging kids and teenagers to be more accepting of each other is “like a cancer.”
Check out the video below for background for the National Day of Silence.
From the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN): Be one of the brave, and join us in celebrating No Name-Calling Week January 19-23, 2015.
Whether you’re a teacher, student, guidance counselor, coach, librarian or bus driver, show you care by organizing a week of activities at your school aimed at ending name-calling once and for all.
No Name-Calling Week was inspired by the popular young adult novel entitled The Misfits by popular author James Howe.
The book tells the story of four best friends trying to survive the seventh grade in the face of all too frequent taunts based on their weight, height, intelligence, and sexual orientation/gender expression.
The friends create a new political party during student council elections and run on a platform aimed at wiping out name-calling of all kinds. The No-Name Party in the end, wins the support of the school’s principal for their cause and their idea for a “No Name-Calling Day” at school.
The GLSEN sponsored event, National Day Of Silence, is this Friday.
The National Day of Silence is a day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.
However, rabidly anti-gay Linda Harvey, speaking yesterday on her radio show, continued her screed against the campaign saying parents should keep their children home to avoid being exposed to a message of inclusiveness and acceptance.
From Harvey’s radio show:
“The Day of Silence is sadly a day of pro-homosexual propaganda in schools. Students pledge to remain silent all day in order to protest what they believe has been the silencing of homosexuals and bullying that isn’t being punished, those who choose to be homosexual or switch genders are the victims and we’re all bullies or potential bullies if we don’t accept this premise.
“But we should not accept this premise because it wrongly communicates that homosexuality is honorable and respectable and that it’s inborn like race. But that’s’ not true. No one, especially young people, should take on this identity and behavior. It’s a high-risk life that dishonors God and the way He created us.”
It’s a sad message from a sad person. You can hear her below:
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| Via JMG |
GLSEN‘s mission: “We want every student, in every school, to be valued and treated with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We believe that all students deserve a safe and affirming school environment where they can learn and grow.”
For more info – ThinkB4YouSpeak.com
The video above is to promote anti-gay organization Focus On The Family’s “Day of Dialogue” – a rebuttal to GLSEN’s “Day of Silence:”
The National Day of Silence is a day of action in which students across the country vow to take a form of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools.
Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action towards creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. From the first-ever Day of Silence at the University of Virginia in 1996, to the organizing efforts in over 8,000 middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities across the country in 2008, its textured history reflects its diversity in both numbers and reach.
Fascinating that Focus On The Family and other anti-gay organizations urge parents to keep their kids home from school on Friday to try and minimize the impact of something positive like teaching kids it’s not cool to beat the shit out of gay kids.
But on the website for “Day of Dialogue” they say:
“Wouldn’t it be nice if a deeper and freer conversation could happen when controversial sexual topics are brought up in your school?”
So NOW they want to talk about sexual topics???
And btw – the students in the above video keep saying they “have a voice” but notice how they don’t say anything about the topic at hand?
(h/t JMG)
Linda Harvey has a lot to say about GLSEN’s Day of Silence, but she must not have looked at the facts about what it’s really like to be an LGBTQ student.
Whose side are you on?
For more info about the experiences of LGBT students in school, read GLSEN’s 2011 National School Climate Survey which had 8,584 student respondents from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. You can download the executive summary or full report for free: http://glsen.us/ZeHeVX