Gay/Straight Alliances

By on June 24, 2011 in Citizenship Resources, KS3, KS4, KS5, PSHE Resources

Gay-Straight Alliances: Ground Zero for School Tolerance

An article that provides information and tips, using case studies and quotes on how to create a Gay/Straight Alliance at your school. Not much mention of LB or T though we assume they are included Lesbians, Bis and Trans. American site.

“No other extracurricular activity has sparked the controversy and legal challenges that the formation of Gay-Straight Alliance clubs has. What upsets communities so? Why are students, their supporters, and those who oppose them willing to take this issue to court? Education World examined the issues with club advisers, opponents, and experts. Included: Tips for promoting tolerance in schools.”

Headings include:

  • A STORM OF CONTROVERSY
  • CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS
  • ARE GSAs REALLY NECESSARY?
  • GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE ACTIVITIES
Tips for Administrators *Educate yourself about the needs of gay students and their families.* Assume thereare gay students, parents, and staff at your school

* Support the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance club.

* Develop policies protecting students from harassment, violence, and discrimination based on sexuality.

* Provide personnel training on sexual-difference issues.

* Provide school and community-based counseling and support for students and families.

* Hire openly gay faculty and staff to serve as supportive role models.

* Include accurate, up-to-date, and age-appropriate information about gay issues across the curriculum.

* Update school libraries to include resources and information on gay issues.

 

Tips for Teachers

* Educate yourself about the needs of gay students and their families.

* Make your room a “Gay Safe Space.”

* Interrupt homophobic jokes and epithets.

* Assume there are gay students in your classroom.

* Use inclusive, affirming, and gender-neutral language when referring to sexuality and human relationships.

Adapted from e-interview with Dr. Warren Blumenfeld, a professor at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) and the author of “Making Colleges and Universities Safe for Gay and Lesbian Students: A Report for the Massachusetts Governor’s Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth”

 

 

  • ADDITIONAL ONLINE RESOURCES ABOUT GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCES IN SCHOOLS
  1. Ten Things Educators Can Do…To Ensure That Their Classrooms Are Safe Spaces For ALL Students Ten actions school administrators can take, including looking at the curriculum and training staff.
  2. Gay/Straight Clubs Formed by Public School Students: Why School Officials Need to Treat Them Equally Lawyers at the American Civil Liberties Union Lesbian and Gay Rights Project, Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights developed this document along with other concerned citizens fighting bans on gay-straight alliances in Utah and in Glendale, California.

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