Heterosexism is a term used to describe people who discriminate against gays and lesbians. Throughout history, an intimate relationship between members of the opposite sex was considered the norm, and breaking this norm would make a person deviant. From birth, children are taught certain characteristics on how boys and girls are suppose to behave. Children learn these things from their parents, the schools they attend, and society that they live in. The characteristics that they learn shapes them into what they become when they’re adults. According to Barrie Thorne, “the sociological significance of children’s play is that boys and girls are helping to socialize one another into primary adult gender roles, girls being more concerned with intimacy, emotions, and romance, and boys with independence and sexuality (pg. 180)”. As children we are taught that sex and sexuality are about becoming mommies or daddies, we then bring that knowledge into our teenage lives and eventually into adulthood. We are taught that being heterosexual is normal and homosexuality and bisexual as wrong and out of the norm. Although heterosexuality dates all the way back to the days of Adam and Eve, the term didn’t come into effect until the late nineteenth century. The purpose of this paper is to give examples of how heterosexism has become institutionalized in the American social system.…
These individuals need to work together in order to make the schools safer for LGBTQQ youth. Developing anti-bullying strategies should involve all stakeholders working together in order to be most effective. GSSC measures effectiveness by the number of teachers trained, the level of bullying based on a school climate report card done every two years by Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), they also keep track of consultations and the results from those efforts. When passing policies they can track how many districts have added protections. Effectiveness is sometimes measured by feedback surveys conducted after trainings as well as feedback from coalition partners and directly talking with our connections (E. Elliot, personal communication, October 27, 2013). One of the most important factors to consider when developing anti-bullying strategies is location. In a study conducted by Blosnich and Bossart (2011), they found that having adults in hallways, on playgrounds, parking lots, buses, restrooms, and in the cafeteria reduced bullying incidents significantly. In one study, over 25 percent of LGBTQQ students reported being chased by other students in their cars in the school parking lot and 38 percent reported being pushed into hallway lockers and down stairs (Watson & Miller, 2012). Student input should be used to develop procedures for…
Students are feeling unsafe being themselves in their communities. 64% feel unsafe because of their sexual orientation. 44% feel unsafe because of gender orientation. 32% did not attend school for at least one day because they felt unsafe. 61% of students never reported the bullying attacks. These students were so afraid to tell an adult about what was going on, that they just let happen. Many lgbtq students have experienced bullying, comitted sucide, and have experienced physical harassment, and it needs to change.…
I believe Mrs. Neris's actions have violated that goal. Here at Lyman, i have often heard the slogan "everyone matters" and i would have thought that included everyone's identity too, be it religious, racial, or sexual, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. Putting myself in the place of that student is hard, as I am not transgender, but i can imagine I (and anyone) would feel like they had their identity violated and ripped away from them. We take gender very seriously in this society, so that students gender identity probably means very much to them. Being punished for being who you feel you are inside and all the while not hurting anyone else in the process is a huge slap in the face saying "Your personal identity doesnt matter here." I would not like to attend a school where my personal identity doesnt matter, and i may be punished for expressing it. I dont…
Most people try to avoid issues concerning homosexuality by being neutral even if they have a problem with it. Schools face a bigger problem staying neutral since they must protect students’ rights, as well as maintaining order for the entire school. In the article “Young, Gay and Murdered” by Ramin Setoodeh, Larry King was a young man with a very bubbly personality and a very flamboyant appearance. His time at E.O. Green was tough; Larry was teased very often about his sexuality. Although Larry did not help the situation by making remarks that pushed other boys further into homophobia. Larry was interested in a boy named Brandon; however Brandon did not feel comfortable with the flirtatious remarks towards him. Brandon felt the only option to take care of his situation with Larry was to kill him. The staff at E.O. Green should have taken the time to investigate what was going on between the two boys. This…
The challenges that the LGBT population face are neither new nor surprising but the need to address them is certainly relevant (Thiel, 2010). In fact, it appears that for as much progress that has been made on some campuses, there has been no progress on others. The presence of violence and harassment, as well as the desire for inclusion and justice, indicates the need for attention and research as a chilly campus climate can make for a distressing experience for LGBT students, faculty, and staff.…
Charles LiMandri describes in his article how the effects of legalized gay marriage are affecting the impression of traditional marriage and also affecting schools. LiMandri talks about how legalizing gay marriage also elevates gay couples to the highest position under the law know as a “protected class.” By doing this, anytime an individual, church, teacher or business collide with the desires of a same-sex couple, actions can be instantly defined as discrimination. LiMandi also touches base with the fact that if this proposition is passed, gay couples will not just stop there but continue on in effecting our schools and what our children are taught.…
Morin and Garfinkle (1978) in the book “Homophobia: Conceptual, Definitional, and Value Issues,” characterized the homophobic as an individual who does not value a homosexual lifestyle equally with a heterosexual lifestyle. “‘Homophobia’ has become popular as a descriptor of a wide range of negative emotions, attitudes, and behaviors toward homosexual people.” (Haaga, “Homophobia”)…
When our children and our youth comes to terms with their sexuality and identifies themselves as being a lesbian, or gay, bisexual or perhaps a transgender human being, they are facing this unrelenting teasing and bullying their peers in school or in public. This aggression can be sexual in nature or the effects can closely resemble those of sexual harassment and then can constitute sexual harassment. Middle and high school students are dealing with verbal and physical bullying in school to where these students are either dropping out or transferring schools or even becoming a home…
All students have the right to quality education that is free of harassment and it is the responsibility of the school to enforce policies that discourage anti-gay behavior. Teachers can also demonstrate good morals and character by leading discussions on respect and the impact any kind of harassment can have on a student. This…
G/l/b adolescents have the difficult psychological task of identity formulation and consolidation within the confines of a primarily heterosexist or even homophobic school climate. G/l/b individuals often experience feelings of isolation and stigmatization due to their sexual orientation (Nichols, 1999). As a result, g/l/b youth are considered a high-risk group. These youth are more likely to attempt suicide, engage in substance abuse and risky sexual behavior, struggle with depression and/or anxiety, and possess lower self-esteem than their heterosexual peers (Bagley & Temblay, 2000; Slater, 1988). It is of immense importance that school professionals address the issue of homosexuality. This may be done through the establishment of non-discrimination policies, education of students and staff, direct intervention with perpetrators of harassment and discrimination, and most importantly, support for students exploring their sexuality and those targeted for harassment and intimidation.…
When one school district had decided that their policy of teaching homosexuality in sex-ed classes was imposturous, because it generated the idea homosexuality was okay. The school created a new policy in which bashed students whom were gay and those whom were perceived as being gay. Their policy “No Homo Promo” created hostility among the student body. It allowed for all bullying to be overlooked, ignored, and also reinforced the idea teachers could not teach certain subjects. According to the article, “teachers were not allowed to mention gays in any context” (Erdely, 2012). Ultimately, this policy led to nine students committing suicide because, they could not take societal pressure any longer. This group of adolescents wanted society to accept them as being normal individuals. Eventually, the school allowed an organization (referred to as GSA) to be created which, allowed for students whom were homosexual to have a place to go to feel safe. As stated in the article, “I joined the GSA cause I wanted to be just like her. I wanted to be nice and – loved” (Erdely,…
The state of California passed a bill that requires students to learn what homosexuals have contributed to our society. Karen England,…
Homophobia is more alive than ever. Each day homophobia takes places in the world through vicious spoken, written and physical acts. One place in society that homophobic acts are alive and predominant is in our schools. Homophobia takes places in a variety of ways in school, from offensive jokes, threats, harassment, or physical assault made towards lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender youth. As Campos describes in Diverse Sexuality and School, “homophobia denotes a fear or hatred of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender youth; it encompasses the prejudice or discrimination experienced by such persons based on their sexual orientation or gender identity” (8). Society may be advancing in the aspect of understanding, but schools still have a long way because all students need to be educated on every type of sexuality. From a personal reflection, I recall taking a class on teen education in my tenth year of grade school; I do not recall being educated on any other sexuality other than heterosexuality and this was only six years ago. Today I ask the question, why? Are teachers just as homophobic as some students are? In a Canadian report entitled, Every Class in Every School: Final Report on the First National Climate Survey on Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia in Canadian Schools, Taylor and Peter explore alarming statistics. “70 percent of all LGBT and non-LBGT students reported hearing expressions such as ‘that’s so gay’ every day in school, and almost 48 percent reported hearing remarks such as ‘faggot, lezbo, and dyke’ every day in school. 10 percent of students have heard homophobic statements from teachers.…
Thesis Statement: The Gay Rights Movement dates back to the 19th century. By 1970 gay and lesbian organizations existed all over the United States and in other countries all over the world. Some supporters of the movement would say that our society as a whole has made great strides towards acceptance of homosexuality. However, gays and lesbians are still fighting for equality in 2009. The issues are vast and widespread, with same-sex marriage at the top of the list. In the world that we live in today one might be surprised to learn how many countries are accepting of gay and lesbians, as well as how many are not. The world has made progress within the last decade regarding this issue, but definitely not enough. We need to take steps to protect and balance Gay rights.…