Today, students who seem to be struggling with their sexual identity, or a friend’s sexual identity, tend to face a lot of pressure and sometimes violence. It has been found that 23% of gay and lesbian students have reported assaults involving medical attention and 22% skip school because they feel unsafe. According to Ornstein, “in a diverse society such as our own, schools are responsible for helping young people learn to participate in a national culture, but they also must be sensitive to cultural differences and make sure that students from minority groups have equal opportunities to succeed in education” (2014, p. 305). Many schools are now adding sexual orientation policies in order to help their students feel safer. “Most schools …show more content…
No it is not but this does not mean that one can discriminate, or ignore harassment. If the school is public, federal law forbids discrimination and harassment based on prejudice against lesbian, gay, and bisexual students or teachers. If someone gets federal money, federal law prohibits sexual harassment against lesbian, gay, and bisexual kids. Quite a few cities and states also have their own laws prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination. If the state and federal government does not cover sexual orientation then it can be added to the school’s policy if they are allowed to develop their own policies on students and employees. “It is important that schools increase teacher training dealing with gender issues and introduce ‘gender-fair’ curricula that accommodates learning style differences,” says Ornstein (2014, p. 328). Also, some schools believe that they may be opening themselves to lawsuits if they were to add sexual orientation into their policies. This is not case; it is already illegal for kids to be treated differently just because they were gay, or to tolerate severe anti-gay harassment. In order to avoid any lawsuits, everyone in the school is to be told that they are not allowed to discriminate. Employees of the school are more likely to ignore mistreatment if they are not aware of what the district or school’s policy is. If sexual orientation is put into the school’s policy homosexuality does not necessarily have to be taught in the classrooms. Many schools are afraid of this. It is ultimately the school district’s job to decide what is taught. A non-discriminatory policy would not change
Matt Zalaznick’s article, “Creating Inclusive Climates”, offers suggestions for how schools can support transgender students and improve school climate by educating classmates and faculty about the needs and experiences of transgender children. The need for such education starts at the elementary school level, with many students beginning to identify as being transgender as early as the age of the average kindergartener. Although the implications of Title IX protections state that schools must not discriminate against students on the basis of sex, many districts have strengthened the wording with amendments to include specific wording to include stronger protections for transgender students. Leaders need to ensure that there are adequate district policies in place to prohibit mistreatment of students based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Increased acceptance among the peers of transgender students.
Schools need to includes sexual orientation and gender identity into the existing policies and inform employees and students about it. The state will reimburse if the implementation for statewide cost does not exceed $1,000,000. The values of teaching students to not discriminate against anyone is a “discussion about respect for differences” and that this discussion concern “equity and civil rights”; this lesson will be with students throughout their life (Sexual Orientation, Our Children & The Law, 9). The fact that this bill provides safety for sexual minority students and helps reduce violence that can lead to suicide outweighs the
“...an individual with [pedophilia] has the same ingrained attraction that a heterosexual female may feel towards a male, or a homosexual feels towards their same gender.” (Johnston, Pg. 1). Pedophilia - “the fantasy or act of sexual activity with children who are generally age 13 years or younger” (American Psychiatric Association, p.1) - a word that holds multiple negative connotations, is often seen as aberrant thought process or behavior, and is under debate as to whether or not it’s a sexual orientation. But can it be considered a sexual orientation? As a member of the LGBT community, this issue has surfaced among us and shocked the majority.
In addition victimization can be more serious than verbal abuse or threats and some youth are the victims of a risen number of assaults and other hate crimes committed against gays and lesbians (Comstock, 1991; Herek, 1989 pg. 246). For college students who identify themselves as gay or lesbian, normative expectations of identity exploration render much more
It is obvious that we all have a sexual orientation and a gender identity, and this shared fact means that discrimination against members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, based on sexual orientation and/ or gender identity, is an issue that transcends that community and affects those within that community. But did the Supreme Court ruling of 2015 really give acceptance to the LGBT community or polarize the nation?
No one should have to be judged by what they want to be whether it is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or hetero-sexual we are all the same no matter what we feel on the inside. All most all schools say a girl cannot play a boy sport because they will get hurt; girls should be able to play whatever sport they want to know matter what the outcome may be. Also, every school has the rule no sexual relationship between teacher and students because they follow the rule of boundaries between teacher and student. Do you agree that students and teachers should not be able to date each other? Do you all agree that people should be allowed to date whoever they want? Do you hate feminism or do you agree with feminism? If we let these issues go with kids will continue to stay in the closet, never becoming who they truly are meant to be, and a teacher will hurt a
I remember when I was in high school; I encountered a gruesome experience. A young girl was being beat and thrown into a trashcan by two boys and one girl. I hysterically ran to her aid and told the group of people to stop. Minutes later, security arrived and the victim was picked up and driven away. Two days later, our high school principle scheduled a mandatory auditorium student meeting. He said, that the young girl was beaten and bullied because she identified as a homosexual. I couldn’t believe it! I was embarrassed and ashamed that these students did not have any sense of morality. Is our educational system lacking the knowledge that students are constantly being abused and bullied due to sexual orientations, ethnicity and culture? Perhaps
Currently in today’s society, coming out as gay is easier than admitting to a serious mental problem. This effect puts a burden on teens who suffer from problems and don’t know where to go; which led to the increase of teen suicides as seen in the media. In the average classroom size, about three of the twenty-four students have depression; not mentioning other common disorders such as bipolar disorder, panic disorder, ADHD, conduct disorder, and eating disorders. Without better programs in schools to prevent and inform about mental disorders, the current taboo on them, the bullying of students suffering, and the romanticization of diseases will continue to increase the negative effect mental disorders have on teens.
“What’s the big whoop?” asks a cute, blonde, elementary school aged boy when his teacher discusses homosexuality. He didn’t understand why people cared who other people loved. Little kids are perfect examples of how society’s negativity towards homosexuality creates homophobia. Children don’t understand why it matters who you love because they don’t see it as a problem and their opinions aren’t clouded by stereotypes. If LGBT issues were taught to these innocent, uninvolved children in elementary school, it would be more likely they would be accepting as they grew up. It is important to present LGBT in a positive light before parents, classmates, and media influence their perceptions.
There are several theorists that have presented models on sexual identity development. Many of the models have stages of sexual identity development suggesting that certain characteristics are present during a specific period. However, Anthony D’Augelli presents a model that suggests processes rather than stages. These processes take place over the span of one’s life and not necessarily in any specific order or fashion. D’Augelli’s (1994a) life span model of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) identity development takes into account “the complex factors that influence the development of people in context over historical time” (Evans et al, 2010). According to D’Augelli’s (1994) theory, identity formation includes three sets of interrelated variables that are involved in identity formation: personal actions and subjectivities, interactive intimacies, and sociohistorical connections. Personal subjectivities and actions include individuals’ perceptions and feelings about their sexual identities as well as actual sexual behaviors and the meanings attached to them. Interactive intimacies include the influences of family, peer group, and intimate partnerships and the meanings attached to experiences with significant others. Sociohistorical connections are defined as the social norms, policies and laws found in various geographical locations and cultures, as well as the values existing during particular historical periods (Evans et al, 2010).
LGBT students also described persistent patterns of isolation, exclusion, and marginalization that made them feel unsafe or unwelcome at school. Students described how hearing slurs, lacking resources relevant to their experience, being discouraged from having same-sex relationships, and being regularly misgendered made the school a hostile environment, which in turn can impact health and
(Main Point) Students should not be bullied or harassed for any reason including their characteristics, appearance, or sexual orientation. (Evidence) People do not have control over these aspects, so they should not be harassed for them. People need to understand that everyone is unique, including the oppressors, and they
Most students are against the same school. They want to flirt with the cute guy in math or ask the shy girl in history for a pencil, even if they already have one. Same-sex classrooms provide a multitude of benefits, because they promote better behavior, higher grades, improved self-esteem, and are able to cater to a student’s needs. The same classes make it possible for teachers to cater to student needs in a more efficient way. In general, boys benefit from hands-on learning, but girls benefit from calm discussions (Mullins 3).
Sex among teenagers is one of the most controversial topics of our time. The teen pregnancy and STD rates in the United States alone have become a major problem over the years. Despite these skyrocketing sex cases, sexual education is not being taught in some schools, and the ones that do are extremely limited. Parents, the government, organizations, and school boards do not teach the proper curriculum necessary for students to thoroughly understand sexual behavior. This essay will explain the need for proper sexual education in our schools.
...that school officials can be held responsible if they fail to take steps to protect gay and lesbian students from antigay harassment. The changing educational climate has created a need for school leaders to identify tools, and strategies and programs that will enhance the success of all students. The decision making process used by administration also impacts how other in the organization view them (Dalton, 2006).