Training for the Fall 2007 semester will take place on Friday, November 9 from 12-1 pm. Please use the signup page if you would like to participate.
According to GLSEN’s 2001 National School Climate Survey, a majority of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students feel unsafe at school and are likely to skip class or even days of school out of fear for personal safety. The research also indicates that students who can identify a supportive faculty/staff member or student group are more likely to feel a sense of belonging at their school than those who cannot. For many students, the presence of allies to whom they can turn for support—or even the simple knowledge that allies exist—can be a big factor in developing a positive sense of self, building community, coping with bias, and working to improve school climate. Safe Space programs increase the visible presence of student and adult allies who can help to shape a school culture that is accepting of all people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, or any other difference.
All students deserve to learn in an environment that’s supportive and friendly, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. As you learned above, anti-LGBT bias affects the school performance, school experience, and mental and emotional health of the students who experience it. Protection of actual or perceived LGBT students is the exception, not the rule, in most schools across the country. Often, change has to start with the grassroots effort of a group that is willing to start positive changes through support, education, and publicity.
Another reason to take part—a reason just as valid as the reality of bias and its effects— is the fact that homophobia and transphobia hurt us all. They discourage diversity, encourage hurtful behaviors, and put limits on our relationships and roles in the school community. Being a part of the Safe Space program will give you an opportunity to learn about yourself and others, and will help you make your school a better place for everybody—LGBT or straight. With all these great reasons for joining, who wouldn’t want to be a part?
While there are many out and empowered LGBT students who are more than capable of standing up for their own rights, straight allies have a special role to play in the Safe Space programs.
An ally is a member of the majority or dominant group who works to end oppression by supporting and advocating for the oppressed population. The work of allies has been a historically effective way of changing the thinking of the dominant culture. In your social studies class, you might have learned about the Freedom Riders, a group of students, ministers, and others who rode interstate buses in an effort to test the enforcement of desegregation laws. Many of the Freedom Riders were White allies who stood up for the civil rights of Black citizens. Their work brought media attention to racist practices and helped force bus companies to abide by the law.
A straight ally is any non-LGBT person who supports and stands up for the rights of LGBT people. It is important for straight allies to demonstrate that LGBT people are not alone as they work to improve school climate, and to take a stand in places where it might not be safe for LGBT people to be out or visible.
Maybe you feel you are pretty well versed in LGBT issues, and don’t need to sit through a training to be able to support your classmates. Maybe you feel that being supportive is a matter of common sense and doesn’t require any special know-how. But there are a few good reasons for everyone who wants to be a part of the Safe Space program to attend the standard training.
1. We all were taught not to know. The society we live in allows LGBT people and issues to remain largely invisible. Even though you might have good intentions, you might not know how to best support your peers. How much you know about LGBT people and the issues that impact them directly affects your effectiveness as an ally.
2. We don’t have an “automatic response”. Most of us know how to put the brakes on overtly racist and sexist behavior. There are some slurs that, in no uncertain terms, are deemed unacceptable for use in school and most everywhere else. But when people hear anti-LGBT slurs being used, they often have no idea how to respond, and it’s no wonder! Most people haven’t been taught how. Training will help you learn an “automatic response” to anti-LGBT bias.
3. Standing up for LGBT rights is risky business. Unfortunately, anti-LGBT bias still sometimes leads to violence. Allies need to know how to stand up for LGBT rights while being conscious of their own safety and security.