For Teachers

Facts

• 61.1% of LGBT students report that they feel unsafe in their schools because of their sexual  orientation.
• Students report hearing anti-gay slurs 25 times each day
• 65% of students hear homophobic language used at school daily
• 30% of LGBT students missed at least one day of school in past month because they felt  unsafe .
• 85% of LGBT students report being verbally harassed 50% of schools have a Gay-Student Alliance (GSA).  
• Having a GSA on campus is a top intervention in the perception of a safe environment for LGBT students*

• Hostile school climates negatively impact the educational success and general well-being of LGBT students
• Lower GPA

Lower attendance rate
Less likely to plan to attend college
Lower self-esteem
Source: GLSEN 2013 National School Climate Survey

Universal Values in Public Schools

• Every student deserves to feel safe and included in his/her school.
• Every family deserves to feel respected by and included in its school community.
• All school employees deserve to feel safe and respected in their work environment
• Schools have an obligation to provide a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all staff, learners and their families.

View the video above to meet Jazz.

LGBT Terminology

• Lesbian: a woman who is attracted to some other women emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc.

• Gay: a man who is attracted to some other men emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc.

• Bisexual: a person for whom gender is not the first criteria in being attracted to someone emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc.

• Transgender: an umbrella term for people whose gender identity or expression does not match the cultural “norm” for their sex
• Queer: currently used as an all-encompassing label for any person who believes that their gender identity/sexual orientation is not reflected by the standard model of straight or LGBT.
• Questioning: used to refer to those questioning their sexual orientation/gender identity.
• Pansexual: sexual/emotional attraction or romantic love towards an individual of any gender/sexual orientation
• Heterosexual/Straight: feeling emotional, physical, spiritual attraction to some members of the opposite sex.

Transgender Terminology

• Gender Identity: A person's internal sense of gender.
• Gender Expression: The outward expression of gender through mannerisms, clothing, hairstyle, etc.
• Gender Variance: Gender expression by an individual that does not match masculine or feminine gender norms (aka gender nonconformity).
• Gender-Fluid: Those who fluctuate between gender identities
• Sexual Orientation: An identity based on who an individual is romantically, emotionally, and/or sexually attracted to.
• Sex Assigned at Birth: Chromosomes, hormones, genitalia, and secondary sex characteristics.
• Cis: Non-transgender people whose gender identities are privileged.
• Transition: The period of time in which a person begins to live in a gender role which is in accordance with their internal gender identity.
• Passing: Being perceived as a gender other than the one you were assigned or identify with.

View this video to learn about transgender pronouns.