Sexuality and the student

Sexuality+and+the+student

Cami Corp

According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) website, 92% of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/ Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (LGBTQIA+)  youth say they hear negative messages about being LGBT coming mainly from the internet and their peers. Also according to the HRC, over three quarters of LGBT+ youth believe it will get better.

Queer youth face many obstacles. Gay youth are two to three times more likely to commit suicide than the heterosexual teen. For any kid to thrive in school, social, emotional, and mental wellness is important. However, due to harassment online and in person, many LGBT+ youth are suffering in schools. From a survey taken by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), a total of 34% were bullied on school property and 28% were bullied electronically.

Not only is bullying a problem, LGB teens are more likely to experience dating violence and rape. According to the CDC, data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) stated that 18% of LGB peoples had experienced physical dating violence and 23% experienced sexual dating violence. While they may seem like small numbers, the same categories in heterosexual relationships amounted to 10% for both departments, meaning LGB couples are more subject to dating violence.

So what do all these stats mean? In real world terms, it means that LGBTQIA+ youth are not safe. And it’s not logical to present the problem without presenting a solution.

Firstly, more LGBT+ related material should be taught in schools. Regardless of controversy, students should be taught about LGBT+ history, sex ed, dating violence+prevention, and culture. According to an extensive study done by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), “Inclusive curriculum contributes to a safer school environment to LGBT youth.” 

Through this education, students who are not LGBT will be taught tolerance, if not acceptance, to the LGBTQIA+ community and its members.

According to the graph, students are half as likely to miss school because of feeling unsafe or uncomfortable if inclusive LGBT+ curriculum is incorporated into school.

Secondly, gender inclusive bathrooms need to exist in order to create a diverse and accepting environment. A quote from the American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists states “[The APA and NASP] recommend that administrators create safer environments for gender diverse, transgender, and intersex/DSD students, allowing all students, staff, and teachers to have access to the sex-segregated facilities, activities, and programs that are consistent with their gender identity, including, but not limited to, bathrooms, locker rooms, sports teams, and classroom activities, and avoiding the use of gender segregation in school uniforms, school dances, and extracurricular activities, and providing gender neutral bathroom options for individuals who would prefer to use them.”

Comprehensively, schools, especially Fossil Ridge High School, have greatly improved when it comes to the safety and consideration of the LGBT+ youth. The addition of a Gay-Straight Alliance, recently school sponsored, to Fossil has helped build strong bonds between those in and outside of the LGBT community, as well as brought a safe space to talk about prevalent issues in our school and around the world. The GSA meets every Tuesday at lunch in room N205. California may soon make LGBT+ history a mandatory part of history class in schools. Gay marriage was legalized in June of 2015, giving gay youth hope for their futures.

Progress does not always mean success. Progress comes in failure and hatred, and progress means overcoming obstacles.