A responsibility to be response-able

    What's the deal? Why do LGBTQ youth and faculty need protections?

    In a common practice of introducing herself to her class at the beginning of the school year, Stacy Bailey, Teacher of the Year multiple times at Charlotte Anderson Elementary School in Arlington, Texas, showed an image on a PowerPoint presentation of her and her wife dressed up for Halloween as Dory and Nemo. Bailey was quickly suspended for eight months because she “promoted the homosexual agenda”. Her school district, Mansfield ISD, had no protections for LGBTQ faculty. Upon further review, there were no protections for LGBTQ students, either (Levenson, 2020). 

Media Source: The Dallas Morning News. (2018, May 8). Gay art teacher sues Mansfield ISD for sexual orientation discrimination. Retrieved January 19, 2021, from https://youtu.be/YIrXeOlLIOg.

LGBTQ students and faculty are susceptible to consequences of discrimination, bullying, and harassment when there is not explicit language within policy to protect them. Furthermore, bullying is a primary cause for suicide (CDC, 2014). According to GLSEN, 49% of LGBTQ students have experienced cyberbullying, 56. 7% of LGBTQ students did not report bullying because they doubted intervention, and 61.6% of LGBTQ students who actually did report bullying said nothing was done (Kosciw, et al., 2014). Over 26 states do not have laws that protect LGBTQ students from anti-bullying or discrimination (Movement Advancement Project, 2021). Although individual school districts can implement policies that include explicit language that protects LGBTQ students and faculty, many districts, like Mansfield ISD, refuse to change their policies. Mansfield ISD board members have tweeted support for anti-LGBTQ groups like the American Family Association, which the Southern Poverty Law Center lists as a hate group. (Campbell, 2019). This demonstrates the opposition that can occur. This population remains vulnerable and needs protections from bullying and discrimination in school district policy. 

(Image shows states that are yellow do not have any state policy about protecting LGBTQ youth from bullying. Image source: https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/safe_school_laws/anti)

Principles of the Vision

     Our stakeholders include LGBTQ students, LGBTQ faculty, parents of LGBTQ students, LGBTQ allies, and concerned individuals who value inclusivity, equality, and safe learning environments. Our coalition at its core values fairness, compassion, and kindness. Although the primary goal is policy change in local school districts, our stakeholders are energized by sharing personal stories that will help inspire change. Our hearts require equality.

Protections has been reactive. Time to get PROACTIVE.

    LGBTQ students and faculty face difficult challenges when their human rights are not protected. Their basic needs in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are often times not met. Some LGBTQ youth face tremendous adversity with family rejection and represent up to 40% of the homeless youth population (The Trevor Project, n.d.). LGBTQ faculty face risk of job security and discrimination in the workplace. Most commonly, the psychological needs are not being met with bullying and harassment being this movement's focused concerns. LGBTQ students and faculty are at risk within the levels of belongingness and love needs, as well as esteem needs. Explicit language that protects LGBTQ youth and faculty from bullying and discrimination are first steps in preventing these basic needs from being met. When the basic and psychological needs are met, LGBTQ youth and faculty are better equipped for self-actualization, or the fulfillment of their potential.

Time to be proactive!

     Calling all local activists, organizational actors, problem solvers, custodians, capacity builders, conflict managers, reframers, and idealists! The movement's actions begin from the inside-out, not letting the outside effect our ability to create change.  The call to action is getting involved in local school district meetings. Understand what local school district policies are regarding LGBTQ protections. (Usually, they are addressed by finding anti-bullying, anti-harassment, and anti-discrimination policies.) From there, understand when board members accept policy amendment proposals. Coordinate and network with local stakeholders near you, share personal stories to influence board members, and demand change in policy at district meetings. Utilizing the framework of the Mansfield Equality Coalition, here are their suggestions, as well.

             • Use the words “gender expression, gender identity, and sexual orientation” in the policy. 

             •Utilize #6words2commas to show what a simple addition it is to a policy 
             • Email school board members and superintendents with links to information about LGBTQ risks. 

            • Utilize diverse speakers who are prepared and informed for public speaking at school board meetings. 

(Mansfield Equality Coalition, n.d.).

 References 

 Campbell, E. (2019, October 29). LGBTQ advocates worried about chamber’s tweet, employment language changes in Mansfield. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved January 18, 2021 from https://www.star-telegram.com/news/article236755813.html 

 CDC. (April 2014). The Relationship Between Bullying and Suicide. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying-suicide-translation-final-a.pdf

 Kosciw, J., Greytak, E., & Palmer, N., Moesen, M. (2014). The 2013 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth in Our Nation’s Schools. Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Retrieved January 18, 2021 from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED570433 

 Levenson, M. (2020, March 4). Teacher Who Was Suspended After She Showed Photo of Her Wife Reaches $100,000 Settlement. The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2021 from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/us/stacy-bailey-mansfield-teacher.html 

Mansfield Equality Coalition. (n.d.). M.E.C. Home. Retrieved on January 18, 2021 from http://mansfieldequalitycoalition.org 

Movement Advancement Project. (2021, January 15). “Equality Maps: Safe School Laws.” Retrieved on January 18, 2021 from https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality_maps/profile_state/TX 

 The Trevor Project. (n.d.). Youth Homelessness. Retrieved on January 18, 2021 from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-involved/trevor-advocacy/homelessness/