Creating Safe and Inclusive Schools for Youth

Rob Darrow, Ed.D.

Director of Research Safe Schools Project

Santa Cruz County.

PH 487, CSUMB. September 2017

Rob’s Wiki:

http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com

Creating Safe and Inclusive

Spaces for

LGBTQ Students

http://robdarrow.wikispaces.com/

PH487.CSMB. Sept. 2017.

Information

Please get out a computer or phone to use

for a game we will use in a bit.

All information about this presentation can

be found on my wiki.

Rob’s Wiki:




This is a Safe Space


Who am I? Who are you?

What is my identity?

What is your identity?


My Lens Today

Strategies that make schools safe,

inclusive and affirming ? (Especially

for LGBTQ Youth)

Syllabus Outcome #5:” Demonstrate

proficiency in employing effective

educational strategies to teach sexuality

education”

Current laws


A little history:

LGBTQ Terms and Year First Used

L = Lesbian (1732)

G = Gay (1955)

B = Bisexual (1960)

T = Transgender (1990)

Q = Queer / Questioning (1894, 1990)



What causes schools to be

safe and inclusive?

Safe Schools Research Brief 14


Time for a Game


Why this matters:

A Few Stories


Frank Kameny

1925 – Born in NY

1941 – Joined Army

1956 – Harvard: Doctorate

in Astronomy

1957 – Hired by U.S. Army

Map Service – Produced

maps for U.S. military


Frank Kameny

1953: President Eisenhower signs

Executive Order 10450.

“Immoral and sexual perversion

were a security risk – sexual

deviants” (In place until 1975).

1957: Kameny released from

government service

1960: Files lawsuit. Supreme Court

denies claim. First civil rights claim

based on sexual orientation

1960: Forms Mattachine Society in

Washington DC to advocate for

gay people.


Frank

Kameny

1965: First of many protests at the White House

1973: Lobbies American Psychological Association to remove gay/lesbian as a disease.

2010: Present at the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” signed by President Obama

2011: Dies at age 86


David Schroer

1959: Born in Chicago

1979: Joins the military Special Forces Commander

Haiti Special Forces Commander

Post 911 Coordinated Secret Counterterrorism Unit in Pentagon

Briefed VP Dick Cheney on secret missions

2004: Retires from Military

2005: Applies for job with Library of Congress. Job Offered.


Diane Schroer

Shares that she is transitioning to Diane

(Transgender male to female).

Library of Congress rescinds job offer.

2005 – Files employment lawsuit – Title VII

(Schroer v. Billington – Library of Congress)

2008 – U.S. District Court – Discrimination and

$500,000 awarded

Works in Pentagon advising transgender affairs


Ronin Shimizu

2nd Grade: Joins Cub Scouts

4th Grade: Became a cheerleader – Vista Junior Eagles Cheer Team

Enjoyed art and fashion – made his own clothes

• 2002: Born in Folsom, Ca


Ronin Shimizu

2008: Began being bullied and taunted with: “gay,” “girly” and “a fag,”

2008-2012: Moved to different schools to escape the bullying

2012: Awoke every day worried about who would pick on him.

2014: Removed from school, placed on Independent Study program


Ronin Shimizu

2014 (December):

Took his own life (Age 12)


A few Stats

20% of homeless youth are LGBT youth.

63% of LGBT students in California report

being harassed because of their sexual

orientation or gender expression (2015,

GLSEN)

But, very few of them reported


A few other Stats

More than 30% of all students reported being

bullied or harassed in California

(Ca Healthy Kids Survey, 2013)

16% of districts reported that they taught students

that using condoms is not an effective way to

prevent pregnancy or STDs/HIV (Bixby Center for

Reproductive Health Survey. 2011).

30% of new HIV infections occur in people ages

15-24 (County of Santa Cruz Health Service

Agency Statistics website, 2016).


5 Variables that impact Safe and

Affirming Schools…

Especially for LGBTQ Youth

1. Administrative leaders

policies and actions that create a culture of

acceptance and inclusiveness

2. Teacher and Curriculum leaders

LGBT history integrated into various courses,

school library books, inclusive sex education

Darrow, R. (2015). Implementation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and

Transgender (LGBT) Inclusive Policies and Curriculum in California School

Districts and Recommendations for Creating Safe School Environments.


5 Variables that impact Safe and

Affirming Schools…

Especially for LGBTQ Youth

3. Student leaders

Gay straight alliances, yearly supportive events

e.g. National Coming Out Day or Day of

Silence

4. Health leaders

HIV prevention / Sex Education

5. Mental health leaders

ongoing programs to promote wellness and

reduce bullying, sexual assault and suicide


Handout: Related Laws

2016 – Suicide Prevention Policies in

Schools

2015 – California Healthy Youth Act: Sex

Ed and HIV education must be inclusive.

2013 –School Success and Opportunity

Act: Transgender youth

2011 –Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and

Respectful (FAIR) Act. LGBT history in

curriculum.


The Bottom Line

We want all students to be

successful in school – to be engaged

and happy – and to be college and

career ready.

If school is safe and affirming for

LGBTQ students – it will be safe and

affirming for all students.

More cost effective when students

graduate from high school


LGBTQ Task Force

Santa Cruz County

Student Panel


LGBTQ Student Comments

Important to have staff and teachers talk

about how to support LGBTQ students.

Use pronouns and/or ask students which

pronouns they use.

Use more inclusive language in the

classroom

Helpful to have a “gender transition plan”

for students


Important that LGBTQ people are talked

about across the curriculum – literature,

history, Sex Ed – even in math, teachers

could talk about gay mathematicians.

How is a gay boy or lesbian girl supposed

to learn about gay or lesbian sex if it is not

talked about during sex education class?



Coming out is a personal decision and if a

student wants to come out at whatever age,

then support him/her, they/them in that

process.

Most literature and poems and short stories

taught in schools are about white, straight,

heterosexual love stories – there must be

some literature that includes queer love

stories that could be included.



Curriculum as a Mirror / Window

Think about how

school curriculum is

a mirror (reflecting

who you are) and a

window (looking at

others’ experiences)

Share your ideas


A little history:

History Curriculum in Ca

1998: New Ca History Standards – first state to

adopt such standards. New textbooks.

2010: Common Core Adopted.

2011: Fair Education Act Passed. Added Lesbian,

Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans to the

curriculum – especially related to history.

2016: New State History Framework

2017: K-8 History Textbook Adoptions

(State Board vote in Nov. 2017)


Cultural Sensitivity

Latinx (gender inclusive term)

African American

Asian

Civil Rights

Women

Gay and Lesbian

Transgender


What can you do now to

create safe spaces for

students now or in future?

As public health professionals.

What can you do now?

What can you do in the future?


6 Ways to Be Proactive

Power of presence. Visit a GSA in

your county and ask them to share

with you if they feel safe.

Put a rainbow flag or safe space

symbol in your room or office

Participate in national coming out day

(Oct) or day of silence (April).


Ways to Be Proactive

Prepare how to react to bullying or

harassment among students or adults.

Participate or implement task forces

or networks to promote inclusivity,

safety and CSE.

Promote safe schools every day…in

your words and in your actions


Deficit Based vs. Asset Based

Practice asset based practices and

beliefs vs. Deficit based.


Ideas from Santa Cruz County

LGBTQ Task Force – Countywide

School District LGBTQ Task Force

Website resources for LGBTQ families

Annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards

Safe Schools Project – reactive and

proactive (curriculum integration)

Organization: The Diversity Center in

Santa Cruz


Equality Schools Indexes

Campus Pride Index:

https://www.campusprideindex.org/

Equality California – Safe and Supportive

School Quality Index (To be distributed

for the first time at end of September to

selected unified districts)

http://www.eqca.org/bay-area-reporter-

political-notebook-eqca-to-grade-ca-

public-schools-on-lgbt-policies/

https://www.campusprideindex.org/

http://www.eqca.org/bay-area-reporter-political-notebook-eqca-to-grade-ca-public-schools-on-lgbt-policies/



Further Reading

Santa Cruz Diversity Center

Safe Schools Project

CSUMB

State Organizations

Resources

Rob’s Wiki:




Contact Info

[email protected]

Rob’s Wiki:


mailto:[email protected]


Economy & Finance

Creating Safe and Inclusive Schools for Youth