Pat Tetreault, Ph.D., M.L.S., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, August 2007

Research Summary

• Be Informed
• Educational panels covering all diversity topics
• Trainings on what to do when…
• Don’t allow religious/personal beliefs to overshadow professional behavior
• Support GSAs
• Presence is helpful/important
• Support Day of Silence
• Student Involvement
• students develop friends, support & a place to be accepted
• Have LGBT safe space
• School Administrators pay attention

 

Additional Comments 

• Some participants mentioned that acceptance usually comes when ‘discriminators’ get to know someone who is LGBTQA or has more exposure to information
• Improvements may be a result of more exposure to LGBTQA issues over the past couple of years
• Perception that people are more accepting or may be less likely to discriminate when a person is honest about their GI or SO
• Participants wanted additional information about various gender identities and sexual orientations (e.g., what does it mean to be bisexual).
• Prevalence of “it depends” as a response
  • It depends on what school you go to
  • It depends on who you talk to
• ‘Do you feel safe?’
  • Yes responses were from students who were in a school where LGBTQA issues are somewhat recognized resulting in the question: What about all the people who aren’t out?
  • Being ‘out’ is different than living openly
• Research indicates that the presence of GSAs makes a positive difference
  • While there are GSAs at all the high schools, they are not all active or equally supported
    

GSA Focus Group Data

• 4 LPS High School Gay Straight Alliances participated (of a possible 7), n = 47
• Conducted during April & May, 2007
• Each group had 2 facilitators, 1 recorder
• Participants also completed a short questionnaire
• Overview of focus group data is provided
• Time constraints when conducting groups

Survery Responses

General

• Mean age =16
• 32 female, 13 male, 2 trans
• Bisexual (19), Heterosexual (18)
• Gay (6), Other (2), Lesbian (1), No answer (1)
• 81% white, 9% biracial, multiracial (6%), 2% Hispanic, 2% API
• 79% experienced prejudice based on SO or GI
• SO (45%)  - GI (11%) - GE (34%)
• Witnessed discrimination:
• SO (87%) - GI (74%) - GE (66%)
  

Safety

• Mean rating for school safety = 3.7
• 5 point scale where 1 = not at all safe & 5 = very safe
• % respondents who rate school as safe based on perceived identity:
• Ally (74%)
• Bisexual (74%)
• Lesbian (70%)
• Gay (59%)
• Transgender (21%)
  

Use / Experience with Social Services 

• 81% have not used; 13% yes (N = 6)
• Treated with respect: 100% yes
• Mean rating of experience: 3.8
• Did you feel safe to reveal SO/GI?
• 5 yes - 1 no
  

Use/Experience with Criminal Justice System 

• Ever involved?
• 30% yes - 62% no - 8% no answer
• Did your CJ professional treat you with respect? 
• 30% yes - 62% no - 8% no answer
• Mean rating of experience = 3
• Safe to reveal SO/GI?
• 21% yes - 11% no
  

Being Out

• Level of being out:
• Friends (66%)
• School (59%)
• Some family members (34%)
• All of family (34%)
• Work (21%)
• Social worker (9%)
• CJ Professional (4%)
• NA (31%)
• Not out (1%)

Focus Group Data - Frequency of Responses

What is it like for youth at schools who are GLB or T?

• Negative experiences:
• Mental, emotional abuse, verbal abuse (7)
• General disconnection (6)
• Physical abuse (2)
• Positive experiences:
• Support by schools (6)
• Support of friends/peers (5)
• General connectedness (5)
• Found partner (1)
  

Are you aware of unfair treatment based upon your or someone else’s SO or GI/E? 

• General discrimination (18)
• Stereotyping (9)
• Teachers, professionals and students not recognizing the identified gender of a person (3)
• “Mean” treatment of GLB students by individuals of the same sex to prevent being “hit on”
• Verbal abuse (2)
• Lack of facilities and service considerations for transgender individuals (2)
• Lack of understanding/acceptance of bisexuals by some members or the GL community (1)

What do you think allows unfair treatment to occur? 

• General ignorance/lack of information (10)
• School administrators/teachers expressing personal bias and/or ignoring or encouraging abuse (9)
• Parents’ attitudes, conditioning and influence (5)
• Peers and pressure to “fit in” or lack of support (5)
• Religion-based bias (5)
• Lack of anti-discrimination legislation

How would you describe a safe space? 

• Where you can be oneself and talk openly and feel comfortable (10)
• Support of friends and peers (7)
• Have support of school staff & community professionals (3)
• Respect and tolerance from schools, professionals, community (3)
• Absence of verbal and physical abuse

Do you feel like it’s safe for LGBTQA youth to be out at school, agencies, organizations? 

• It depends on where you are (14)
• Some schools are safer than others
• Some said yes at school but not at other places
• Yes (8)
• Somewhat (5)
• No (2)
• GLB yes, T no (1)

Do people perceive you to be LGB or T? 

• Yes
• Allies who dress like the other gender or walked with someone known to be Gay or Lesbian
• When openly LGB or T
• When asked
• No (4)
• No one’s business (2)
• Depends on who you talk to (1)

What could help make schools, agencies & organizations safer places for LGBTQA Youth? 

• Presence of student & professional leaders who are informed & sympathetic (5)
• Information/pamphlets (2)
• Anti-discrimination laws (2)
• Teachers/professionals wearing ally buttons or displaying ally cards/stickers (2)
• Commendation/support for teachers/professionals who help (1)

What could help make schools, agencies & organizations safer places for LGBTQA Youth? 

• Provide a safe space for LGBTQA youth to go when harassment occurs most (e.g., lunch) (1)
• Discussion panel for teachers and other professionals to ask questions (1)
• Punishing abusers (1)
• Education/workshops on LGBTQA issues (1)
• LGBTQA information included in sex education in schools, including middle school (1)
• Outreach for small town (1)
• Anti-hate / anti-discrimination rallies (1)

Do you feel like LGBTQA people can live openly? 

• Yes (1)
• No (2)
• See above ("Is it safe to be out?")

What suggestions do you have for educators, social service and criminal justice professionals? 

• Enforce zero-tolerance policy on discrimination and abuse (6)
• Be aware of language use (5)
• Talk about SO, GI/E like it’s normal (5)
• Treat LGBTQA youth equally / don’t treat LGBTQA youth differently (4)
• Teachers & other professionals be informed / educated about LGBTQA issues (3)
• Include SO/GI questions on forms (2)

Resources

• si.unl.edu/lgbtqa
• pflag-cornhusker.org
• pflag-omaha.org
• cfep-ne.org
• rocc.org
• advocatesforyouth.org
• sexualprejudice.org
• www.safezoneforall.com
• www.theTrevorHelpline.org/ 1.866.4.U.TREVOR
• www.glsen.org
• www.pflag.org  
• www.thetaskforce.org
• www.hrc.org
• www.genderpac.org/join
• www.respectforall.org
• www.bullfrogfilms.com (“bully dance video”)

Acknowledgements

• This research project was made possible through grant funding from Lincoln Lancaster County (KENO) and the Culturally Linguistic Appropriate Services (CLAS) grant funds, and Woods Charitable Fund.
• A big thank you to Pauline Balta, Catherine Balta, Kit Boesch, Mandi McIntire, Camie Nitzel and Ryan Sallans for their assistance with this research project.