G S AG S A

Gay-Straight AllianceGay-Straight Alliance

Onteora High SchoolOnteora High School

January, 2008January, 2008

What is a What is a GSAGSA??

• A student driven, school-based group A student driven, school-based group organized to :organized to :

– End anti-gay bias and homophobia in schoolsEnd anti-gay bias and homophobia in schools

– Create positive change in the school Create positive change in the school environmentenvironment

– Make the school a welcoming and safe place for Make the school a welcoming and safe place for ALL studentsALL students

Mission StatementMission Statement

• To promote understanding among To promote understanding among students of all sexual orientations students of all sexual orientations

and gender identitiesand gender identities

• To create a safer, more respectful To create a safer, more respectful learning environment for all studentslearning environment for all students

What a What a GSAGSA provides: provides:

• A sense of belonging for students who A sense of belonging for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered transgendered

• Support to ALL students who experience Support to ALL students who experience bullying and harassment from peersbullying and harassment from peers

• Strategies on how to deal with bullying Strategies on how to deal with bullying and harassment and harassment

What a What a GSAGSA is all about: is all about:

Support

AdvocacySocial

How How HomophobiaHomophobia hurts hurts EveryoneEveryone::

• Locks people into Locks people into rigid gender-based rigid gender-based roles that inhibit roles that inhibit creativity, self-creativity, self-expressionexpression

• Inhibits one’s Inhibits one’s ability to form ability to form close relationshipsclose relationships

• Prevents some Prevents some LGBTQ people from LGBTQ people from developing an developing an authentic self-authentic self-identityidentity

• Stigmatizes and Stigmatizes and silences those who silences those who are gay, or who are are gay, or who are perceived to be gay perceived to be gay

How How HomophobiaHomophobia hurts hurts EveryoneEveryone::

• Inhibits appreciation of other types of Inhibits appreciation of other types of diversity, making it unsafe for everyone – diversity, making it unsafe for everyone – we are ALL diminished when any one of us we are ALL diminished when any one of us are demeanedare demeaned

• Prevents others from accepting the Prevents others from accepting the benefits and gifts offered by LGBTQ peoplebenefits and gifts offered by LGBTQ people

Some Staggering Some Staggering Statistics…Statistics…

(GLSEN)(GLSEN)

• 97%97% of public school students report of public school students report regularly hearing homophobic remarks regularly hearing homophobic remarks from their peersfrom their peers

• The typical high school student hears anti-The typical high school student hears anti-gay slurs over gay slurs over 2525 times a day times a day

• 80%80% of gay and lesbian youth report of gay and lesbian youth report severe social isolationsevere social isolation

More Statistics….More Statistics….(GLSEN)(GLSEN)

• LGBT students are LGBT students are five timesfive times more likely to more likely to skip school skip school

• LGBT students are only LGBT students are only half half as likely to as likely to pursue postsecondary education, mainly pursue postsecondary education, mainly because they feel alienated and unsafebecause they feel alienated and unsafe

• The average gpa for LGBT students who The average gpa for LGBT students who were harassed was were harassed was half a grade lowerhalf a grade lower than than that of other LGBT students (2.6 versus 3.1)that of other LGBT students (2.6 versus 3.1)

More facts…More facts…(GLSEN)(GLSEN)

• The average age at which lesbian and The average age at which lesbian and gay youth become aware that their gay youth become aware that their feelings of “difference” are linked to feelings of “difference” are linked to same-sex sexual orientation is same-sex sexual orientation is 1313

• 9%9% of high school students identify as of high school students identify as “gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning”“gay, lesbian, bisexual, or questioning”

Additional Facts….Additional Facts….(GLSEN)(GLSEN)

• 19%19% of gay males and of gay males and 25%25% of lesbians report of lesbians report suffering physical violence at the hands of family suffering physical violence at the hands of family members as a result of their sexual orientationmembers as a result of their sexual orientation

• 30%30% of gay and bisexual adolescent males of gay and bisexual adolescent males attempt suicide at least onceattempt suicide at least once

• Gay and lesbian youth represent Gay and lesbian youth represent 30%30% of all of all completed teen suicides completed teen suicides – this translates to a this translates to a successful suicide attemptsuccessful suicide attempt

by a gay teen by a gay teen every 5 hours and 48 minutesevery 5 hours and 48 minutes

Frequency of Hearing "That's So Gay“

(GLSEN)

44%

23%

23%

7% 3%

Very Often

Often

Sometimess

Rarely

Never