Creating Safe Systems: Lincoln High School Gay Straight Alliance Research
Pat Tetreault, Ph.D., M.L.S., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, August 2007
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)
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
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.