Gender and Sexual Diversity

"Am I safe here?" Every day, LGBTQ students ask this question within the school system. This book shines a light on the marginalization and bullying faced by LGBTQ youth, offering a new conceptualization of school safety. Donn Short treats students as the experts on what happens in their schools, giving them a chance to speak for themselves. They identify what it would take to make a school truly safe--insightfully explaining that safety doesn't come merely from security cameras, ID tags, and dress codes, but from a culture that values equity and social justice. Revealing the reality of going to school in an environment that implicitly (and sometimes explicitly) endorses homophobia, heterosexism, and heteronormativity, the students share their ideas about how to change school culture. "-- Provided by publisher.

Students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered are susceptible to harassment from their peers and are at high risk of dropping out of school. This book provides professional development ideas and real-life vignettes that will help educational leaders foster a more caring school culture not only for LGBT students, but for all students.

Recent cases of teen suicide linked with homophobic bullying have thrust the issue of school safety into the national spotlight. In "Don't Be So Gay!" Queers, Bullying, and Making Schools Safe, Donn Short considers the effectiveness of safe-school legislation. Drawing on interviews with queer youth and their allies in the Toronto area, Short concludes that current legislation is more responsive than proactive. Moreover, cultural influences and peer pressure may be more powerful than legislation in shaping the school environment. Exploring how students' own experiences, ideas, and definitions of safety might be translated into policy reform, this book offers a fresh perspective on a hotly debated issue.

Summary: A collection of original essays and expanded testimonials written to teens from celebrities, political leaders, and everyday people. While many of these teens can't see a positive future for themselves, we can. We can show LGBT youth the kind of happiness, potential, and satisfaction their lives hold if they can just get through these early years.--Book Description

Is there a need to challenge homophobic name-calling and other homophobic bullying in your school but uncertainty about how to address it? That's So Gay! is a practical guide to making your school a safer place and creating an inclusive bully-free culture. It shows what homophobic bullying looks like, who experiences it and explores the reasons why young people bully others homophobically. It also reveals why young people are often reluctant to report homophobic bullying, the increasing role played by the internet and the profound effects bullying can have well into adulthood. Adopting a whole-school approach, this book provides all the advice schools need on prevention, working with those who bully, handling disclosures and anti-bullying policies. Written by an expert in the field, this is a vital guide for schools, teachers and anyone with a duty of care towards young people.