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Strategies for Teachers |
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Become
part of the Safe
Place program.
Address
negative school-based incidents on the spot — targeted harassment, putdowns
(whether or not targeted to individuals), anti-gay jokes and graffiti,
and labeling. Change
language that assumes everyone is or should be heterosexual (use “partner”
rather than girl/boyfriend, “permanent relationship” rather than marriage).
Talk about “if you are with a partner someday” rather than “someday when
you are married.” Familiarize
yourself with Ferris policies that promote protection of students and staff
from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Support their implementation
(for example, support insurance benefits for domestic partners). Identify
gay/lesbian/bisexual contributions throughout the curriculum (history,
literature, art, science, religion, politics, etc). Provide
history of oppression (such as gays killed in the Holocaust, origin of
word “faggot”). Submit
requests to add to library holdings (both fiction and nonfiction) related
to sexual diversity. Be
aware of resources (support groups both on and off campus, such as the
Diverse Sexuality and Gender
Alliance - D-SAGA) for lesbian/gay students and their families. Include
issues for gay/lesbian students and staff in coverage in the Torch
and FYI. Bring
in openly lesbian/gay/bisexual adults, parents of gays and lesbians, and
other allies as resources in classes. Support
the inclusion of gay/lesbian/bisexual concerns in all prevention programs
(such as suicide, dropout, pregnancy) and in training of peer leaders,
student government, and other groups. |
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