Unit4 Essay1eport

The passage discusses supporting LGBTQIA+ students and teachers in schools. It argues that high schools should allow gay-straight alliances or similar clubs to provide a safe space for marginalized students. The passage also argues that LGBTQIA+ teachers should be able to discuss their sexual orientations as freely as heterosexual teachers, and that having openly LGBTQIA+ teachers and role models in schools could help students feel less isolated. It stresses the importance of counselors being able to provide support or referrals for at-risk LGBTQIA+ students.

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Unit4 Essay1eport

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Question:

OPTION B: SEXUAL ORIENTATION IN SCHOOLS

Students in high schools across the United States are beginning to appreciate the benefits of forming
gay/lesbian/bi/transgender/straight alliances. These are groups that share information and support for
all students in dealing with sexuality and sexual identity including sexual orientation. What is your
opinion about these groups? Should high schools provide the facilities and forum for groups of this
nature? Why or why not? If high schools allow gay/lesbian clubs, should gay/lesbian teachers be allowed
to discuss their sexual orientation with their students?

Answer:
I work in a high school that has a QSA (Queer Straight Alliance) club of which I am a supporter. I
wear one of the club’s rainbow ribbons on my lanyard so that children know that if they need support, I
am an ally they can talk to. As a staff member I also find myself telling kids what my rainbow ribbon
means a lot of the time, sometimes kids are shocked, and they usually follow up by asking my sexual
orientation. I tell them that it really shouldn’t matter but if they really feel it is important, I can tell them.
Some press for more information, and others drop it there.

When I was a student in high school, I was a member of my high schools QSA at that time as
well. I am a cisgender female but supporting those that may not feel safe in school is important to me. I
don’t see a problem with schools providing a space where marginalized students can feel safe. Bullying
is a real problem for LGBTQIA teens and anything that can be done to prevent, or remedy bullying is a
step in the right direction.

As far as teacher and other staff members go, I believe that LGBTQIA+ teachers and staff should
be allowed to discuss their sexual orientations to the same degree that straight teachers and staff are.
Straight teachers and staff don’t generally walk into a classroom and announce their sexual orientation,
but they are permitted to talk about their spouses/partners and families to a degree so why shouldn’t
LGBTQIA+ teachers and staff be afforded the same rights? As long as a staff member isn’t discussing
anything explicit or inappropriate then the sex of their partner shouldn’t matter.

If schools should choose to employ the “ally development model” (Knox, 2017, p. 259) that is
referenced in our textbook, I can see how it may make an LGBTQIA+ teacher feel uncomfortable being
“out” right away. As a teacher they may feel that they should wait to “come out” until students have to
come to a point in the program where they have reach a of place understanding and acceptance.
Adversely, if the school a teacher is working in is intolerant enough to need a lot of training in
acceptance, they may never feel comfortable sharing the part of themselves that is LGBTQIA+.

Having LGBTQIA+ teachers be allowed to discuss their partners (should they feel comfortable) in
the same context as any other teacher might, may have more benefits than just comfort for the
teachers. Having teachers and other role models within a school that are “out” may prove to be helpful
to students. Students may feel less isolated and alone if they know that there are adults, they can turn
to that may have gone through a similar experience. Having an ally can mean a lot to kids who are
struggling at school and possibly at home as well.
At the very least I feel that school counselors should be able and willing to provide information
to LGBTQIA+ teens that are seeking help or support. Sometimes all somebody is looking for is an ally and
if there isn’t a place within the school where a student feel comfortable, it would be great if school
counselors had information about local organizations that may be able to provide support.
Unfortunately, studies show that “LGB youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the
rate of heterosexual youth” (The Trevor Project, 2020). In case a student may need a little more than
support, counselors should make sure that they are well trained in recognizing the signs of a suicidal
teen in order to put them in touch with the proper resources.
References:

Knox, D., & Milstein, S. (2017). Human sexuality: Making informed decisions (5th ed.) [with Salt Lake
Community College supplement]. Redding, CA: BVT Publishing.