Local media swallows ‘bathroom bill’ rhetoric
On July 14, the day of a legislative hearing on the transgender rights bill currently on Beacon Hill, WCVB’s NewsCenter 5 ran a story about the bill on its evening newscast. Anchor Liz Brunner introduced the story by saying, “It’s being called the bathroom bill, [and it] is essentially meant to end discrimination based on transgender status.” Behind Brunner was an image of the traditional male and female stick figures found on restroom doors, positioned next to the State House dome and above the tagline, “Bathroom Bill.” Yet the only people calling the trans rights bill, House Bill 1728, a “bathroom bill” are its opponents, and the label is a misnomer by any objective criteria.
H.B. 1728 adds trans-inclusive language to the state’s non-discrimination laws in the areas of employment, public accommodations, credit, housing, and education, as well as to the state’s hate-crimes laws, going far beyond simply allowing transgender people to use bathrooms that match their gender identity or expression. Opponents of the legislation, led by the Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI), claim that the bill will allow male sexual predators to masquerade as women and sneak into women’s restrooms and locker rooms. WCVB’s coverage of the transgender rights bill, as well as the coverage by some other local media outlets, suggests that the work of the bill’s opponents to label the legislation a bathroom bill in public discourse has been at least somewhat successful. See Local media swallows ‘bathroom bill’ rhetoric Bay Windows
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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/07/local-media-s…
New Report Reveals that Bullying of Gay Students in Oregon in a Problem
The groups are joining with lawmakers to strengthen Oregon’s anti-bullying law and create safeguards for youth in Oregon schools.
A new report, Too Afraid to Learn: Barriers to Post-Secondary Education for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students, analyses a survey of 3,500 Oregon college students about the climate for gay and transgender students at high schools and universities.
“One in three gay and transgender students in Oregon indicate that the hostile climate in their high school created a significant barrier to graduation,” said Tash Shatz, of the Oregon Students Equal Rights Alliance.
“And more than half of gay and transgender college students concealed their sexual orientation or gender identity for fear of personal safety, discrimination, or rejection.”
Scott Schmitz, a junior at Oregon State University told the report’s authors: “One of the reasons I decided to come out as gay to my family, when I was nineteen rather than thirteen, was because I was afraid of becoming homeless.
“When I did come out my family pushed me away and made it explicit that if I didn’t change they wouldn’t talk to me again.
“After telling them that my sexuality was not a phase, I was cut off from them. I did not expect that they were going to stop supporting my education.
“I was not allowed home for Christmas or Thanksgiving and the communication we had was limited.”
And his problems did not end there. When he tried to apply for financial aid for his university education he came up against bureaucracy as his parents refused to supply him with their tax information which had to accompany the financial aid application.
The report makes seven key recommendations:
■ Provide inclusive and informed services for LGBT students.
■ Provide safe and inclusive housing for LGBT students.
■ Create policies and legislation that protect LGBT persons from discrimination and harassment on campus.
■ Institutionalize data collection on LGBT students.
■ Actively work to recruit and retain LGBT staff and faculty.
■ Establish gender neutral facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms.
■ Ensure that all service providers on campus receive education on LGBT issues.
A second report demonstrates that minority youth are far more likely to be the targets of bullies than white youth.
“African American, Latino and Native American youth report up to 23% higher levels of harassment in our schools than white students,” said Ebony Smith, of the Oregon Students of Color Coalition.
“We have a responsibility to take action now, to ensure that our schools are safe for all youth.”
Advocates released these reports as the Legislature begins deliberations on House Bill 2599, legislation designed to strengthen and enhance Oregon’s existing anti-bullying statute.
HB2599 would ensure state-wide adoption of anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies, create clear notice and complaint procedures and establish a comprehensive approach to address bullying.
The proposal strengthens existing statute by clarifying the definition of bullying, adding specific guidelines for making the policy available to the school community, and encouraging training programs. The legislation is expected to have its first hearing in the House Education Committee in early March.
“House Bill 2599 will strengthen Oregon’s anti-bullying law, ensure state-wide implementation, and help keep all children safe,” said Sonya Fischer, a disability advocate and Board Member with Family and Community Together.
She added, “This will make a difference for youth with disabilities who are too often the targets of bullying.”
Matthew Rose, a University of Oregon senior said: “Four and a half years ago, when I first attended the University of Oregon, I was a closeted person of colour. Going to college was going to be an opportunity to explore my identity in a place that I thought would embrace my development and growth.
“Despite the relatively liberal nature of my surroundings, words and phrases such as “faggot” and “that’s so gay” were commonplace, and even when said in front of authority figures, there were little to no responses.
“The homophobic environment made me think twice about coming out. I fight the daily battle to challenge racism and negative stereotypes of Black Americans.
“I was not ready to be in another fight, especially, when no one else was leading the charge. Finding the support to deal with my identity in a healthy manner was difficult.
“The University of Oregon does have resources for the LGBT community; however as a person of colour these spaces do not really resonate with me. I strongly identified with my racial identity and had only newly come into my sexual identity; I felt there wasn’t a space where I could be fine with both.”
House Education Committee Chair, Rep. Sara Gelser (D-Corvallis), joined advocates today at the launch of the two reports.
“All kids should grow up free from fear of intimidation and harassment at school,” she said.
“By strengthening school anti-bullying policies, we can make Oregon schools safer, stronger and more secure.”
Rep. Gelser, a mother of four, chairs the House committee that is considering legislation to update and strengthen the bullying statute.
■ Click HERE for Too Afraid to Learn: Barriers to Post-Secondary Education for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students.
■ Click HERE for No End In Sight: An Examination of Oregon Healthy Teens Survey reports of harassment of youth of color in Oregon Schools.
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PFLAG Launches First-of-its-Kind Safe Schools Initiative …
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) launched a comprehensive, community-based safe schools program today to address a growing epidemic of anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) animus in the nation’s schools. The program, entitled Cultivating Respect, includes training seminars for local parents and allies, empowering PFLAG supporters at the local level to work directly with their community leaders and school administrators to protect LGBT students. PFLAG plans trainings across the country in 2009, following initial training sessions held earlier this year in Ohio and Tennessee.
“Too many students attend school in fear, and too few school administrators and leaders understand just how damaging a hostile learning environment can be for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people,” said Jody M. Huckaby, PFLAG’s executive director. “Cultivating Respect is the very first program designed to identify and mobilize a grassroots network of parents and allies to take an active role in combating anti-gay behavior, policies, information and environments in their local schools. When children do not feel safe, they cannot learn, and their school experience becomes fraught with the long-lasting effects of unchecked hostility. By working with local parents and local administrators, Cultivating Respect addresses community and school-specific concerns. This is a significant step forward in making our classrooms, hallways and locker rooms safer for every student.”
The PFLAG training, which builds on the organization’s prior work in schools across the country, includes insights on fostering on-going dialogues with local school leaders; approaching administrators about implementing safe schools policies; skills building seminars on language, policy and problem solving in schools; identifying and leveraging access points within the school community; and training on three specific programs that can be implemented in local schools. The program is also designed to counter harmful, anti-gay campaigns by conservative advocacy groups, including attempts to infiltrate libraries with anti-gay literature and information on so-called “reparative therapy” practices, which have been condemned by medical experts. A workbook on LGBT school issues, titled The Top 10 Ways to Make Schools Safer for All Students, was also released today in conjunction with the training and outreach program.
“It is critically important that students, teachers, parents and administrators have accurate, inclusive information and materials about sexual orientation and gender identity,” said Huckaby. “Anti-family advocates are pushing an extreme, anti-gay agenda that seeks to mislead adults and ultimately undermine the well-being of the countless LGBT young people who deserve a healthy learning environment, too. This new program asks those responsible for the well-being of our children to listen, think, act and be respectful of every member of our families.”
According to statistics compiled by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), 73.6% of LGBT students hears derogatory remarks such as “faggot” or “dyke” frequently or often at school. More than half (60.8%) reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, and more than a third (38.4%) felt unsafe because of their gender expression. An overwhelming 86.2% of students reported being verbally harassed.
“Hostile classrooms and campuses impact every member of the school community.” Huckaby concluded, “From LGBT students, to those perceived to be, and even young people who are denied the opportunity to learn because of the distractions presented by anti-gay behavior, the consequences of not dealing with these issues reach far and wide. Now, at last, parents have the tools they need to work directly with their local leaders to stand up for every young person, including those who are LGBT or are impacted by these behaviors.”
For more information on Cultivating Respect, including .pdf copies of The Top 10 Ways to Make Schools Safer for All Students, visit www.pflag.org.
PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.
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