Hi everyone,
I thought I would talk about some of the highlights from our field trip to Positive Images in Santa Rosa. Several of the panelists we spoke to mentioned how being queer can be complicated by cultural issues, especially when parents are immigrants from another country. Being half-Japanese, I can sympathize with the difficulties of identifying with a minority culture. Some people still ask me where I’m from (born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA), whether I know Chinese (no, Japan has its own language), and if I know karate (no, but sometimes I tell people I do). Cultural issues can be difficult and exhausting at times—I can’t even imagine what it would be like if I were gay too.
One of my main goals for the field trip was figuring out what teachers can do to help the queer community at school. In our group research to date, I have discovered that harassment of LGBTQ students is linked to weaker connections to school and teachers, truancy and lower grades, as well as a greater risk for depression, suicide, and substance abuse. What I heard through the various stories, thoughts, and reflections from the Positive Images panelists all carried a common message for teachers—we need to make sure LGBTQ students feel safe at school and in our classrooms.
What can we do to create a safe learning environment? Suggestions ranged from simple gestures such as symbolism in the form of rainbow flags or stickers, to ground rules and expectations for student behavior. Students must understand that gay comments and putdowns will not be tolerated under any circumstances. How do we know if we have succeeded in creating a safe environment? As one gay individual noted, he had a positive experience in high school because he felt that his teachers validated his potential as an individual.
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