Dear Safe Schools Coalition Members and Friends:

 

(1) Awesome anti-homophobia ad from Australia

(2) New guide "Speak Up at School"� from Teaching Tolerance

(3) New guide "Responding to Hate and Bias at School"� from Teaching Tolerance

(4) GLSEN's 2011 National School Climate Survey

(5) Film for elementary parents and staffs, from Welcoming Schools: "What Do You Know? Six to twelve year-olds talk about gays and lesbians"

(6) Eighth Annual Queer Foundation High School Seniors English Essay Contest - $1,000 Scholarship

 

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(1) Awesome anti-homophobia ad from Australia

 

It calls on bystanders to report harassment: http://www.notohomophobia.com.au/

 

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(2) New guide "Speak Up at School"� from Teaching Tolerance

It’s for educators who want to develop the skills to speak up themselves and who want to help their students find the courage to speak up too. This guide is for the adults in the school. It offers advice about how to respond to remarks made by students and by other adults and gives guidance for helping students learn to speak up as well. We believe that modeling the kind of behavior we want from students is one of the most effective ways of teaching it. Go to: http://www.tolerance.org/publication/speak-school to download it, free.

 

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(3) New guide “Responding to Hate and Bias at School” from Teaching Tolerance

 

The guide is divided into three sections:

·         Before a Crisis Occurs. How can you and other school leaders assess your school's climate with an eye toward defusing tension, preventing escalation and avoiding problems?

·         When There's a Crisis. What are the nine key points to consider when responding to a crisis that has been triggered by a bias incident at your school?

·         After the Worst is Over. How can you address long-term planning and capacity building for the future, including development of social emotional skills?

Go to: http://www.tolerance.org/hate-and-bias to download it, free.

 

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(4) GLSEN’s 2011 National School Climate Survey

 

GLSEN released The 2011 National School Climate Survey, the only national study that for over a decade has consistently examined the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students in America's schools. The NSCS full report and Executive Summary can be downloaded here: www.glsen.org/schoolclimate  

 

Many sobering findings, including, for example, these:

·         81.9% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 38.3% reported being physically harassed and 18.3% reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation.

·         63.9% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 27.1% reported being physically harassed and 12.4% reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their gender expression.

·         The reported grade point average of students who were more frequently harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender expression was lower than for students who were less often harassed (2.9 vs. 3.2).

 

And good news, including this:

·         The presence of school personnel who are supportive of LGBT students contributed to a range of positive indicators, including higher grade point averages (3.2 vs. 2.9), greater likelihood of pursuing higher education, lower likelihood of missing school and lower likelihood of feeling unsafe in school (53.1% of students with supportive school personnel vs. 76.9% of other students).

·         The percentage of students hearing homophobic remarks, such as "dyke" or "faggot" frequently or often has seen a major decline since 2001.

·         In 2011, there was a significant decrease in harassment and assault based on sexual orientation compared to findings released from previous years.

 

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(5) Film for elementary parents and staffs, from Welcoming Schools: "What Do You Know? Six to twelve year-olds talk about gays and lesbians"

 

A 13-minute award-winning professional development film that features students from Massachusetts and Alabama discussing what they know about gay men and lesbians, what they hear at school, and what they’d like teachers to do. $20 DVD comes with a facilitation guide.

 

Watch the 2-minute trailer and order the DVD here: http://www.welcomingschools.org/what-do-you-know-the-film/

 

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(6) Eighth Annual Queer Foundation High School Seniors English Essay Contest … $1,000 Scholarship

 

Go to: http://queerfoundation.org/html/scholarship_application.html

 

 

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Got a problem at school with anti-gay harassment?

In Washington State:

1-877-SAFE-SAFE (1-877-723-3723) 24 hours a day - the phone line is answered at the Sexual Assault Hotline and they will have a Safe Schools Coalition Intervention Specialist volunteer get back to you within 24 hours. Or contact us by email (click here: Intervention) http://www.safeschoolscoalition.org/contact/?id=10 and we will respond within 24 hours.

 

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Co-Chairs:

Beth Reis, Public Health - Seattle & King County, 206-263-8297 NEW
Michelle Munro, not representing a member org
Mo Lewis, King County Sexual Assault Resource Center
Matthew Wilson, Oasis/Pierce County AIDS Foundation

 

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Heather Carter, Youth Suicide Prevention Program
Frank Couch, Science & Management of Addictions Foundation
Penny Palmer, not representing a member org

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