2017 and the Future for LGBTQ youth

2017 and the Future for LGBTQ youth
Ken Scott Baron
Many people are fearful of the current President Elect and his policies of his administration. This applies in many areas affecting our community, but no more so than our future generations. Vice President Elect Mike Pence wants to allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ people. Also, there are a number of bills pending which prevent gender non conforming people using the bathroom of their choice.
President Elect Trump’s choice for Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has donated to “conversion therapy”. The proposed attorney general Jeff Sessions has a zero rating by the Human Rights Campaign.
In this new year, my thoughts (as an educator) go to the youth and their safety, particularly LGBTQ youths and especially LGBTQ youths of color. Cast your mind back to the environment you had in school. If you were like my husband who was out and proud at this time, his school site was safe and accepting, but many were not.
Schools are better now; many are labelled safe but many are not up to standards. Gay Straight Alliances (GSA) are present in some schools offering a place to help students at the margin. I am proud to say that the Los Angeles School District formed the precursor for GSA, known as Project 10. This was in 1984, and continues today. GSA’s are still controversial in conservative communities, which believe this should be left to the families. Evidence shows that they have helped.
Like anti bullying programs, many people feel that the issues have been “covered” and the concept of “It gets better” will reap rewards. However, school teachers, administrators, and you and I need to ensure that “safe zones” are not isolation areas, but LGBTQ people are safe in all school areas and outside as well.
What do we do about this? We all need to ensure that LGBTQ youth have the skills and knowledge to be effective and engaged members of their society as LGBTQ youth. They are not a homogeneous group. They are boys and girls, transgender and people of color.
Marriage equality is the law of the land, and people of color and transgender LGBTQ are shown sometimes in the media, but let’s move on. Despite the progress, the toll on LGBTQ youths and their academic and social success is difficult.
Educators and NABWMT should ensure:
Schools affirm LGBTQ identities Work for geographic and regional changes for LGBTQ rights Show the identity spectrum of LGBTQ people LGBTQ youths will grow up in a different world where they are accepted not silenced www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/Gay-Straight%20Alliances.pdf