Teaching Acceptance in Schools - How Teachers Can Help Gay Students

By Ramon Johnson, About.com Guide

Anti-gay jokes create feelings of isolation, helplessness, fear and loneliness for gay, lesbian or transgender teens in the midst of a cloud of laughter. Even the kids that aren't necessarily anti-gay may laugh at the gay kids out of fear or peer pressure. All it takes is the perception that a kid if gay for them to become a verbal or physical target.

Keep in mind that most of the kids that are harassed don't speak up, so it's up to you to set a tone that anti-gay jokes will not be tolerated.

Try not to wait until after the joke subsides. Even though many teen jokes happen in a flash, try and dispel their potency by immediately explaining why they shouldn't joke about LGBT people. Reference the gay statistics in the first step and discuss the impact jokes and comments have on all student.

more steps below...

Previous

• Know the facts.
• Set the tone and lead by example.
• Work LGBT issues into your lesson plan.
• Combat the stereotypes.
• Counter anti-gay jokes.
• Don't single out the gay kids.
• Sponsor diversity programs.
• Urge school-wide anti-discrimination policies.

Next