Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) Resources

Nearly 30% of gay teens have been threatened with a weapon in the past month, where as only 7% of heterosexual students have. This LGBTQ (lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgendered or questioning) population of students rarely reports bullying incidents to teachers or their parents and often live in secrecy and fear. As teachers, we must remember that it is not about lifestyle choices or whether it is right or wrong to be gay or bisexual, but instead that each and every one of us deserves to feel safe and be treated with respect within our school. These students:

• hear anti-gay slurs once every 14 seconds, often from adults
• are bullied long-term (5 years)
• are three times more likely to commit suicide

At the Office of Prevention we are committed to helping prevent and intervene with violence. We help to coordinate all of the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) pro-social clubs in Broward County’s Schools. Below are just a few of the resources we can access to help ALL of our students feel safe, respected and supported while they grow and work toward academic success.

Please Note:

• A program or website being mentioned here does not imply endorsement by the School Board of Broward County and does not necessarily reflect its views.
• Content of programs, websites, and research results are hard to keep up with, so for the most current info – contact the program developers directly.

Resources, Teaching Tools and Links

Education & Teaching Tools, Observances

• Anti-Defamation League has numerous and excellent resources on diversity and tolerance ADL website, Anti-Defamation League’s The Pyramid of Hate Lesson Plan as well as ADL educator’s guide and classroom lessons for responding to violence and hate.
• CDC’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health resource page
• Civil Rights Division of The Department of Justice’s released a video that focuses on stopping bullying and harassment of LGBT youth, as well as other youth who do not conform to traditional expectations about gender roles or appearance. The video is part of the Division’s “It Gets Better” project.
• Examining and Interrupting Hate: A Lesson for Grades 6–8
• The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Student Support Services Office at Indiana University Bloomington IN’s Important LGTBQ Dates to Remember.
• Gay Straight Alliance
• National Mix It Up at Lunch Day on Nov. 10, 2009 – see also Teaching Tolerance.
• National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), a service of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
• National Resource Center for Safe Schools, The Safety Zone Safe Schools South Florida Resource Page.
• No Name Calling Week, Educational Activities against Name Calling
• Olweus Bullying Prevention Program
• Peace Corps lesson plans on peace and culture
• Registries of Programs Effective in Reducing Youth Risk Behaviors: Various federal agencies have identified youth-related programs that they consider worthy of recommendation based on expert opinion or a review of design and research evidence. These programs focus on different health topics, risk behaviors, and settings including violence.
• School Health Guidelines (CDC) to Prevent Unintentional Injuries and Violence. Students have the right to learn in a safe and protective school environment. These guidelines were designed to help education agencies and schools promote safety and make schools safe places for students to learn.
• School Health Index: The School Health Index can help schools implement school health guidelines and related strategies. This self-assessment and planning tool enables schools to identify the strengths and weaknesses of health promotion policies and programs (including violence prevention) and assists schools in developing an action plan for improving the school environment.
• School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS): The School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS) is a national survey periodically conducted to assess school health policies and practices at the state, district, school, and classroom levels. SHPPS was most recently conducted in 2006. SHPPS also was conducted in 2000 and 1994; the next SHPPS is planned for 2012. State level summaries are available on-line (the Healthy and Safe Environment and the Mental Health and Social Services sections are probably the most relevant) and as a state report card, here is the link for Florida
• The Support Group Method of bullying intervention.
• Surgeon General’s report on youth violence. This report uses a public health approach to examine the issue of youth interpersonal violence. It examines the factors that lead young people to gravitate toward violence, reviews the factors that protect youth from perpetrating violence and identifies 27 effective research-based preventive strategies.
• Teaching Tolerance – Classroom activities and teaching kits.
• “That’s so Gay!” Have you been reminding others to “Think B4 You Speak” at school or in your community? Click to View VIDEOS and/or to download the corresponding Educators Guide.
• The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS): YRBSS monitors priority health-risk behaviors among youth in grades 9-12 in public and private schools through the United States. The YRBSS includes a national school-based survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state, territorial, tribal, and local surveys conducted by state, territorial, and local education and health agencies and tribal governments. Violence-related behaviors captured by YRBSS include getting in a fight (on and off of school property), carrying a weapon (on or off of school property), carrying a gun (off of school property), being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, feeling unsafe on the way to or from school, being the victim of forced sex, and being the victim of dating violence. CDC provides access to the data through an on-line system; OPP facilitates the administration of the YRBS every year, please go to OPP YRBS to find out more.

Hotlines, Support Groups, Information & Referral Resources

• CDC Sexual and Gender Minorities Work Group The group focuses on issues in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (GLBTQ). The mission of the workgroup is to explore health-related issues in the GLBTQ community and serve as a resource to others engaging in similar research and activities.
• Compass, Inc. – HIV/AIDS agency and gay and lesbian community center of Palm beach County. Hosts a variety of social groups and sponsors the annual events.
• Equality Florida - Statewide advocacy, education and lobbying organization that works toward obtaining equality for LGBT persons in areas where there is discrimination.
• First Call for Help, 211 Broward – “Help is Just a Phone Call Away!” A 24-hour, free, confidential telephone Helpline for crisis/suicide counseling, empathetic listening and community information and referrals for health and human services resources in Broward County. Just Dial 2-1-1 or (954) 537-0211 or access the directory online.
• Florida Gay Straight Alliance
• GLAAD - Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. “Dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.”
• Gay & Lesbian Community Center (GLCC) of South Florida – This community center is host site a number of small gay organizations, including the Broward LGBT Youth Group that meets on Thursday evenings, as well as regular monthly educational meetings on gay/lesbian domestic violence. Both are join projects of SunServe and GLCC.
• Gay & Lesbian National Hotline: National toll-free hotline providing free confidential telephone peer-counseling and local resource information for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning people of all ages. We also provide direct-service peer-counseling over the telephone if someone is going through a difficult time and needs someone to talk to. Toll-free Hotline: 1.888.THE.GLNH (1.888.843.4564)
• GLSEN - Gay, Lesbian, And Straight Education Network – creating safe schools for all.
• HRC - Human Rights Campaign – Working for LGBT equal rights.
• National Resource Center for Safe Schools, The Safety Zone Safe Schools South Florida Resource Page.
• 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.
• Safe Schools South Florida: Safe Schools South Florida is the only organization in South Florida comprised of professional educators committed to training education professionals to recognize and intervene in harassment and bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) students and the children of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents.
• Sexual and Gender Minorities Work Group (CDC) Since 2003 CDC Sexual and Gender Minorities Work Group has been in official operation at CDC/ATSDR. The group focuses on issues in the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (GLBTQ). The mission of the workgroup is to explore health-related issues in the GLBTQ community and serve as a resource to others engaging in similar research and activities. Please visit their website for more information.
• SunServe and the GLCC Youth Group - Fort Lauderdale youth empowerment programs; HIV/AIDS education and prevention; individual and group counseling.
• Switchboard of Miami, (305) 358-HELP (4357); Switchboard GLBT Suicide Awareness Initiative – 305-646-3600 – TTY/TDD 305-644-9449: This hotline serves the LGBT community providing 24/7 access to suicide prevention, education and intervention. At risk individuals and their friend may call for help.