Transcript Heterosexist Attitudes in Schools Elizabeth A Baczkiewicz Luther H Christensen  Elenore C Schoenfeld June 30, 2004 University of Minnesota Duluth.

Heterosexist Attitudes in Schools
Elizabeth A Baczkiewicz
Luther H Christensen
 Elenore C Schoenfeld
June 30, 2004
University of Minnesota Duluth
Safer Schools Task Force
Our mission is to increase visibility and
advance the civil rights of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, queer and
questioning (LGBTQ) people in
educational institutions in the DuluthSuperior region.
Research Questions
 What is the nature of school climate for GLBT
youth in the Duluth Area?
 To what extent do high school students in the
Duluth area feel they are subjected to
homophobic/heterosexist attitudes in school?
 To what extent are there differences in school
climate and attitudes related to GLBT youth
between the schools, grade levels of the students,
and gender in terms of what attitudes they have
and/or the extent to which GLBT youth are
subjected to these attitudes?
Methods and Sampling
 The sample was a total of
481, 247 male and 229
female, students between
grades 8 and 12.
 Students were
sampled from
 Duluth East (157),
 Duluth Denfeld (126),
 Duluth Central (123)
 Two Harbors (74)
Demographics of Schools
Percent
Minority
Free or
reduced
meal
Percent
free or
reduced
meal
11
1.8%
106
17%
1082
184
17%
317
29%
East
1430
81
6%
104
7%
Denfeld
1197
103
9%
461
39%
School
Total
Enrollm
ent
Total
Minority
Two
Harbors
614
Central
Together for Youth
 18 respondents 7
female and 11 male.
 Students ranged in
age from 15 to 21
years old.
 Notes from eighteen
qualitative interviews
given by Together for
Youth were also used
which included
questions about their
experiences in high
school using an
informal interview
outline
Definitions
 Heterosexist attitudes in school
by examining the following items:
 the use of remarks such as “sissy,”
“that’s gay,” “faggot,” “dyke,” and
“queer;”
 the number of times that a person
does not take a stand against these
remarks; the kinds of messages,
 if any, teachers and students give
about heterosexuality and
homosexuality;
 the presence of a Gay-Straight
Alliance or support group;
 the knowledge of an antidiscriminatory policy at school.
 School climate by examining the
following items:
 have students skipped class and/or
school because they felt unsafe;
 do students feel that heterosexuals
and/or homosexuals are safe at
their school;
 have students seen other students
physically harmed for their sexual
orientation or the sexual
orientation they are perceived to
be.
Analysis
 We analyzed the frequencies and percentages of
the data to describe heterosexist attitudes and
school climate.
 We made comparisons between grade level,
school of origin and gender.
 We also used cross tabulation analysis and chisquare statistics.
 Qualitative analysis was undertaken to identify
and group main themes.
Results Climate
 “In the past month, have
you skipped class because
you felt uncomfortable or
unsafe in that class?”
o 91.5% reported that they
never skipped class
because they felt
uncomfortable.
o 8.5% skipped one or more
times.
 “In the past month, have
you not gone to school
because you felt
uncomfortable or unsafe
at school or on your way
to school?”
o 94% of students reported
that they have not skipped
school because they have
felt uncomfortable or
unsafe
o 6% had one or more times.
Results Climate
 “I feel that a
heterosexual student
is safe in my school.”
– 90% of students agree
that heterosexual
students are safe in
their school.
 “I feel that a
homosexual, bisexual,
or transgendered
student is safe in my
school.”
o 42% agree that GLBT
students are safe in
their school
o 36% disagree and
o 22% were undecided.
Results Climate
 “Have you seen another
student physically harmed
for their sexual
orientation or the
orientation that other
students believe them to
be in the last month?”
– 22% report that they have
seen at least one student
physically harmed in the
last month for their
sexuality or the sexuality
that other students perceive
them to be.
 “How safe do you
feel in school?”
o 59% of students feel
very safe in school.
o 36% feel sometimes
safe.
o 5% rarely or never
safe.
Anything else you want to share
Climate?
 “I think it’s a good environment for all”
 “Gays, and Homosexuals should be thrown out of
school. If it was my choice and choices of many
others they should be shot. It is totally not right
to be homosexual”
 “I fell the straight kids are safe, the not straight
kids could have trouble, unless they’re popular,
which is rare”
 “I think that homosexual and bisexual are pretty
safe but they get picked on a lot”
Results Attitudes
 “Are you aware of an
anti-discriminatory
policy at your
school?”
– 61% of students are
not aware of an antidiscriminatory policy.
 “Do you know of any
students that openly
identify as gay, lesbian,
bisexual, or
transgendered?”
o 34% of students reported
that they do not know any
openly GLBT students.
o 66% know at least one.
Results Attitudes
 “What kinds of messages,
if any, about sexuality do
you get in school from
teachers?”
o 55% of students reported
that they get no messages
about sexuality from
teachers,
o However, of those that do
get messages, 71% of them
are sometimes or always
positive.
 “What kinds of messages,
if any, about
homosexuality do you get
in school from teachers?”
o 67% of students said that
they got no messages about
homosexuality from
teachers.
o Of those who reported
getting messages, 55% said
that some or all were
positive.
Results Attitudes
 “What kinds of messages,
 “Does your school have a
if any, about
homosexuality do you get
in school from other
students?”
gay-straight alliance or a
support group for lesbian,
gay, bisexual, and
transgendered students?”
o 80% reported that they got
some messages about
homosexuality from other
students.
o Of the students who got
messages only
o 14% said that some or all
those messages were
positive.
o 86% said that some or all
were negative.
– Only 14% are aware if
their school has a support
group/GSA for GLBT
teens.
Results Attitudes
 “Have you heard remarks
such as “That’s so gay,”
“You’re gay,” “faggot,”
“dyke,” “queer,” “sissy,”
etc.? made by students?”
o 66% of students reported
that they hear remarks such
as gay faggot dyke queer
etc. daily by other students.
o Only 5% said that they
never hear these remarks.
 “Have you heard remarks
such as “That’s so gay,”
“You’re gay,” “faggot,”
“dyke,” “queer,” “sissy,”
etc.? made by teachers?”
– 29% of students said that
they heard these remarks
made by teachers, though
most often rarely.
Results Attitudes
 “Have you heard such
remarks made by
students?”
 o
65.5% of students said
that heterosexist comments are
made by most students,
o 18.4% of students said that
these comments are made
by some students,
o 11.2% of students said that
these comments are made
by a few students,
o 4.9% said that no students
make them at all.
 “Have you heard such
remarks made by
teachers?”
o 77.5% of students said that
these heterosexist
comments are made by no
teachers,
o 18.4% of students said that
these comments are made
by a few teachers,
o 1.6% of students said that
these comments are made
by some teachers,
o 2.5% of students said that
these comments are made
by most teachers.
Results Attitudes
 “If you have heard such
 “If you have heard such
remarks how often does
someone say something
[students] about it?”
remarks how often does
someone say something
[teachers] about it?”
o 36% of students said that
other students never say
anything about these
remarks.
o 59% of the students that
said students do say
something, said they only
say something rarely.
o 38% of students said that
teachers never say anything
in response to such
comments.
o 56% of those teachers who
said something, said it
rarely.
Anything else you wish to share,
Attitudes?
Thirty-two of the responses were related to heterosexist attitudes.
 Six were from students who were aware of the problem of heterosexist
attitudes, students said:
 “I think staff/Teachers should be a lot more supportive”
 “anyone homosexual in school is usually teased”
 Twenty-six were from students whose responses indicated that they did not
have a positive attitude towards homosexuals. Students said:
 “No, gay support group crap”
 “Gay support groups are a waste of money”
 “I am antigay and gays shouldn’t be known or in school We shouldn’t have gay
discussions.”
 “Faggots should not be allowed in school it is wrong and should go to a gay
school”
Together for Youth Attitudes
Eight had these things to say about being gay
in high school:
“scary”
“not safe”
“looked down upon.”
“no safe place”
“no one safe to talk to”
Results Differences by School
Number of Students seen physically harmed in the past month
School
None
Number
Percent
One+
Number
Percent
Two
Harbors
61
84.7%
11
15.3%
Central
85
70.2%
36
29.8%
East
141
91.0%
14
9.0%
Denfeld
100
80.0%
25
20.0%
Conclusions
 In order to improve school climate and reduce the extent to which
students are subjected to heterosexist attitudes, we recommend the
following:
– Establish and foster the growth of Gay Straight Alliances.
– Have an anti discriminatory policy, which explicitly includes sexual
orientation.
– Educate students and teachers on the discrimination policy in their
school and hold them accountable to it.
– Integrate GLBT inclusive curriculum into the schools.
– Train teachers, staff and administration how to better support GLBT
youth throughout their high school experience.
– Teach allies skills to effectively intervene when heterosexist
language/behavior is observed.
Summary
 We conclude that the nature of school climate for
GLBT youth is not particularly safe in the
schools surveyed. High school students are
subjected to alarmingly prevalent amounts of
heterosexist attitudes in school. There are some
differences between schools and grade levels, but
the most statistically significant differences are
between genders. In light of our limitations, these
findings should still be considered. Given these
results it would be important to further address
these issues.
Closing
 I encourage members of the Task Force to read the whole paper and
brainstorm for ideas for how to proceed with this new information.
 Thanks
– Luther Hans Christensen
– 1507 Tower Ave ste 230
– Superior, WI 54880