Connect with us

Do Today’s LGBTQ Kids Have It Any Easier?

Published

on

Ten Years Later, Homophobic Bullying Slowly Decreasing but Still at Epidemic Levels, GLSEN Report Finds

Almost seventy-five percent of all middle and high school students have personally experienced some form of peer victimization in the past year, according to a new study released Wednesday by GLSEN. The study, “From Teasing to Torment: School Climate Revisited A Survey of U.S. Secondary School Students and Teachers,” examed school climate across middle and high schools in the United States and revisited many of the topics covered in GLSEN’s original 2005 survey of the same name.

More than one in five students reported being bullied because of their gender expression (21.9%). And nearly one in five (19.4%) reported being bullied because of their real or perceived sexual orientation. And while it comes as no shock that bullying is still at epidemic levels, what may be surprising to some is that while the majority of these incidents are bias-based bullying (bullying based on personal characteristics), more students reported being victims of bullying based on their looks or body size (50.9%) and actual or perceived race (30.3%). 

There are a number of findings that show the climate for LGBTQ students is slowly improving across the country. Less than a quarter (22%) of all students report hearing negative comments about gender expression, and while the most common insult is still “that’s so gay” (55%), only 14% report having heard negative remarks about transgender people. Still, “42.9% of students heard other homophobic remarks (e.g., ‘faggot,’ ‘dyke,’ ‘queer’) often or very often,” the report states.

LGBTQ students more likely to be bullied or harassed based on actual/perceived sexual orientation

Two-thirds of LGBTQ students were more likely to be bullied or harassed based on actual/perceived sexual orientation than their non-LGBTQ peers. LGBTQ students were also more likely to experience sexual harassment, having rumors/lies spread about them, property damage, and cyberbullying than their non-LGBTQ peers.

Sexist and racist remarks still run rampant; 56% of students say they “often/very often” hear sexist remarks in school and many even hear sexist comments from their teachers (20.6%) while one-third (36%) reported hearing racist remarks from students. 14.4% students report hearing their teachers make racist comments. 

table_1.jpg 

table_2.jpg

According to the report, about 4 out of 5 students reported that a teacher was in hearing range when encountering these types of harassment. Unfortunately, the results of the survey show that even when given a clear opportunity to intervene and put a stop to certain types of bullying without much effort, over 70% of teachers chose not to. Students fared no better – only 20.1% of student respondents said other students jumped in to put an end to homophobic bullying. 

table_3.jpg

92% of all students experience some form of bullying

While the GLSEN report shows that school climate has certainly improved over the past decade, it’s still incredibly disheartening to know that an estimated 92% of all students experience some form of bullying based on personal characteristics such as actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, body size or appearance, or academic ability.

table_4.jpg  

Geographic area and student age do have an impact on the type of bullying and harassment students will encounter. High school students are more likely to experience bullying based on race, and students in rural schools were more likely to experience bullying based on sexual orientation. Students in the West are the less likely to experience these types of bullying.  

LGBTQ Students, Female Students, and Black/African-American Students Report Not Feeling Safe at School

A large majority of students – almost 9 out of 10 students – reported feeling “safe” or “very safe” at school. Those who reported not feeling safe at school were, unsurprisingly, LGBTQ students, female students, and Black/African-American students. 

On a hopeful note, the survey found that many students were able to find safe spaces and like-minded friends and safety in extra-curricular activities, and club participation often followed the same demographic patterns. White, cisgender boys were more likely to participate in clubs such as ROTC or play on sports teams, while LGBTQ students gravitated towards gay-straight alliances (GSA), arts programs, or diversity clubs. 

The majority of GSAs can be found in schools in the West and the Northeast. Schools in the South are least likely to have a GSA, as are religious schools and middle schools. The need for a GSA in every school is clear, though. Schools with a GSA report far fewer negative, anti-LGBTQ remarks by students and teachers. Students don’t even need to participate in the GSA for it to have a positive impact on the school – that it simply exists is enough to change school climate for the better.

‘LGBTQ Students Still Face Rates of Violence Much Higher Relative to Their Peers’

In the preface of the report, Eliza Byard, GLSEN’s Executive Director, puts the report’s results into perspective;

Overall, bullying still persists at unacceptable levels, and the gains of the past ten years throw the more intractable aspects of the problem into higher relief. LGBTQ students still face rates of violence much higher relative to their peers. Teachers report that they are less comfortable and less prepared to address the harsh conditions faced by transgender and gender nonconforming students. And amidst progress in reducing the use of most types of biased language in schools, racist language remains as prevalent as it was a decade ago.

Above all, we must forcefully reject any efforts to turn back the clock in this urgent battle. Bullying must never again become societally acceptable. We must sustain our national commitment to ending discrimination in education, including having effective ways to require schools to address the bias that can poison students’ daily lives.

The Harris Poll, in partnership with GLSEN, conducted online surveys reaching 1,367 middle and high school students and 1015 secondary school teachers in the United States. The full report, “From Teasing to Torment: School Climate Revisited A Survey of U.S. Secondary School Students and Teachers,” can be downloaded here.

 

Image by Gordon Lew via Flickr and a CC license

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
 
 

Enjoy this piece?

… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.

NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.

Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.

News

Congressman Pummeled for Praising Students Mocking Black Protester With Monkey Sounds

Published

3 hours ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, Republican of Georgia, is under fire after praising University of Mississippi students, some wearing American flag outfits, mocking a Black woman protester by making monkey sounds and shouting, “lock her up.”

“Counter-protestors at the University of Mississippi made racist remarks — including monkey noises and comparisons to Lizzo — towards a Black woman who was part of a planned protest against the war in Gaza,” Los Angeles Magazine reported Friday.

Collins, who tried to defund Vice President Kamala Harris’ Office in November, declared his support for the counter-protesters at “Ole Miss,” as the University is called.

“Ole Miss taking care of business,” he wrote on social media, atop the video (below).

The counter-protesters, as evidenced in the video, appear to be mostly white.

A large number of users on the social media platform X responded, accusing the Congressman and the counter-protesters of racism.

“When is the inevitable ‘I don’t have a racist bone in my body’ tweet coming,” wondered Rewire News Group editor-at-large Imani Gandy.

“Which part is your favorite, Mike?” asked Fred Wellman, the former executive director of The Lincoln Project. “Is it the white kid acting like a monkey at the black woman or the white security guy acting like she’s a threat? I’m trying to figure out which flavor of racism has you all excited the most?”

READ MORE: MAGA State Superintendent Supports Chaplains in Public Schools – But Not From All Religions

Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic clinical instructor Alejandra Caraballo responded to the Georgia GOP congressman, “Thanks for confirming you’re a massive racist piece of sh*t.”

Mississippi Free Press news editor Ashton Pittman wrote: “Rep. Mike Collins, R-Georgia, praises a video showing a University of Mississippi frat boy dancing like a monkey and making monkey noises near a Black woman student who was protesting for Palestine while other frat boys chant ‘lock her up.'”

In a separate post describing a separate video taken of the same group Pittman wrote: “Frat bros at @OleMiss chant, ‘Lizzo! Lizzo!’ and shout, ‘F**k you fatass, f**k you b*tch’ at a Black woman who was protesting for Palestine. Do people really think these counterprotestors are doing it to support Jews?”

Journalist John Harwood did not mince words, writing, “Congressman proud of the racism.”

“Okay, Mike. We get it,” wrote podcast host, documentary director, and author W. Kamau Bell. “You want to be famous for being a racist. Fine. I’ll help you become a famous racist. You’re welcome.”

The original video is here.

See Rep. Collins’ post and the video below or at this link.

Caution: the video is disturbing.

READ MORE: Noem Heads to Mar-a-Lago After Branding Kids She Ministered in Church ‘Little Tyrants’

Continue Reading

News

Noem Heads to Mar-a-Lago After Branding Kids She Ministered in Church ‘Little Tyrants’

Published

6 hours ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

Amid more damning revelations from her soon-to-be released book, embattled South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem will head to Mar-a-Lago this weekend as ex-president Donald Trump auditions potential vice presidential picks in front of high-dollar donors. Noem was also slated to attend a Republican fundraiser in Colorado this weekend but it was canceled over alleged safety concerns after news broke she had bragged about shooting her 14-month old dog.

While Noem’s shooting to death of her wirehaired pointer, Cricket, which she detailed in the book, is still making headlines overnight a new revelation made news: Noem falsely claims in her book she met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

A spokesperson for Noem “seemed to concede that the Kim story was false Thursday night,” and notified her publisher, Politico’s Ryan Lizza reported in his exclusive.

But less noticed appears to be the actual text of Noem’s false story, in which she brands children she ministered in church “little tyrants,” and compared them to the murderous North Korean dictator.

READ MORE: RFK Jr., Embracing Far-Right, Spoke at Fundraiser for Anti-Government Group With J6 Ties

“Through my tenure on the House Armed Services Committee,” Noem wrote, according to Politico, “I had the chance to travel to many countries to meet with world leaders. I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I’m sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I’d been a children’s pastor, after all).”

CNBC reported this week Trump “will mingle with potential vice presidential running mates and wealthy Republican donors at the Republican National Committee’s spring donor retreat. The meetings are likely to act as informal tryouts for a short list of politicos in the running to join the Trump ticket.”

The list of Republican “special guests” includes U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Tim Scott, and J.D. Vance, Rep. Elise Stefanik, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem.

Also expected to attend are House Speaker Mike Johnson, U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida and Wesley Hunt of Texas, former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and other elected Republicans along with RNC co-chair Lara Trump.

READ MORE: Election Denialism Embraced by ‘Large Proportion’ of Trump’s Followers: Report

NBC News, which says Rep. Donalds is also under consideration, on Friday added there will be “a fundraising retreat that could serve as a screening session” for potential vice presidential running mates.

Meanwhile, the Jefferson County, Colorado Republican Party chair announced a fundraising dinner Noem was slated to attend was canceled after threats were made, The Denver Post reports.

“We understood there was a planned organized protest outside of the hotel, led by Progress Now,” Nancy Pallozzi said. “I felt that our event would be negatively impacted, and we could not take the risk that those who made threats would cause physical harm.”

 

 

Continue Reading

News

RFK Jr., Embracing Far-Right, Spoke at Fundraiser for Anti-Government Group With J6 Ties

Published

8 hours ago

on

May 3, 2024

By

Over the weekend independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. spoke at a fundraiser for a far-right anti-government group in Erie County, New York – a slice of the country that had a large proportion of residents arrested and charged for crimes related to the January 6 insurrection. Kennedy, a conspiracy theorist and vaccine denialist, increasingly is embracing the far-right.

“That group, Constitutional Coalition of New York State, has founders who not only have ties to Donald Trump but are also connected to the stop-the-steal movement through their activist network, which includes groups that had a presence at the Capitol on Jan. 6,” The Daily Beast reported Friday. “It’s yet another instance of Kennedy—who is mounting one of the most well-funded third-party presidential threats in decades—serving as a peculiar bridge between his own anti-establishment movement and Trump’s.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center includes the Constitutional Coalition of New York State (CCNYS) on its page of anti-government groups. Political Research Associates, which detailed the high proportion of January 6 residents arrested and charged, included the Constitutional Coalition of New York State in its February report on “The Rise of the Far Right in Western New York.”

READ MORE: Election Denialism Embraced by ‘Large Proportion’ of Trump’s Followers: Report

“If you don’t think the government is lying to you, you’re not paying attention,” Kennedy told attendees at the CCNYS fundraiser, The Buffalo News reports.

“CCNYS founders Nick and Nancie Orticelli are also affiliated with the Watchmen, a nearby militia who Nick has encouraged his social media followers to join. The Watchmen had several members at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and one member, Pete Harding, is still facing charges for violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds,” The Daily Beast noted. “Nancie Orticelli has also hosted the Watchmen’s founder, Charles Pellien, on her weekly radio show on several occasions.”

One of Kennedy’s goals in traveling to New York was to get on the ballot for the November presidential election. Various polls show him taking votes from both President Joe Biden and ex-president Donald Trump, but Kennedy currently has only qualified to be on the ballot in three states, Utah, Michigan and Hawaii, the newspaper reported.

But The Washington Post on Thursday reported The American Independent Party of California, which has a history of “far-right ties,” and “backed segregationist and former Alabama governor George Wallace in 1968, nominated Kennedy for president.”

Kennedy “said this week that he has qualified to be on the ballot in California and will accept the nomination of the American Independent Party, which has a history of associating itself with far-right figures and individuals who have expressed racist views.”

Some news reports and RFK Jr. himself say the Trump campaign was actively courting Kennedy, attempting to convince him to consider being the ex-president’s 2024 vice presidential running mate.

“That MAGA dalliance with Kennedy could be coming back to bite the Trump campaign, some Republicans close to the former president worry,” The Daily Beast also reported.

“’They can only blame themselves,’ a Trump-aligned strategist told The Daily Beast, requesting anonymity to speak candidly about private conversations about the risk Kennedy poses, ‘because they cozied up to him and thought it was funny.’”

Watch WIVBTV’s report on Kennedy’s trip to New York below or at this link.

READ MORE: Trump Won’t Commit to Accepting Election Results if He Doesn’t Win State He Falsely Claims He Won

 

 

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2020 AlterNet Media.