American society is conflicted with many human civility issues.
Throughout history, human civil rights movements have strived to create
equality for all races and genders. The most recent for this generation is
LGBQT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and transgender) rights. The
members of society who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and/or
transgender do not have the equal rights as other members of society. The
denial of these basic rights, results in a minority group that is labeled as
“different.” This difference creates two opportunities for society. One
is to accept the difference and the other is to persecute. For far too
long, our society has accepted the persecution of members of the LGBQT
community merely because it is “different” from the majority standard.
The persecution of people in the LGBQT community can begin as
early as elementary school, and can last all the way through adulthood. Like
any issue, it is far better to address it early on, before it becomes a
problem. It is the responsibility of our society to create a peaceful
environment for all citizens. There is a unique issue that is specific to
this community because their "difference" cannot be determined just
by looking at the individual. This issue is the process commonly known as
"coming out of the closet." This statement itself implies that those
who are homosexual or bisexual are to live in a secret, dark, and unauthentic place
until they "come out" of hiding and reveal their true
selves. This act of having to even be defined by one's sexuality is murdering
legitimacy, and in turn murdering our youth.
There is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to
presenting an alternative to help bullies and bullied youth. This organization is,
Make Beats Not Beat Downs (Sanchez). They structure their alternative
assistance through the aspects of art, music, and education.
In 2007, MBNBD published some astounding statistical findings. They
found that nearly 90% of LGBQT students had experienced harassment at school
during the 2006 school year.. It is not acceptable for our children to be subject
to endure this treatment not only in the world, but also within their school
system. School should be a place that fosters confidence, learning, and a sense
of community. They shouldn’t have to come to school prepared to defend
themselves. This takes away from their true potential.
Another statistic from MBNBD stated that these students might
also be more likely to attempt suicide in comparison to heterosexual teens. This
statistic shows that there is a very strong need for a focused plan to address
the issues among this group in particular. To let this go and turn our heads
would be a great disservice to the future of our society. These students need
support from their school administration.
The next statistic is very interesting because it doesn’t only
affect students of the LGBQT community, but those who may just be perceived as
a member. In 2005 the survey stated that students were bullied because of their
perceived sexual orientation or gender expression. This indicates a lack of
education and understanding among the student body. The amount of pressure that
this can cause on a student, as seen in the previous statistics, can be severely
detrimental.
In addition to these A sickening range of statistics is also
provided on MBNBD’s website:
• Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT youth reported being
verbally harassed at school in the past year because of their sexual
orientation
• Nearly half (44.1 percent) reported being
physically harassed
• About a quarter (22.1 percent) reported being
physically assaulted
• Nearly two-thirds (60.8 percent) who experienced
harassment or assault never reported the incident to the school
• Of those who did report the incident, nearly
one-third (31.1 percent) said the school staff did nothing in response. (Sanchez)
To address this issue before it
becomes a problem, the role of society’s educators needs to include the
teachings of understanding and knowledge, of this way of life. The best unified
platform for this would be through our public school systems. The lessons that
can be learned in school will set future generations up for a more peaceable
environment, and allow students to reach a fuller potential of learning.
Standard educational programs are in place to teach children
beyond the setting of their domestic home life. Students learn subjects such as
Mathematics, English, History, and Science. They can even go so far as to cover
subjects such as Foreign Languages, Art, Philosophy, Health, Psychology,
Physical Education, etc. Education is ever growing and expanding. With
this current LGBT civil rights movement, society needs to start implementing
tolerance classes in the public school systems. Movements are wonderful because
they create the opportunity for change and growth. Educators and school boards
are responsible for teaching the youth of our society. They are the builders of
the future, and they help to sculpt the future leaders of this country.
Through the brilliant lessons from history teachers, society has
been taught that civil tolerance is beneficial. The current standard of
addressing tolerance issues is to address them after an incident
has occurred. This means that if two students have an altercation,
educators will counsel the parties involved about tolerance. This is a
retroactive approach. The problem needs to be addressed before issues arise and
it’s too late. Teaching a tolerance class will only provide students with
more knowledge and understanding. This needs to be a class that is carried from
kindergarten through senior year. This class setting will not only assist in
the issues that homosexual and bisexual students currently face, but also with
any student who faces adversity.
(Harvey Milk)
In addition to implementing a tolerance course, we need to
integrate the teachings of non-traditional lifestyles into other classes such
as history. For instance, throughout history homosexuals and bisexuals have
been present. Historical figures such as Socrates, Aristotle, Michelangelo,
Leonardo Di Vinci, Alexander The Great, Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, Virginia
Woolf, Frida Kahlo, Harvey Milk, and Eleanor Roosevelt (to name a few) have
been known to be either homosexual or bisexual (“Famous LGBT People”). Giving
students a figure to relate to helps to bridge the gap in what is actual
tradition, and what is an agenda that is being taught. It aids in the
acceptance of the LGBQT lifestyle. It shows that it is traditional,
rather than implying that it is not, and therefor creating the idea that this
behavior is not acceptable.
Unlike any other generation, future generations will be leading
our countries, maintaining our societal functions, and raising our future
generations. Teaching them acceptance will only bring beneficial outcomes. In a
sense, we are handicapping our own youth by not teaching this as a subject. The
world is full of differences and nontraditional standards. The time for us to
model our constitution when it comes to the teachings of youth is now. The
suicide and hate crime rate amongst k-12 homosexual and bisexual students must
drop. Let us start a movement when will allow for a day that homosexual and
bisexual student hate crimes and suicides are something of the unfortunate
past. Let those memories live in a closet to be locked up, and never to come
out.
If you, or someone you know needs
more information please visit the Mathew Sheppard Foundation’s website for LGBQT
teens and allies at http://www.matthewshepard.org.
Works Cited
“Famous LGBT People.”. Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling of Alabama. ALGBTICAL, 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
Sanchez, Mark. “Facts & Statistics.” . Make Beats Not Beat Downs. MBNBD, 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.
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