2008 Woodie Awards
Schools should be safe for all students
Cindy Crane
Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Opinion
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One troubling fact, though, is that even at the college level, harassment persists.
A recent survey from the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition found that 30 percent of LGBT students polled have been harassed or discriminated against on campus because they didn't fit expectations of masculinity or femininity; 13 percent have been harassed for using a restroom because they didn't fit expectations of masculinity or femininity; and 25 percent have felt unsafe in campus housing.
This survey found slightly more than half of the colleges and universities responding have policies protecting students based on gender identity or expression. The colleges and universities that don't have such policies need to get with the program.
And only one-fifth of the country's largest school districts now include protections based on gender identity (the inner sense of being male or female) and expression (the outer appearance of gender).
As administrators, teachers, and students get used to being back in school, we encourage them to educate one another about existing laws and policies protecting LGBT students against harassment, and we urge them to advocate for filling policy gaps.
"We need to move from tolerance to acceptance to celebration of each student," says Tom Vandervest, recently retired principal of Middleton High School in Wisconsin.
At the very least, every student deserves to feel safe.
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ABOUT THE WRITER
Cindy Crane is executive director of the Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools, based in Madison, Wis. The writer wrote this for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues; it is affiliated with The Progressive magazine. Readers may write to the author at: Progressive Media Project, 409 East Main Street, Madison, Wis. 53703; e-mail: pmproj@progressive.org; Web site: www.progressive.org. For information on PMP's funding, please visit http://www.progressive.org/pmpabout.html#anchorsupport.
A recent survey from the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition found that 30 percent of LGBT students polled have been harassed or discriminated against on campus because they didn't fit expectations of masculinity or femininity; 13 percent have been harassed for using a restroom because they didn't fit expectations of masculinity or femininity; and 25 percent have felt unsafe in campus housing.
This survey found slightly more than half of the colleges and universities responding have policies protecting students based on gender identity or expression. The colleges and universities that don't have such policies need to get with the program.
And only one-fifth of the country's largest school districts now include protections based on gender identity (the inner sense of being male or female) and expression (the outer appearance of gender).
As administrators, teachers, and students get used to being back in school, we encourage them to educate one another about existing laws and policies protecting LGBT students against harassment, and we urge them to advocate for filling policy gaps.
"We need to move from tolerance to acceptance to celebration of each student," says Tom Vandervest, recently retired principal of Middleton High School in Wisconsin.
At the very least, every student deserves to feel safe.
___
ABOUT THE WRITER
Cindy Crane is executive director of the Gay Straight Alliance for Safe Schools, based in Madison, Wis. The writer wrote this for Progressive Media Project, a source of liberal commentary on domestic and international issues; it is affiliated with The Progressive magazine. Readers may write to the author at: Progressive Media Project, 409 East Main Street, Madison, Wis. 53703; e-mail: pmproj@progressive.org; Web site: www.progressive.org. For information on PMP's funding, please visit http://www.progressive.org/pmpabout.html#anchorsupport.
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