LGBT Youth Bullying

In schools all across American children hear anti-gay slurs everyday. 85% percent of students report hearing these slurs daily, and 24% of them report hearing this from teachers.

Hi, I’m Kenzie Hopkins, I’m currently a freshman at Science Leadership Academy, and for the quarter four benchmark, I chose to focus on the bullying of lgbt students for my You and The World Project. I got interested when I was talking to fellow friends who belong in the LGBT community, and they’ve had more negative experiences than me. Some told me of how they were bullied in school, and their parents don’t support it. Children should feel safe in school and celebrated for their individuality, not bullied and shamed for being themselves. It is important for others to know about bullying towards LGBT students because children, our future, shouldn’t be put down and harassed for who they are and who they love, or what gender they identify as.

This issue is significant because bullying is already an issue across America and the world, but being a person who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, statistics prove that you are more likely to be bullied or harassed than straight people. If people know more about the issues that LGBT people face, they may be more likely to step up and defend the person, report the incident, or stop their actions. Bullying towards LGBT students often starts at a very young age,  In elementary school students being calling each other “fags” and “queer” from a young age, some even at six years old. “In 2001, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) reported that 85% of youth across the nation heard anti-gay slurs from other students on a regular basis.  In most schools there isn’t a gender neutral bathroom or people don’t agree with letting others use the bathroom with the gender they identify with. This is harmful to transgender students, because they may feel unwelcome or uncomfortable with being “forced” into a gender role. Schools are supposed to be a safe space for children to learn and grow, not be bullied and put down. “Schools can send a message that no one should be treated differently because they are, or are perceived to be, LGBT. Sexual orientation and gender identity protection can be added to school policies.”. Schools should also talk about creating GSA’s or safe spaces for children. The right to have a GSA is protected under the Equal Access Act. Protecting privacy is important too, and this passages addresses the importance of not telling a student's parent(s) if the child is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Lastly it gives information about the Federal Civil Rights Laws concerning sexual orientation. Nine out of ten children who identify as LGBT, reported being bullied or harassed in the year of 2016.

I want to help people realizing that children still get bullied in places that are supposed to make them feel special and safe. To read up on more information you can click here to find my annotated bibliography!