10/4/2016 Introduction School Nurses: Advocates & Allies for LGBTQ Students 33rd Annual North Carolina School Nurse Conference Friday, October 14, 2016 Bud Harrelson • My pronouns are he, him, and his. Objectives Objectives • Increase comfort with discussing sexual • Identify strategies that disrupt cis‐ orientation and gender identity issues; heteronormativity and create safer school environments for LGBTQ students; and, • Understand how homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, heterosexism, and • Examine NC legislation, federal guidance and heteronormativity affect the quality of life for court cases that govern a NC school leader’s LGBTQ people with respect to school, health, responsibility to LGBTQ students. employment, and housing; Plan for the day • Vocabulary • Size of LGBTQ community • Life experiences of LGBTQ people • School experiences of LGBTQ students • Strategies that create safer schools for LGBTQ students • Review NC legislation, federal guidance, and VOCABULARY court cases 1 10/4/2016 Sex and Gender Sexual orientation Sex: the classification Gender: the social • Scientifically accurate term for an individual’s of people as male or construct of enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional female. At birth, masculinity and attraction to members of the same and/or infants are assigned a femininity –man & opposite sex sex, usually based on woman –not visible • Includes, but not limited to, lesbian, gay, the appearance of to others bisexual, and heterosexual orientations their external anatomy (biological). Gender identity Gender expression • One’s internal, deeply held sense of one’s • External manifestations of gender, expressed gender. through one’s name, pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body • For transgender people, their own internal characteristics. gender identity does not match the sex they • Society identifies these cues as masculine and were assigned at birth. feminine, although what is considered masculine and feminine changes over time and varies by culture. Heterosexual • The adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional attractions are to people of the opposite sex. 2 10/4/2016 Cisgender Queer • People whose gender identity and/or gender • A person who is non‐binary with respect to expression align with what is typically sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or associated with the sex they were assigned at gender expression birth. • Includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender • Includes anyone who does not identify as heterosexual and cisgender Gay Lesbian • The adjective used to describe people whose • A woman whose enduring physical, romantic enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional and/or emotional attraction is to other attractions are to people of the same sex. women. • Typically applied to men. Bisexual Transgender • A person who has the capacity to form • An umbrella term for people whose gender enduring physical, romantic and/or emotional identity and/or gender expression differs from attractions to those of the same gender or to what is typically associated with the sex they those of another gender. were assigned at birth. 3 10/4/2016 Transsexual Trans* • An older term that originated in the medical • Used as shorthand to mean transgender or and psychological communities. Still preferred transsexual ‐ or sometimes to be inclusive of a by some people who have permanently wide variety of identities under the changed ‐ or seek to change ‐ their bodies transgender umbrella. through medical interventions (including but not limited to hormones and/or surgeries). Unlike transgender, transsexual is not an umbrella term. Vocabulary Resource GLAAD. (2014) Media reference guide (Ninth ed.). New York, NY: Author. SIZE OF LGBTQ COMMUNITY Percent and Number of Adults Who Number & Percentage of Student by Identify as LGBT in the United States Sexual Identity in the United States Straight Gay & lesbian Bisexual Not Sure No. % No. % No. % No. % Total 12,954 88.8 324 2.0 922 6.0 503 3.2 Male 6,779 93.1 154 2.0 178 2.4 199 2.6 Female 6,105 84.5 167 2.0 734 9.8 296 3.7 • Youth Behavior Risk Survey, 2015 • Nationally representative sample • Students in grades 9 –12 from public and private schools • 25 states and 19 large urban school districts that asked at least (Gates, 2011) one question to ascertain sexual minority status 4 10/4/2016 Estimated Population of LGBT Youth in Estimated Transgender Youth Middle School Population in United States • 3.8% middle school students identify as LGB • Between 1.3 and 3.2% of youth between the • 1.3% of middle school students identify as ages of 13 and 19 are transgender. transgender • Youth Behavior Risk Survey, 2011 • Random sample of 2,730 youth (grades 6 –8) across 22 public middle schools in San Francisco (Shields, Cohen, Glassman, Whitaker, Franks, Bertolini, 2013) (Herman, Mallory, & Wilson, 2016) Resource for LGBTQ Population Estimates williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu HETERONORMATIVITY Phobias Phobias • Homophobia: a fear of homosexuality and those who engage in homosexual acts • Transphobia: emotional disgust, fear, anger or discomfort felt or expressed towards people who do not conform to society’s gender • Biphobia: a fear of bisexuality and those who expectations. engage in bisexual acts • Homophobia, biphobia & transphobia occur at the individual level 5 10/4/2016 Heterosexism Heteronormativity • The sexist and anti‐homosexual values that • The belief that people fall into distinct and underlie the oppression of women and complementary genders (man & woman) with homosexuals natural roles in life. – Societal level – Prejudice + Power = Heterosexism • Involves the alignment of biological sex, sexuality, gender identity and gender roles. Heteronormativity Heteronormativity • Assertion that heterosexuality is the only • Manifests itself in institutional and societal sexual orientation and that sexual and marital rules, laws and procedures. relations are only fitting between people of opposite sexes. • Causes disparity between heterosexuals and sexual & gender minorities. Pillars of Heteronormativity What does heteronormativity look like? IT’S A BOY SEX ASSIGNMENT IT’S A GIRL • Knowing you will not be fired from a job or denied a promotion based on your sexuality MAN GENDER IDENTITY WOMAN MASCULINE GENDER EXPRESSION FEMININE • Freedom of sexual expression without fear of being prosecuted for breaking the law WITH WOMEN SEXUALITY WITH MEN MARRIAGE (AND KIDS) RELATIONSHIPS MARRIAGE (AND KIDS) • Legal marriage to the person you love WITH ONE WOMAN WITH ONE MAN 6 10/4/2016 What does heteronormativity look like? What does heteronormativity look like? • Not worrying about being mistreated by the • Property laws, filing joint tax returns, police or victimized by the criminal justice inheriting from your spouse automatically system because of your sexuality under probate law • Go wherever you wish and know that you will • Raise, adopt, and teach children without not be harassed, beaten, or killed because of people believing that you will molest them or your sexuality force them into your sexuality What does heteronormativity look like? • Talking openly about your relationship, vacations, and family planning you and your lover/partner are doing • Having positive and accurate media images of people with whom you can identify • Immediate access to your loved one in case of LIFE EXPERIENCES OF LGBTQ PEOPLE accident / emergency When compared to cis‐heterosexual peers… When compared to cis‐heterosexual peers… • More likely to smoke cigarettes • More likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, • More likely to drink alcohol and other mental illnesses • More likely to engage in substance abuse • More likely to think about suicide • More likely to attempt suicide 7 10/4/2016 When compared to cis‐heterosexual peers… When compared to cis‐heterosexual peers… • More likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors • Experience higher rates of homelessness • Exhibit higher rates of STI • Experience higher rates of employment discrimination • Experience higher rates of physical assault and violence Reminder: YRBS 2015 Data Straight Gay & lesbian Bisexual Not Sure No. % No. % No. % No. % Total 12,954 88.8 324 2.0 922 6.0 503 3.2 Male 6,779 93.1 154 2.0 178 2.4 199 2.6 Female 6,105 84.5 167 2.0 734 9.8 296 3.7 • Youth Behavior Risk Survey, 2015 • Nationally representative sample SCHOOL EXPERIENCES OF LGBTQ • Students in grades 9 –12 from public and private schools • 25 states and 19 large urban school districts that asked at least STUDENTS one question to ascertain sexual minority status Data from 2015 YBRS Data from 2015 YBRS Behaviors that Contribute to Violence Behaviors that Contribute to Violence Total (%) Heterosexual (%) LGB (%) Total (%) Heterosexual (%) LGB (%) Threatened / injured on school 65.110 property Felt sad or hopeless 29.9 26.4 60.4 Carried a weapon to school 4.1 3.7 6.2 Seriously considered 17.7 14.8 42.8 Carried a weapon in general 16.2 16 18.9 attempting suicide Physical fight 22.6 21.7 28.4 Made a suicide plan 14.6 11.9 38.2 In a physical fight on school property 7.8 7.1 11.2 Didn't go to school because of safety Attempted suicide 8.6 6.6 29.4 5.6 4.6 12.5 concerns Suicide treated by doctor / 2.8 2.0 9.4 Cyberbullied 15.5 14.2 28 nurse Bullied on school property 20.2 18.8 34.2 8 10/4/2016 Data from 2015 YBRS 2013 National School Climate Survey Substance Abuse • GLSEN • Conducted biennially since 1999 Total (%) Heterosexual (%) LGB (%) • 7898 students Ever tried cigarettes 32.3 30.5 50.4 • Ages 13 –21 Currently use