Heterosexist Attitudes in Schools

1
Heterosexist Attitudes in Schools

• Elizabeth A Baczkiewicz
• Luther H Christensen
• Elenore C Schoenfeld
• June 30, 2004
• University of Minnesota Duluth

2
Safer Schools Task Force

• Our mission is to increase visibility and advance
  the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual,
  transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) people
  in educational institutions in the
  Duluth-Superior region.

3
Research Questions

• What is the nature of school climate for GLBT
  youth in the Duluth Area?
  
• To what extent do high school students in the
  Duluth area feel they are subjected to
  homophobic/heterosexist attitudes in school?
  
• To what extent are there differences in school
  climate and attitudes related to GLBT youth
  between the schools, grade levels of the
  students, and gender in terms of what attitudes
  they have and/or the extent to which GLBT youth
  are subjected to these attitudes?

4
Methods and Sampling

• The sample was a total of 481, 247 male and 229
  female, students between grades 8 and 12.

• Students were sampled from
• Duluth East (157),
• Duluth Denfeld (126),
• Duluth Central (123)
• Two Harbors (74)

5
Demographics of Schools
6
Together for Youth

• 18 respondents 7 female and 11 male.
• Students ranged in age from 15 to 21 years old.

• Notes from eighteen qualitative interviews given
  by Together for Youth were also used which
  included questions about their experiences in
  high school using an informal interview outline

7
Definitions

• Heterosexist attitudes in school by examining the
  following items
  
• the use of remarks such as sissy, thats gay,
  faggot, dyke, and queer
  
• the number of times that a person does not take a
  stand against these remarks the kinds of
  messages,
  
• if any, teachers and students give about
  heterosexuality and homosexuality
  
• the presence of a Gay-Straight Alliance or
  support group
  
• the knowledge of an anti-discriminatory policy at
  school.

• School climate by examining the following items
  
  
• have students skipped class and/or school because
  they felt unsafe
  
• do students feel that heterosexuals and/or
  homosexuals are safe at their school
  
• have students seen other students physically
  harmed for their sexual orientation or the sexual
  orientation they are perceived to be.
  

8
Analysis

• We analyzed the frequencies and percentages of
  the data to describe heterosexist attitudes and
  school climate.
  
• We made comparisons between grade level, school
  of origin and gender.
  
• We also used cross tabulation analysis and
  chi-square statistics.
  
• Qualitative analysis was undertaken to identify
  and group main themes.

9
Results Climate

• In the past month, have you skipped class
  because you felt uncomfortable or unsafe in that
  class?
  
• 91.5 reported that they never skipped class
  because they felt uncomfortable.
  
• 8.5 skipped one or more times.

• In the past month, have you not gone to school
  because you felt uncomfortable or unsafe at
  school or on your way to school?
  
• 94 of students reported that they have not
  skipped school because they have felt
  uncomfortable or unsafe
  
• 6 had one or more times.

10
Results Climate

• I feel that a heterosexual student is safe in my
  school.
  
• 90 of students agree that heterosexual students
  are safe in their school.

• I feel that a homosexual, bisexual, or
  transgendered student is safe in my school.
  
• 42 agree that GLBT students are safe in their
  school
  
• 36 disagree and
• 22 were undecided.

11
Results Climate

• Have you seen another student physically harmed
  for their sexual orientation or the orientation
  that other students believe them to be in the
  last month?
• 22 report that they have seen at least one
  student physically harmed in the last month for
  their sexuality or the sexuality that other
  students perceive them to be.

• How safe do you feel in school?
• 59 of students feel very safe in school.
• 36 feel sometimes safe.
• 5 rarely or never safe.

12
Anything else you want to share Climate?

• I think its a good environment for all
• Gays, and Homosexuals should be thrown out of
  school. If it was my choice and choices of many
  others they should be shot. It is totally not
  right to be homosexual
• I fell the straight kids are safe, the not
  straight kids could have trouble, unless theyre
  popular, which is rare
  
• I think that homosexual and bisexual are pretty
  safe but they get picked on a lot
  

13
Results Attitudes

• Are you aware of an anti-discriminatory policy
  at your school?
  
• 61 of students are not aware of an
  anti-discriminatory policy.

• Do you know of any students that openly identify
  as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered?
  
• 34 of students reported that they do not know
  any openly GLBT students.
  
• 66 know at least one.

14
Results Attitudes

• What kinds of messages, if any, about sexuality
  do you get in school from teachers?
  
• 55 of students reported that they get no
  messages about sexuality from teachers,
  
• However, of those that do get messages, 71 of
  them are sometimes or always positive.

• What kinds of messages, if any, about
  homosexuality do you get in school from
  teachers?
  
• 67 of students said that they got no messages
  about homosexuality from teachers.
  
• Of those who reported getting messages, 55 said
  that some or all were positive.

15
Results Attitudes

• What kinds of messages, if any, about
  homosexuality do you get in school from other
  students?
  
• 80 reported that they got some messages about
  homosexuality from other students.
  
• Of the students who got messages only
• 14 said that some or all those messages were
  positive.
  
• 86 said that some or all were negative.

• Does your school have a gay-straight alliance or
  a support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
  transgendered students?
  
• Only 14 are aware if their school has a support
  group/GSA for GLBT teens.

16
Results Attitudes

• Have you heard remarks such as Thats so gay,
  Youre gay, faggot, dyke, queer, sissy,
  etc.? made by students?
  
• 66 of students reported that they hear remarks
  such as gay faggot dyke queer etc. daily by other
  students.
  
• Only 5 said that they never hear these remarks.

• Have you heard remarks such as Thats so gay,
  Youre gay, faggot, dyke, queer, sissy,
  etc.? made by teachers?
  
• 29 of students said that they heard these
  remarks made by teachers, though most often
  rarely.

17
Results Attitudes

• Have you heard such remarks made by students?
• o   65.5 of students said that heterosexist
  comments are made by most students,
  
• 18.4 of students said that these comments are
  made by some students,
  
• 11.2 of students said that these comments are
  made by a few students,
  
• 4.9 said that no students make them at all.

• Have you heard such remarks made by teachers?
• 77.5 of students said that these heterosexist
  comments are made by no teachers,
  
• 18.4 of students said that these comments are
  made by a few teachers,
  
• 1.6 of students said that these comments are
  made by some teachers,
  
• 2.5 of students said that these comments are
  made by most teachers.

18
Results Attitudes

• If you have heard such remarks how often does
  someone say something students about it?
  
• 36 of students said that other students never
  say anything about these remarks.
  
• 59 of the students that said students do say
  something, said they only say something rarely.

• If you have heard such remarks how often does
  someone say something teachers about it?
  
• 38 of students said that teachers never say
  anything in response to such comments.
  
• 56 of those teachers who said something, said it
  rarely.

19
Anything else you wish to share, Attitudes?

• Thirty-two of the responses were related to
  heterosexist attitudes.
  
• Six were from students who were aware of the
  problem of heterosexist attitudes, students
  said
  
• I think staff/Teachers should be a lot more
  supportive
  
• anyone homosexual in school is usually teased
• Twenty-six were from students whose responses
  indicated that they did not have a positive
  attitude towards homosexuals. Students said
  
• No, gay support group crap
• Gay support groups are a waste of money
• I am antigay and gays shouldnt be known or in
  school We shouldnt have gay discussions.
  
• Faggots should not be allowed in school it is
  wrong and should go to a gay school

20
Together for Youth Attitudes

• Eight had these things to say about being gay in
  high school
  
• scary
• not safe
• looked down upon.
• no safe place
• no one safe to talk to

21
Results Differences by School
Number of Students seen physically harmed in the
past month
22
Conclusions

• In order to improve school climate and reduce the
  extent to which students are subjected to
  heterosexist attitudes, we recommend the
  following
• Establish and foster the growth of Gay Straight
  Alliances.
  
• Have an anti discriminatory policy, which
  explicitly includes sexual orientation.
  
• Educate students and teachers on the
  discrimination policy in their school and hold
  them accountable to it.
  
• Integrate GLBT inclusive curriculum into the
  schools.
  
• Train teachers, staff and administration how to
  better support GLBT youth throughout their high
  school experience.
  
• Teach allies skills to effectively intervene when
  heterosexist language/behavior is observed.
  

23
Summary

• We conclude that the nature of school climate for
  GLBT youth is not particularly safe in the
  schools surveyed. High school students are
  subjected to alarmingly prevalent amounts of
  heterosexist attitudes in school. There are some
  differences between schools and grade levels, but
  the most statistically significant differences
  are between genders. In light of our limitations,
  these findings should still be considered. Given
  these results it would be important to further
  address these issues.

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Closing

• I encourage members of the Task Force to read the
  whole paper and brainstorm for ideas for how to
  proceed with this new information.
  
• Thanks
• Luther Hans Christensen
• 1507 Tower Ave ste 230
• Superior, WI 54880