Are LGBT Students Really AtRisk What Every Advisor Should Know

1
Are LGBT Students Really At-Risk? What Every
Advisor Should Know

• 2005 NACADA National Conference
• October 6, 2005
• Lynn B. OSickey
• University of Florida

2
Overview

• Define terms, determine population
• Review research documenting the experiences of
  LGBT students
• Relate those experiences to academic success/risk
• Offer suggestions for working with and for LGBT
  students
• Provide resources for increasing understanding
  and skills

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Defining Terms

• Sexual Orientation
• Lesbian (L)
• Gay (G)
• Bisexual (B)
• Questioning/Uncertain or Queer (Q)
• Heterosexual - Straight
• Gender Identity
• Male
• Female
• Transgender (T)

4
Understanding Terms

• Often these students are grouped together into
  LGBT because they share related experiences of
  bias based on sexual orientation or gender
  identity.1
• However, such students may not self-identify as
  one of these categories.
• Language is cultural political (e.g. Queer)
• May feel different at different developmental
  stages

5
Determining the Population

• Accurate counts are difficult
• UCLA Study2, 6500 students in residence halls
• Question Are you heterosexual, homosexual or
  bisexual?
• Response rate Less than 1
• Rephrased question Are you sexually attracted
  to men, women or both?
• Response rate no less than any other question on
  the survey
• Result 10 of the population indicated they were
  sexually attracted to someone of the same sex

6
LGBT Student Experiences

• Campus Climate National Data3
• 719 LGBT undergraduates, 281 grad students, 372
  staff members, 95 administrators, 150 faculty
• 14 Universities across the country
• May not be representative because they all have
  LGBT resource centers and provide safe space
  programs (therefore may be more LGBT-friendly
  than the norm)

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NGLTF Campus Climate Assessment

• What the Respondents Had to Say
• While a student at (name of university) I
  underwent written harassment through email which
  threatened my life because I identified as gay.
  Since this incident there have been a number of
  incidents which have seen students be threatened
  due to their sexual orientation.4
• I have felt uneasy in every class I have taken
  here because of the prevailing homophobia,
  heterosexist attitude of students here.5

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NGLTF Campus Climate Assessment

• What the Respondents Had to Say
• coming out to my adviser would destroy my
  academic career. This is unfortunate since my
  adviser is someone I like quite a bit. You can
  imagine the pressure I feel keeping my secret.6
• just because they dont threaten to kill you
  doesnt mean they want you here.7

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NGLTF Campus Climate Assessment

• Thirty-six percent of undergraduate respondents
  reported experiencing harassment within the past
  year.
• respondents who were more open experienced
  harassment at slightly higher rates than those
  who were more closeted.8

10
NGLTF Campus Climate Assessment

• Nearly 60 of students conceal their sexual
  orientation/gender identity to avoid
  intimidation. Not surprisingly, student
  respondents report experiencing the greatest
  amount of harassment.9

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NGLTF Campus Climate Assessment

• Types of harassment reported
• Derogatory remarks - 89
• Verbal harassment or threats 48
• Anti-LGBT graffiti 39
• Pressure to conceal ones sexual
  orientation/gender identity 38
• Written comments 33
• Threats of physical violence 11
• Threats of exposure 10
• Denial of services - 10
• Physical assault 2

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UFs Campus Climate

• The majority of straight respondents believed
  harassment based on sexual orientation occurs
  occasionally or frequently.10
• Over half of heterosexuals have heard another
  student make insensitive or disparaging remarks
  (including comments, jokes, slurs, etc.) about
  GLBT students on five occasions or more.11
• LGB students reported lower levels of comfort
  and satisfaction with many campus locations and
  services than African American students.12

13
Climate in High Schools

• The typical high school student hears anti-gay
  slurs 25.5 times a day.13
• In a 14-city study of gay, lesbian and bisexual
  youth, 80 reported verbal abuse, 44 reported
  threats of attack, 33 reported having objects
  thrown at them and 30 reported being chased or
  followed.14
• In a study of 4,159 Massachusetts high school
  students, 31.2 identifying as gay, lesbian or
  bisexual were threatened/injured with a weapon at
  school in the past year compared to 6.9 of their
  peers.15

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Summary

• The data we have on the experience of LGBT
  students both from LGBT students and from the
  perceptions of straight students indicate
• in many cases LGBT students may feel unwelcome,
  isolated and unsupported, especially if they are
  open about their sexual orientation/gender
  identity, and
• a significant number of these students experience
  harassment.

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How Being LGBT Can Affect Academic Success

• I have felt very unsafe in my classes. And in
  the classes Im not safe in, I tend not to go.
  This then affects my learning and my grades.
  This is not at all a safe learning environment.16

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How Being LGBT Can Affect Academic Success

• Studies on youth suicide consistently find that
  lesbian and gay youth are 2-6 times more likely
  to attempt suicide than other youth and may
  account for 30 of all completed suicides among
  teens.17

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How Being LGBT Can Affect Academic Success

• In a study of 4,159 Massachusetts high school
  students, 46 who identify as gay, lesbian or
  bisexual had attempted suicide in the past year
  compared to 8.8 of their peers, and 23.5
  required medical attention as a result of a
  suicide attempt compared to 3.3 of their
  peers.18

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How Being LGBT Can Affect Academic Success

• The same study found 18.4 of the gay, lesbian
  and bisexual students had been in a physical
  fight resulting in treatment by a doctor or nurse
  compared to 4 of their peers, and 22 skipped
  school in the past month because they felt unsafe
  en route to or at school, compared to 4.2 of
  their peers.19

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How Being LGBT Can Affect Academic Success

• I have seen literally over 100 LGBT students
  drop out of school. Once they started realizing
  they were gay and exploring those feelings
  their parents cut off funds and they had no where
  to turn for emotional or financial support. So
  they drop out I know of at least one student who
  completed suicide on (this universitys) campus
  two weeks after his parents found out he was gay,
  and I know of numerous other students who have
  attempted suicide as a result of internalizing
  homophobia.20

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How Being LGBT Can Affect Academic Success

• 2003 National School Climate Survey
• For the first time, the bi-annual study reports
  a direct relationship between in-school
  victimization, grade-point averages (GPAs) and
  the college aspirations of LGBT students.21

21
2003 National School Climate Survey

• Key Findings
• Unchecked harassment correlates with poor
  performance and diminished aspirations LGBT
  youth who report significant verbal harassment
  are twice as likely to report they do not intend
  to go to college and their GPAs are significantly
  lower (2.9 vs. 3.3).22

22
2003 National School Climate Survey

• Supportive teachers can make a difference 24.1
  of LGBT students who cannot identify supportive
  faculty report they have no intention of going to
  college. That figure drops to just 10.1 when
  LGBT students can identify supportive staff at
  their school.23

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Supporting LGBT Students

• Setting the Stage
• You wont always know which students are LGBT, so
  your attitude and your atmosphere will need to
  speak for you.
• Use verbal cues - inclusive or neutral language,
  such as partner
• Watch your LGBT language (use accepted terms
  sexual orientation, etc.)
• Use visual cues rainbows, posters, safe space
  stickers, etc.

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Supporting LGBT Students

• When a student discusses sexual orientation or
  gender identity with you
• Rely on your counseling skills (listening,
  reflecting back, etc.)
• Use the exact words the student uses (names,
  pronouns, labels)
• Maintain confidentiality
• Know your resources

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Supporting LGBT Students

• Educate yourself
• Research, developmental theory
• Share what you learn with colleagues
• Join or start a safe space/allies program on your
  campus
• Support/develop LGBT speakers and programs
• Advise an LGBT or LGBT-Straight student group

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Supporting LGBT Students

• Respond to homophobic words and actions
• Make a conscious effort not to make assumptions
  about an individuals sexual orientation or
  gender identity
• Network on your campus and in NACADA (we need
  more As!)
• There may be potential costs to being a visible
  ally.

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Resources

• Handouts
• NACADAs LGBTA Concerns Commission web site -
  www.nacada.ksu.edu/Commissions/C18/resources.htm
• National Consortium of Directors of LGBT
  Resources in Higher Education
  www.lgbtcampus.org
• Gator Gay-Straight Alliance - www.gatorgsa.org/