Exercise 2

Creating Safe Schools for Lesbian and Gay Students
NAME CALLING IN THE CLASSROOM
(We Can Do Something About It.)
by Youth Pride, Inc.

Every day we hear name calling echoing down the corridors of our schools and explode in our classrooms. We certainly can sense the pain and humiliation of the young people, and sometimes we can see their anger.

Insults take many forms; they all hurt. Racial, ethnic and sexual slurs are particularly abusive. Whereas most of us would not allow a racist slur to occur unchecked, we do not always accord the same standards to those remarks made at the expense of lesbian and gay people. Sometimes such slurs don't even get recognized as being hurtful and may be considered socially acceptable. Many young people use terms such as "lezzie", "faggot" or "queer" when referring to gay and lesbian people or to people who they don't like or respect. This behavior attacks the self-esteem of lesbian and gay youth and teaches all young people that hatred of homosexuals is condoned by our society.

As educators, it falls on you to create a cooperative learning environment where all students are safe to express themselves in all their diversity. It is also the responsibility of educators to teach students that diversity is something to be celebrated rather than ridiculed.

Below is a simple exercise for establishing an inclusive classroom.

1. Have students brainstorm names they have heard people call others.
2. Write all of these words on the board.
3. Assign categories: racial, ethnic, sexual or religious bias.
4. Discuss them.
5. Make students aware that all name calling involves prejudice and disempowerment and is harmful to the person being oppressed.

Also: