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GLBTQ
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning
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Exercise 6
Creating
Safe Schools for Lesbian and Gay Students:
"Barnyard" Activity
by Youth Pride, Inc
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This is
an exercise which both young people and adults typically enjoy. It is a great
way to have young people in your classes potentially experience what it is like
to be in a minority group. When finished with this exercise and class discussion,
explain to the students that being the bird or the cat can be somewhat representative
of being a gay, lesbian or bisexual student. They sometimes are tempted to join
the majority in order to feel less along (isolated) and more accepted.
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Have the
students stand in a circle.
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Explain
to the students that you are going to whisper an animal in their ear.
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Randomly
whisper "cow" in most students' ears, whisper "pig" in less than most, whisper
"cat" in only a few ears, and whisper "bird" in only one student's ear.
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Ask the
class to close their eyes and make the sounds of their animal. Then ask them to
walk around and try to find and link arms with other like animals.
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Allow
them to do this for a few minutes, or until you notice that all like animals are
together.
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When done,
ask the students to discuss their experience being their particular animal. Start
with the largest group. What was it like when you found out there were a lot of
cows? How did you feel when you found your first cow? How did you feel when you
found your first pig? How did you feel when you found your first cat? What was
it like when you realized there were only a few other cats? When you realized
you were the only bird, how did it make you feel?
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