Youth Resources

GOOD NEWS

Teachers Organization Speaks Out

On February 8, the National Education Association’s board recommended the adoption of anti-harassment policies for GLBT students and the development of materials for classroom and community discussion on these issues. Representing 2.6 million teachers, the NEA board recommended expanding NEA efforts to provide students, education employees, and the general public with accurate, objective, and up-to-date information regarding the needs of, and problems confronting, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered students.

"It is clear that, in too many places, students and education employees who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered face a hostile environment," NEA President Bob Chase said. "For students, a safe, hospitable environment means the right to learn. For education employees, it means the right to work. For all it means the right to be free from harassment, bullying, and insensitivity.

4 Out of 5 Parents Support Protecting GLBT Youth

A GLSEN poll found that 4 out of 5 parents favor "expanding existing anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students."

Released late last year, the poll also showed that 80 percent of parents support "teacher sensitivity trainings on tolerance that include instructions on dealing with gay and lesbian harassment in schools." 63 percent favor "including positive information about gay and lesbian people in middle and high school health and sex education classes" and 60 percent favor "information about transgender people" in those forums.

The nationwide poll was conducted by phone in August 2001,and surveyed 1,000 parents of students ages 5—18 (with an over-sampling of African-American and Hispanic parents).