Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

Out teachers talk anti-bullying plans at NNSTOY confab
Special to the online edition of Windy City Times
by Carrie Maxwell, Windy City Times
2016-07-19

This article shared 852 times since Tue Jul 19, 2016
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Out teachers Brett Bigham ( 2014 Oregon Teacher of the Year ), Jane McMahon ( 2014 Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year ) and Shanna Peeples ( 2015 Texas State Teacher of the Year and 2015 United States National Teacher of the Year ) held a session focused on anti-bullying information and supports for LGBTQ youth who are being bullied at the National Network of State Teachers of the Year ( NNSTOY ) Conference July 12 at the Loews Hotel in Rosemont, Illinois.

This session marks the first time three openly LGBTQ teachers of the year have held a session together at the NNSTOY conference.

NNSTOY Vice-President and COO Brad Hull told the audience the ways they can help NNSTOY with its work ahead of the session.

Bigham's—curriculum creator and LGBTQ advocate—talk focused on bullying statistics. He explained that 28 percent of middle and high school students in the United States experience bullying while about 30 percent of young people admit they were bullies. Bigham said about 71 percent of young people and school staff have witnessed bullying in their schools with 62 percent of school staff indicating they've witnessed bullying in schools two or more times a month and 41 percent of them witnessing bullying once a week or more. He noted that when bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds 57 percent of the time, so it's vital for that intervention to occur.

"Studies are starting to show that when bullying occurs it not only hurts those being bullied, it also damages the bullies and those who witness bullying," said Bigham. "LGBTQ youth are much more likely to be bullied than any other group. Bullied LGBTQ youth, or youth perceived as such, are more likely to skip school, smoke, use alcohol and drugs or engage in other risky behaviors."

Bigham explained that the reasons why he highlights these statistics is because suicide is the number-two killer of teens in this country and these two things are linked.

"If you have a transgender student in your school there's a 50 percent chance they will try to commit suicide at least once by the time they're 20 years old," said Bigham.

Bigham noted that more than one in every 10 high school students overall reported attempting suicide with more than 30 percent of LGBTQ youth reporting they've attempted suicide within the past year. He said among the transgender youth population more than 50 percent of them will have attempted suicide at least once before they turn 20. These numbers, Bigham explained, add up to an average of 5,400 suicide attempts each day by youth in grades 7-12 in the United States, with four out of five of those teens exhibiting warning signs ahead of time.

Teachers, Bigham said, can make a huge difference to curb these statistics and help LGBTQ youth feel like they belong with the biggest factor being if a school has a GSA. The presence of a GSA fosters inclusive comments by teachers and fellow students of their LGBTQ peers, Bigham explained.

Bigham told the crowd he was censored by his school district regarding his status as a gay man while also being honored by NNSTOY and getting international press coverage for being an out gay teacher.

"My personal story is I have to be out because I need to reach out to those young people who are LGBTQ," said Bigham. "I want to show LGBTQ youth they aren't alone."

McMahon—director of teaching and learning for the Baraboo School District in Wisconsin—spoke about the day she and Bigham visited the White House with the other state teachers of the year and when she told them she was getting married when it was legal the rest of the teachers erupted in cheers.

"Our school district recognizes the need to work with a social justice lens," said McMahon.

One of the ways one can bring social justice into the classroom is by recognizing privilege wherever it manifests itself, McMahon explained. She talked about an essay written in 1988 that spoke about white privilege and how it's still relevant today. McMahon noted that in order for students to recognize their privilege teachers need to ask them: are they white, are they male and are they straight and if they fall into all those categories they have the most privilege. She said that while asking these questions, teachers must point out the reasons why this makes one privileged using statistics and real life examples.

McMahon noted that oftentimes teachers don't know about or seek out inclusive reading material including novels and that's an issue for not only LGBTQ students but also communities of color and young women who long to see themselves in books and other media outlets. She said the default literature is often about a young white straight male protagonist to the exclusion of other groups and it's important to have a variety of books throughout the year so every student feels included. Among the many books McMahon mentioned throughout her presentation was "I Am Malala" as well as titles featuring LGBTQ youth characters.

"Taking a stand is the next step," said McMahon. "I think it's time to get political … when the GOP presidential candidate promotes violence we have to speak up."

Peeples—teacher and instructional coach at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas and former features writer for the Amarillo Globe-News—noted this was the first time she's talked about being an out lesbian teacher in a public setting. She explained that she teaches in the panhandle of Texas in the city with the highest number of refugees per capita than any city in the U.S. Peeples noted that these refugees come from all demographics and from all over the world. She said her school gets labeled as the bad school, but she doesn't see it that way.

One way to get students to open up about their lives, Peeples said, is have them write things down anonymously as well as have them create projects centered on their writing. Peeples also has her students work in writing circles and due to what they share they begin to understand each other better and accept one another for who they are, including those who identify as LGBTQ.

Like McMahon before her, Peeples also mentioned having inclusive books in one's classroom and pointed out the Stonewall Book Award winners in particular.

"I say that for a very personal reason because books saved my life," said Peeples. "Books showed me that people survive and can be who they are and find success and happiness because I didn't find that in my own life … When I was diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer at age 31 my mother told me while I was in my hospital bed God did this to me because I was a lesbian."

Peeples stressed the need for every LGBTQ person to have allies/supporters. She said these allies and positive media portrayals, especially in books, of LGBTQ people are vital especially if your family isn't accepting because books showed her that her mother was wrong.

See www.nnstoy.org/, www.mrbsclassroom.com/, www.shannapeeples.com/ and twitter.com/janemcmahon2 for more information.


This article shared 852 times since Tue Jul 19, 2016
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

Nex Benedict's autopsy report released 2024-03-27
- The full autopsy report for Nex Benedict (he/they)—a 16-year-old transgender and Indigenous student from Oklahoma's Owasso High School who died in February a day after a school fight—has been released. The Oklahoma Office of the Chie ...


Gay News

An interstate trans healthcare crisis: Illinois prepares for influx of people seeking gender-affirming care 2024-03-26
- With hard-won rights, such as access to hormone replacement therapy or permission to use one's chosen pronouns in school, breaking down in states across the country, trans residents of all ages are left with a choice: ...


Gay News

No charges filed in Nex Benedict fight; campaigns call for Walters' removal 2024-03-22
- In Oklahoma, Tulsa County District Attorney Stephen Kunzweiler announced that no charges will be filed in connection with the fight that happened the day before transgender, nonbinary high school student Nex Benedict died by suicide, NBC ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Missouri measure, HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, judge, Texas schools 2024-03-15
- In Missouri, a newly proposed law could charge teachers and counselors with a felony and require them to register as sex offenders if they're found guilty of supporting transgender students who are socially transitioning, CNN noted. ...


Gay News

PASSAGES Bryan Dean Wilson 2024-03-14
- Bryan Dean Wilson, 64, of Chicago, passed away March 11. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Bryan graduated from Washington High school in Cedar Rapids before earning his B.S. in Biology from Mount Mercy University, also in ...


Gay News

UPDATE: Nex Benedict's death ruled a suicide; family responds 2024-03-13
- A medical examiner's report concluded that the cause of death of Oklahoma student Nex Benedict (he/they) was suicide, media reports confirmed. Benedict—a 16-year-old transgender student—died Feb. 8, a day after ...


Gay News

Florida settles 'Don't Say Gay' lawsuit 2024-03-11
- On March 11, the state of Florida settled a multi-year lawsuit against the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law, which limits how LGBTQ+ topics can be discussed and presented in schools, The Hill reported. The settlement agreement ...


Gay News

Federal investigation initiated in Nex Benedict case 2024-03-02
- The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has started an investigation into the Oklahoma school district where Nex Benedict, a transgender 16-year-old sophomore, went to school and was bullied before his death, The Advocate ...


Gay News

NATIONAL School items, HIV/AIDS activist dies, Nex Benedict, inclusive parade 2024-03-01
- In a new survey, the Pew Research Center asked public K-12 teachers, teens and the U.S. public about the ongoing scrutiny placed on classroom curricula, mainly regarding race and LGBTQ+ identities, ABC News noted. Among other ...


Gay News

Activists and others urge removal of Oklahoma schools superintendent after Nex Benedict death 2024-02-28
- TULSA, OKLAHOMA—Today more than 350 national, state, and local organizations advocating for equality across the U.S., alongside notable public figures, issued an open letter to Oklahoma legislative leadership urging justice ...


Gay News

911 calls, videos show cascade of failures in Nex Benedict's death, GLAAD responds 2024-02-24
- "It is haunting to hear Nex Benedict, in their own words, describe how school and state leaders failed, at every level of leadership, to keep them safe from bullying and harm. Less than 24 hours later, ...


Gay News

HIV criminal laws disproportionately impact Black men in Mississippi 2024-02-21
--From a press release - A new report by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds that at least 43 people in Mississippi were arrested for HIV-related crimes between 2004 and 2021. Half of all arrests in the state ...


Gay News

Oklahoma non-binary student dies after being assaulted 2024-02-21
- Officials acknowledged there are unresolved questions about a 16-year-old non-binary Oklahoma student who died one day after a fight in a high school bathroom, NBC News noted. Chuck Hoskin Jr., principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, ...


Gay News

Owasso High School student of Bridge v. Oklahoma State Board of Education case dies, groups respond 2024-02-20
--From press releases - Oklahoma City, Okla. — In response to the death of 16-year-old Owasso High School student Nex Benedict following an assault in the school restroom, Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the ACLU of Oklahoma ...


Gay News

NATIONAL Utah board member, Baths founder dies, Fla. protests, DoJ equity plan 2024-02-16
- Utah's Republican governor and lieutenant governor urged the State Board of Education to take action against a conservative board member whose social-media post questioning the gender of a high school basketball player incited threats against the ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.