Everyone who teaches in a secondary school teaches gay and lesbian youngsters. Despite recent attitudinal changes, "coming out" remains the exception rather than the rule in most public schools. Nobody is sure of the rate of homosexuality in the general population, but since most secondary teachers work with at least 100 students every semester, it is extremely unlikely that there will be any semester without its complement of gay and lesbian teens.
Research shows that gay and lesbian teens are more likely than others to have problems coping in school – to be bullied, to feel isolated, and to attempt suicide. Teachers may not know which of their students suffer that extra stress, but still bear responsibility to help relieve it.
How Insensitive Teachers Hurt Gay and Lesbian Students
Many adults today remember a gym teacher or athletic coach calling youngsters "fairies" or "pansies" for failing to complete the required number of push-ups or laps around the track. There is less of that extreme sort of behavior today, but it is far from extinct, and continues to perpetuate negative stereotypes.
Some teachers who never would dream of dropping a racist remark in class nevertheless seem entirely comfortable slipping homophobic jokes, references, and comments into classroom banter. Those remarks are likely to earn a chorus of laughs, including laughter from gay students doing their best not to stand out from the group. The teacher builds a reputation for being "cool." The gay student suffers in silence.
Most common, though, are teachers who fail to correct gay baiting or homophobic behavior by students against other students. Teachers should never accept "gay" as a synonym for "stupid" or "unacceptable." Most teachers will step in to curtail overt harassment and bullying, but if they never take up the nature of the harassment, nor the reasons why gay baiting is wrong, they are not doing the whole job. If the harassment seems "playful," they even may ignore it entirely. Remember that even when the particular targets of such "play" are heterosexual, gay and lesbian students will be nearby, hearing it all.
The Teacher's Responsibility to Gay and Lesbian Students
The first thing a teacher must do is remember that gay and lesbian students are there, all day and every day. They may be less visible than other minorities, but they deserve no less care and consideration.
Next, teachers must have the courage to stand up against homophobia. Cowards will fear being "tarred with the brush" of homosexuality, but the best teachers – both straight and gay – will choose to do the right thing. No students should suffer while their teachers look the other way.
Finally, teachers should take action, bringing awareness and understanding to their students, to other teachers, and to administrators as well. They should correct homophobic student behavior, help colleagues recognize mistakes, and encourage administrators to adopt policies that protect gay and lesbian students — with special emphasis on those who are "out" — against discrimination and harassment. Some teachers will volunteer to serve as faculty advisers to Gay-Straight Alliances, which can help change the unhealthy culture afflicting many secondary schools.
When gay and lesbian teens understand there are adults who accept and value them as they are, they will feel better about themselves. They will be more likely to share their pain and their problems, and to find some relief from their stress. Sometimes a sympathetic teacher can even save a life.
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