opinion & features

For too many kids, it feels so good to be bad

Tellis Buenviaje is in the minority — not because of her sexual orientation, but because she is an LGBTQ student who feels safe at her high school. “Occasionally I would get insecure if people said something,” said the 16-year-old Maples Collegiate student, “but I’ve got a really great group of friends and I do feel like my school is safe.” But while Tellis may feel safe at school, she hasn’t been immune to verbal harassment.  “A few people might glare or someone yell out lezbo if they see me holding hands,” the Grade 11 student says.

Now, a national survey of homophobia, transphobia and biphobia has painted a picture of how common experiences like Tellis’s are. Every Class In Every School: Egale Canada’s Final Report on the First National Climate Survey on Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia in Canadian Schools was released this spring. The results of the survey show that hearing homophobic comments is a daily or weekly occurrence for 70 per cent of Canadian GLBT students.

The most significant thing is that it shows most heterosexual students are distressed by homophobia

The survey also found that 64 per cent of LGBTQ youth feel unsafe at school, while 61 per cent of youth with LGBTQ parents felt school was not a safe place for them to be. “Now that we know what the problem is, and that schools can’t say the problem doesn’t exist, we can work on tailoring solutions,” said Karen Busby, a law professor at the University of Manitoba and an Egalee board member when the study was launched three years ago.

“Usually you only hear about the violent stuff, the incidents that make the news. This shows us the day-to-day harassment,” Busby says. She notes that, while there is a need for strong legal safeguards, preventing violence begins in the classroom, not the courtroom. “The horse is already out of the barn by the time you try using hard law,” she points out.

Heterosexuals conveniently achieve pleasure by exercising a dominant position to feel superior

Although Busby, who focuses on consititutional law, equality law and human rights, believes progress is being made, she was dismayed by some of the survey’s findings, particularly that almost 10 per cent of LGBTQ students reported having heard homophobic comments from their teachers on a daily or weekly basis.

“I wish it did surprise me, but it doesn’t,” says Catherine Taylor, associate professor in the faculty of dducation and department of rhetoric at the University of Winnipeg and the study’s lead investigator. But despite these and other findings, Taylor sees reason for optimism in the survey’s results. “The single most significant thing is that it shows most heterosexual students are distressed by homophobia,” she says. “I was very, very happy to see that result. It shows there is the potential for untapped solidarity.”

In fact, the survey shows that 58 per cent of heterosexual youth are troubled by homophobia in their schools. Taylor says this could be because heterosexual students are also harassed with homophobic barbs or because they may have LGBTQ friends or family members. Some students are simply empathetic and kind, and it’s also possible that many students find it depressing to be part of a community that continually abuses people who have done nothing to deserve it, she says.

The Western School Division Board will likely examine its anti-bullying policy to ensure it properly includes sexual orientation

 “Yes, homophobia and transphobia is very widespread. But even though the problem is very widespread, it may not be that deep,” says Taylor. She uses author Sarah Schulman’s idea of a pleasure system to sum up the rationale behind the bullying exposed by the survey; bullying not based on an actual phobia, but on a system whereby heterosexuals conveniently achieve pleasure by exercising their dominate position to feel superior. Taylor notes schools have unsupervised environments such as  washrooms and change rooms where bullies indulge in the pleasure system of homophobia and transphobia by tormenting LGBQT students.

Gerard Sinclair, a member of Maples Collegiate’s Gay Straight Alliance, agrees that in many cases, students aren’t being homophobic or transphobic because of any deeply entrenched prejudice or fear. “There could be different reasons, but I think the main thing is that they don’t know that it is really hurting the person … they just don’t think before they say it,” explained the Grade 11 student. “Sometimes they might just say it to make themselves feel better, like they think for a moment that they are better than you.” Sinclair hasn’t had many negative comments made to his face, but he does have a nagging sense that comments are being made when he’s not around.

Female LGBTQ students were more likely to feel unsafe at school, face mean rumours or lies and skip school because they felt unsafe

For many LGBTQ youth, harassment goes beyond verbal attacks. The survey indicates 21 per cent of LGBTQ students reported being physically harassed or assaulted due to their sexual orientation, while almost 10 per cent of non-LGBTQ students also reported being physically harassed or assaulted due to their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. When it came to assault and physical harassment of transsexual students, the number affected climbed to 37 per cent.

Sexual harassment is also a key component of bullying experienced by LGTBQ youth, affecting  49 per cent of trans students, 45 per centof students with LGBTQ parents, 43 per cent of female bisexual students, 42 per cent of male bisexual students, 40 percent of gay male students and 33 per cent of lesbian students.

In spite of these numbers, Taylor said it’s often students themselves who speak out and lead the way in combating LBGTQ bullying and harassment in their schools. “They are very inventive at consciousness-raising. The more we allow that to happen, the more courage it will give to other possible allies,” stressed Taylor. 

GSAs... provide safe social spaces, guidance and education, while sending a positive message to the student body

This April, it was students at Morden Collegiate in Morden taking the lead in fighting bullies. They students planned a day of silence to protest the bullying of LGBTQ youth based on the National Day of Silence; a day of action in which students across the country take some form of a vow of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. And when the Western School Division stepped in to prevent the event from taking place as planned, the students took their protest to the division office and pushed for a meeting with board members to discuss the issue of homophobia and bullying.

“They got their point across,” said board chairman Ken Klassen, who agreed to meet with students. He indicated the meeting generated good discussion and greater awareness of issues affecting students. “We realized that students were hurt and offended by this and we apologized to them,” said Klassen. “We want our schools to be open and welcoming to everyone.”

He noted the planned day of action raised concerns among some in the community, and although he declined to elaborate on what those concerns were, said he felt they could have been addressed with more time. As for next year, Klassen anticipates the National Day of Silence will go ahead and noted the whole experience created positive discussion. Klassen became aware of Egale’s National Survey on Homophobia in Canadian Schools after the protest.  In light of this year’s developments, the Western School Division board will likely examine its anti-bullying policy to ensure it properly includes sexual orientation.

Development of specific anti-homophobia, anti-biphobia and anti-transphobia policies is one of the recommendations made by the national survey. So is urging divisions and education ministries work to ensure curriculum is developed that includes respectful representations of LGTBQ people. The national survey also provided information on vulnerable groups that in some cases were previously unidentified, particularly female sexual minority students and pointed out the need for extra vigilance to protect these students.

The survey showed 26 per cent of female bisexual youth and 25 per cent of lesbian youth have faced physical harassment about being LGBTQ, compared with 12 per cent of male bisexual youth and 23 per cent of gay male youth. Female LGBTQ students were also more likely to feel unsafe at school, face mean rumours or lies and skip school because they felt unsafe.Another recommendation called for schools to develop what gay sraight alliances, or GSAs. These provide safe social spaces, guidance and education, while sending a positive message to the student body. “It’s slowly getting better. If schools open up and talk about it and students know about it, it will get better,” said Sinclair. 

There are schools that have demonstrated that it is possible to get over this addiction to homophobia

The 16-year-old added that being a member of his school’s GSA has also allowed him to speak to other students going through the same struggles, while at the same time educating non-LGBTQ students about LGBTQ issues. It’s also a place to make friends and have fun. “Discussion is key. You have to talk about it,” agreed Buenviaje. “(Homophobia) is not OK, it’s wrong, it’s inappropriate; it’s discrimination. People need to know that.” She said a GSA at her high school has improved her time there and probably the overall attitude at Maples Collegiate towards LGBTQ students.

Taylor and a team of researchers are about to embark on another national research project that will examine techniques and curriculum used by teachers to fight homophobia and attempt to identify successful strategies to work towards the elimination of biphobia, transphobia and homophobia in Canadian schools “As grim as it may seem, and sometimes it does feel very grim to me ... there are schools that have demonstrated that it is possible to get over this addiction to homophobia,” said Taylor. 

– Shannon Vanraes is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.