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GLBT Students
While GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and trangender) communities are more visible and accepted in our society than ever before, harassment and discrimination are still very real. Prior to entering college, many GLBT students have struggled with acceptance of their identity and have faced repercussions if they openly identify as GLBT. According to the National Education Association, 84 percent of GLBT teens in the United States experience verbal abuse due to their sexual identity, while 40 percent experience physical harassment (NEA Today, 2005). This discrimination carries over to the university setting. In a 2003 study of campus climate at 14 institutions, 28 percent of gay, lesbian and bisexual students and 41 percent of transgender students reported experiencing harassment on campus in the past year (Beemyn, 2004). To counteract these challenges, a variety of services exist for GLBT students at Ohio State and in the Columbus community. On campus, the GLBT Student Services office is housed within the Multicultural Center (see resources). Services offered by the Ohio State Multicultural Center include advocacy, programming, and sponsoring educational events to further inform the university community on GLBT issues.
As an instructor, you may or may not have knowledge of the sexual identity of your students. It is always at the student's discretion to reveal their sexual identity to their instructor or peers. Therefore, teachers should be careful not to assume a student to be of a certain sexual identity. Further, instructors should not effectively "out" a student by speaking to them in an assuming tone regarding their sexual identity.
In our society, the use of homophobic language or slurs is often more widely accepted than many other forms of discriminatory language (such as racist slurs). While discriminatory statements made by students in the classroom are not always said out of malice, they can still be offensive. For example, it is not uncommon in the classroom to hear a student describe something they find unfavorable or distasteful as "gay." It is the role of the instructor to directly address this or other homophobic statements made in the classroom. While it is never comfortable to address hurtful or controversial statements made in class, it can be a valuable teaching opportunity to make students more aware of how their statements affect others. Be careful not to embarrass or humiliate students who make potentially offensive statements, but make it known to that student and the rest of the class that the statement will be addressed. Doing so will create a safer, more productive learning environment for all students.
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