This document summarizes a session for Queer People of Color (QPOC) educators on supporting LGBTQ students. It discusses the lack of research on LGBTQ youth of color and shares statistics on their experiences with harassment and lack of support in K-12 schools. It also outlines challenges QPOC educators face in the workplace like lack of resources and difficulty finding support. Best practices suggested forming employee resource groups for LGBTQ staff and becoming visible role models while also avoiding isolation. The session aimed to provide networking, strategies, and community for QPOC educators.
1. Conversations With Twenty-
Somethings:
Future QPOC Educators of America
Creating Change 2012
The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force Conference for LGBT
Equity
Dirk Jonathan Rodricks & Cornell F. Woodson
The University of Vermont
2. Getting started…
• Welcome and Introductions
• Learning Objectives
– Understand issues with respect to QPOC Educators
and the students we serve.
– Reflect on our stories.
– Learn best practices and share strategies.
– Network and engage with others.
• Community Foundations
3. Getting started…
• Session Overview
– Why Queers of Color?
– Who’s coming to college? Who do we serve?
– What we know about ourselves?
– Sharing stories, strategies, best practices!
– Questions!
4. Why Queers of
Color? …Why now..?
• Less than 1% of all adolescent research is
focused on LGBTQ young people, and only 18
studies in the past 30 years have concerned
LGB youth of color.
• Few of these studies actually accept all
aspects of the individual’s multiple identities.
[National Youth Advocacy Coalition, 2002]
5. What we know about…
…who’s coming to
college?
Shared experiences include
• Biased language in school
– Across groups, two-thirds of LGBT students of color
reported homophobic remarks, 70% reported sexist
language, and almost half reported racist remarks.
– Only about a fifth of LGBT students of color reported
school personnel intervening ‘most of the time’ or
‘always’ on hearing these remarks.
6. What we know
about…
…who’s coming to
college?
• Safety and experiences of victimization
– Verbal harassment:
• Across each group, more than 80% reported because of sexual
orientation, while more than 60% due to gender expression.
– Physical violence due to sexual orientation:
• Native American (54%), African American (33%), Latino/a
(45%), Asian Pacific Islander (41%), Multiracial (45%)
– Physical violence due to gender expression:
• Approx 33% of multiracial, Latino/a, and Native American, and
approx. 25% of African American, Asian Pacific Islander
7. What we know
about… coming to
…who’s
college?
Factoring in race or ethnicity
More than half of African American (51%), Latino/a (55%), Asian
Pacific Islander (55%), and multiracial students (59%) reported
being verbally harassed. Native American LGBT students (43%)
were somewhat less likely to report racially motivated
harassment.
LGBT students of color who were in the racial/ethnic minority in
their school were much more likely to report feeling unsafe and
to be harassed in school because of their race or ethnicity than
those who were in predominately same-race/ethnicity schools.
8. What we know
about…
…who’s coming to
college?
• Impact to academic performance
– Feeling unsafe or uncomfortable in school may
negatively affect a student’s academic performance,
particularly if it results in avoiding classes or missing
school altogether.
– Students who were harassed because of multiple
personal characteristics had increased absenteeism.
– Less likely to report incidents of victimization
9. What we know
about… coming to
…who’s
college?
• School resources and support
– For all LGBT students, having access to school-based
resources, such as students clubs that address LGBT
students’ issues, school staff who are supportive of LGBT
students, and LGBT-inclusive curricular resources, can
make a positive impact on their school experiences and
overall school climate.
[Source: Gay Lesian Straight Education Network - GLSEN (2009)]
10. What we know
about… coming to
…who’s
college?
Trends and challenges for Queer Youth
• More distinctive, evolving culture, vastly different from
previous generations of LGBT youth
• Coming out at adolescence rather than adulthood
experiencing it in real time, as opposed to delayed time
decades later which affects risk, life course and development
(Boxer & Cohler, 1989).
• Coming of age in the shadow of the AIDS epidemic with a
more favorable legal and social landscape than ever before.
• Increased visibility in media and within the community.
[National Youth Advocacy Coalition, 2002]
11. What we know
about…
…who’s coming to
college?
• Anecdotes to share?
– In relation to the information we shared, what has
been your experience working with queer youth?
– What about queer youth of color/young adults?
• Best practices or strategies?
12. Wait…what about
us?
• Numbers/Data
– Very little research, best practices, resources exist for
specifically the intersections of race/ethnicity and
sexuality/gender expression.
– Most of the research also focuses on self-identification with
a sexual orientation, and does not adequately speak to
coming out in the workplace or to family.
– Difficulty in determining numbers - self-identification
requires organizations to show support through policy and
process.
13. Wait…what about
us?
• Challenges
- There isn’t much research about LGBTQ in the
workplace let alone QPOC.
- Recruitment of other staff
- Advancement
- Basic everyday support - retention!
- Disconnect between the coming-out narratives of
us as QPOC and those of whom we serve.
14. Wait…what about
us?
BOTTOM LINE…
How do we find support for ourselves as we are
called on to support our students?
– Personally
– Community
15. Wait…what about
us?
Personally
– Get in touch with local LGBT organizations (Network)
– Practice wellness (it can be exhausting work!)
– Recognize that you DON’T have to be the face for LGBT
concerns at your campus/organization.
– Get better educated/informed on the issues.
– Continue self-work on being comfortable with yourself
– Know where your company/organization stands on LGBTQ
issues
16. Wait…what about
us?
Community
– Be a role model. Visibility is the key
– Don’t silo yourself
– Intent v. Impact. Be inclusive in your language.
– Create an employee resource group (ERG) at work
17. What we know
about…
…who’s coming to
college?
• Anecdotes to share?
– As a QPOC, what has been your experience in the
workplace?
– How and where do you find your support?
• Best practices or strategies?