Today is Spirit Day, a time to take a stand against bullying and show support for LGBTQ youth. Not all LGBTQ youth are bullied, of course, and not all victims of bullies are LGBTQ — but anti-LGBTQ harassment is still pervasive, even if things are slowly getting better.
GLAAD, which is organizing the event, is urging people to wear or display purple for the day. We’re always purplish around Mombian, but I’ll post this extra purple image to mark the occasion.
Can a color — or a single day — alone make a difference? Of course not. And we have to be careful not to “purplewash” bullying, in the same way that breast cancer has been “pinkwashed” (with companies slapping pink on everything simply to drive sales, with little or no real benefit to the cause), but I think we’re a ways from that. If wearing purple can drive awareness that leads to action, I’m all for it.
Indeed, GLSEN’s 2011 School Climate Survey found “a continued decline in anti-LGBT language over the years” and “a significant decrease in victimization based on sexual orientation,” which implies a growing awareness. No one event can be the sole cause of this (and Spirit Day started in 2010, so it’s impact on the 2011 survey results is likely minimal), but every little bit helps. In this era of social media, too, an event like Spirit Day, with a bold color and simple message, can be a very effective way to spread the word.
Despite some progress, however, the statistics are still sobering:
- 82% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 38% reported being physically harassed and 18% reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their sexual orientation.
- 64% of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed, 27% reported being physically harassed and 12% reported being physically assaulted at school in the past year because of their gender expression.
- 64% of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation; and 44% felt unsafe because of their gender expression.
. . . and the impact is notable, leading to skipping classes because of safety concerns, lower grade point averages, increased levels of depression, and decreased levels of self-esteem.
What can help? GLSEN reports, “The survey has also consistently indicated that a safer school climate directly relates to the availability of LGBT school-based resources and support, including Gay-Straight Alliances, inclusive curriculum, supportive school staff and comprehensive anti-bullying policies.”
While being out was “related to higher levels of victimization” it was also related to “higher levels of psychological well-being.”
Nearly a quarter of the students with LGBT parents felt unsafe at school because they had an LGBT parent
Children of LGBTQ parents, regardless of whether they are LGBTQ themselves, may also be targets of bullying. In fact, according to a 2008 GLSEN study:
- Nearly a quarter of the students with LGBT parents felt unsafe at school because they had an LGBT parent
- A fifth felt unsafe because of their actual or perceived sexual orientation
- Nearly a fifth reported hearing negative remarks about having LGBT parents from other students, one-third heard such comments from school staff, and nearly a quarter from the parents of other students
If you’re looking for actions you can take to stop anti-LGBTQ bullying in your school, check out GLAAD’s Anti-Bullying Resource Kits for Students and Parents, or the many resources from GLSEN.
It also happens to be Ally Week, a GLSEN initiative, so think, too, about how you can be a better ally to anyone in a less privileged position than you are, whether because of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, race, ethnicity, class, physical ability, or anything else.
Even after Spirit Day, I’ll stay purple here at Mombian. I chose the color long before Spirit Day existed, but perhaps the unintended connection will serve as a reminder that I started this blog to help make the world a safer, kinder place for my son — and all our children — to grow up.
