LGBTQ+
10 INDEPTH •
December 2016
BEARTRACKS
Exists
at BHS
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Other:
The many sexualities on the LGBT Spectrum
Story by Kat Fricke
Sophomore Breezy
Canterbury came out to
her mom first in Wal-Mart
when she was 13 years
old. There weren’t many
people around and her
nerves were getting to her.
“Mom, I’m gay.”
Her mom’s response
was, “Yeah, I know. I was
just waiting for you to say
something.”
After it was said, relief overcame her, and she
said it felt amazing to finally be out. Canterbury
says she is grateful for her
mom’s support.
“I was nervous because
I didn’t know what my
mom would say or how
she would react to me being gay,” Canterbury said.
“I was ready at that time,
and I couldn’t hold it back
anymore.”
Canterbury has dealt
with the consequences of
being who she is for years.
Canterbury has dealt with
harassment on different
levels of severity ranging from being called
derogatory names to getting threats that say things
like, “Kill yourself. If you
don’t kill yourself, I will
do it for you.”
“Kids make fun of kids
for being gay or lesbian,”
Canterbury said.
Guidance counselor
Karen Gengenbach said
the school counseling department strives to help
all students academically,
with future plans and with
personal situations.
She also says that students should not allow
themselves to stay isolated
or fearful if they feel harassed or bullied.
“We will provide support, safety and in some
cases we will intervene,”
Gengenbach said.
Canterbury said heterosexuals aren’t harassed
for being heterosexual
because it’s normal to our
society. However, identifying within the LGBT
community is becoming
more and more prevalent
to our generation.
Canterbury said that
many LGBT students
don’t want to come out
to their friends for fear of
losing the friendship, being rejected or harassed.
In the past,
Canterbury has had experiences with her friends’
parents not accepting her
and not allowing their
children to spend time
with her outside of school.
“Gay is not a disease
you can catch,” Canterbury said.
Teens are living in fear
of being who they are despite the philosophy that
primary adults in their
lives have promoted:
things like ‘be yourself’
and ‘stand up for what you
believe’.
Many LGBT students
at Blair High School
have felt targeted by both
students and teachers.
However, there are many
teachers and students who
strive to support and provide safety for students.
“Blair High School
should promote the culture of every kid matters,”
Gengenbach
said. Canterbury said that
personally she does not
feel like she is targeted
by teachers at Blair High
School but that some are
outwardly against it.
“We want everyone to
be able to walk into the
building and feel accepted
and safe,” Gengenbach
said.
For some students, they
don’t just feel unaccepted
at school but also in their
own home. They struggle
with knowing that their
parents or other family
members don’t like who
they are.
Blair is where Canterbury is from and where
she’s lived 13 years, yet
it doesn’t feel like her
home. “They [some people
in Blair] make fun of me
because I’m gay,” Canterbury said. “That’s who
I am. If you can’t accept
it...” She shrugs then goes
on. “You don’t have to accept it. You have to at least
tolerate it.”
“You don’t have to accept it. You
have to at least tolerate it.”
-Breezy Canterbury, 10
December 2016
BEARTRACKS •
INDEPTH 11
Facts & Statistics
- 80% of gay and lesbian youth re-
port severe isolation.
-4 out of 10 LGBT youth say the
community they live in is not accepting of LGBT people.
- Approximately 6.7% of the U.S adult
population identifies as lesbian, gay,
bisexual or transgender.
-92% of LGBT youth say they hear
negative messages about being LGBT.
- 42% of people who are LGBT report
living in an unwelcoming environment.
- 95% of pupils hear the word ‘gay’ being used as an insult.
-40% of homeless youth identify as
LGBT
-About two thirds of LGBT high
school students say they are openly
gay to their classmates.
Sources
Diversitybestpractices.com,
hrc.org,
dosomething.org,
lgbt.foundation,
friendfactor.org