Creswell High School
P.E.A.C.E. Club
What does P.E.A.C.E. stand for?
People for
Equality
And
Change
Everywhere
What does LGTBQ mean?
What does GSA mean?
Lesbian
Gay
Gay
Straight
Bisexual
Alliance
Transgender
Questioning
The members of our Club...
...Are willing members of all different ethnicities and backgrounds, with
different religious and political beliefs.
...Are not forced to join, nor are they forced to stay.
...Are dedicated and willing to helping students, and teachers, understand
and become comfortable with the LGTBQ community.
...Are not expecting anyone to agree with what they (we) believe, nor are
they (we) asking anyone who does not feel comfortable to spread our ideas
or to believe in what we do.
What are our goals?
To educate those willing to
learn
to bring equality to classrooms
everywhere
to help students feel accepted
to help inform those who are
confused or curious about what
their sexuality is
Why is this important?
Students who are questioning their sexual orientation report more bullying, homophobic victimization,
unexcused absences from school, drug use, feelings of depression, and suicidal behaviors than either
heterosexual or LGB students;
LGB students who do not experience homophobic teasing report the lowest levels of depression and
suicidal feelings of all student groups (heterosexual, LGB, and questioning students); and
All students, regardless of sexual orientation, report the lowest levels of depression, suicidal feelings,
alcohol and marijuana use, and unexcused absences from school when they are:
●
●
In a positive school climate and
Not experiencing homophobic teasing
http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm
Does this happen at CHS?
According to the 2015 Oregon Healthy Teens Survey:
●
18% of CHS students reported missing 1-2 days of school because of emotional or
mental health reasons (table 26)
●
10.9% of CHS students reported seriously considering attempting suicide during
the past 12 months (table 71)
●
8.6% of CHS students reported being bullied because someone thought they were
gay, lesbian or bisexual (table 80)
What can we do to help?
Research has shown that in schools with LGB support groups (such as gay-straight
alliances), LGB students were less likely to experience threats of violence, miss school
because they felt unsafe, or attempt suicide than those students in schools without
LGB support groups.
Goodenow C, Szalacha L, Westheimer K. School support groups, other school factors, and the safety of sexual minority adolescents.
Psychology in the Schools 2006;43:573–89; http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm
What can we do to help?
A recent study found that LGB students had fewer suicidal thoughts and attempts
when schools had gay-straight alliances and policies prohibiting expression of
homophobia in place for 3 or more years.
Creswell School District Nondiscrimination policy AC, originally adopted in 1995,
specifically states that discrimination and harassment is prohibited based on “sexual
orientation,” which “means an individual’s actual or perceived heterosexuality,
homosexuality, bisexuality or gender identity, regardless of whether the individual’s
gender identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that traditionally
associated with the individual’s sex at birth.”
Saewcy EM, Konishi C, Rose HA, Homma Y. School-based strategies to reduce suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and discrimination
among sexual minority and heterosexual adolescents in Western Canada. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies
2014;1:89‒112. http://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm
I am an Ally
An ally is any person who supports and stands up
for the rights of a person or group that is targeted
and discriminated against. LGBTQ allies
demonstrate that LGBTQ people are not alone as
they work to improve school climate, and take a
stand in places where it might not be safe for
LGBTQ people to be out or visible.
How do Safe Space stickers help?
81.0% of students in schools with a Safe Space sticker were able to identify 6 or more
supportive teachers in their schools, compared to only 48.2% of students in schools
where students had not seen a Safe Space sticker or poster. Moreover, almost all
students (>99%) who said they had seen a Safe Space sticker or poster were able to
identify at least one supportive staff member.
The 2015 Oregon Healthy Teens Survey found that
11.3% of CHS students felt that it was “not at all
true” that at least 1 teacher or other adult at CHS
really cared about them. (table 19)
http://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2011%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20Full%20Report.pdf
How do Safe Space stickers help?
http://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2011%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20Full%20Report.pdf
Thank you for your attention!
Safe Space
-------ally