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Madison school district will hire advocate to protect queer students
by Mubarak Dahir
he unanimous decision to fund an cent of gay and lesbian youth reported being
advocate for gay and lesbian stu­ victims of harassment or violence at school.
dents and their families in the
A whopping 97 percent said they regularly
Madison, Wis., school district heard anti-gay comments from other students.
And perhaps most disheartening and alarming,
comes at a pivotal time.
Voting 7 to 0, the board decided to install a 53 percent said they heard anti-gay remarks
person who would work with gay and lesbian coming from their teachers and administrators.
students and their parents to address problems
Hostile school environments clearly take a
at school. The position, which officials hope to toll on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgen­
fill by the beginning of the next
school year in September, is similar to
existing full-time jobs held by profes­
sionals who work with Southeast
Asian, Hispanic and Native Ameri­
can students and their families.
According to the Gay, Lesbian and
Straight Education Network, Madi­
son’s gay advocate would be only the
ninth such position in a school district
anywhere in the country. But given
recent events, the courage of the
Madison school district holds impor­
tant national symbolism.
In February, a federal appeals court
struck down a Pennsylvania schools
anti-harassment policy as a violation of
the First Amendment. It had prohibit­
ed “unwelcome verbal, written or phys­
ical conduct which offends, denigrates
or belittles an individual.”
The policy went on to include a long list dered youth. About 50 percent suffer constant
of students it was trying to protect—includ­ levels of high stress from harassment at
ing gay and lesbian ones. A parent who school, according to a 1997 study from
described himself as a “devout Christian” Columbia University.
argued not only that homosexuality is wrong
Particularly in light of the Pennsylvania
but that his religion compelled his two chil­ decision, debate continues to rage among school
dren to “witness” against it.
professionals about how they can protect their
The policy violated their religious right to do gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered kids
from harassment and provide a safe, nurturing
so, he claimed. And a federal court agreed.
Legal representation for the Pennsylvania educational environment for learning.
The Madison school district bravely showed
case was taken on by the infamously anti-gay
American Family Association Center for Law other educators anothci step that can be taken.
and Policy. The religious right wing has been Others can and should be considered by all
trying to use the victory to intimidate schools school districts, as well.
Gays and lesbians need to be integrated
from enacting similar policies.
into the standard school curriculum. For ex­
Considering this national mood of renewed
caution, the Madison stand shows that school ample, when students are required to read
Walt Whitmans poems or
districts can and should move
Oscar Wilde’s plays, they
to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual
should be taught that these
and transgendered youth in
men were gay—just as they
new and creative ways. During
learn about how the private
the past decade, as gays and
lives of other authors influ­
lesbians have become vastly
enced their writings. His­
more visible in society, they
tory classes should note Al­
also have started coming out
exander
the Great was a
earlier and earlier in their lives.
homosexual, and art classes
Research shows queer youth
should point out the same
now are coming out sooner
about
Leonardo
da
Vinci.
than ever before—on average, about age 15.
Gay and lesbian sexuality needs to be inte­
Most gay and lesbian adults in their 30s and
older never would have dreamed of coming out grated into human health and sexuality courses,
in junior high or high school. But the times they and frank and honest AIDS education should be
a standard part of every school’s curriculum. Just
are a-changing.
One clear sign of the progress is the prolifer­ as many schools celebrate things such as Black
ation of gay-straight student alliances at schools History Month, gay pride also could be intro­
nationwide. According to GLSEN, the first two duced to students in an educational manner.
You can bet we’d have to lean heavily on our
alliances were formed at private schools in 1989.
Today, about 800 such organizations are located First Amendment rights to get something like
around the country, most of them in public that approved in most schools today. But the
point is that it can—and should—be done. As
schools.
But along with the progress of coming out the Madison decision underscores, gay and les­
earlier comes the tremendous task of protecting bian students deserve the full support of their
young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered schools in every imaginable way. JH
teens from the harassment—both physical and
MUBARAK D ahir receives e-mail at Mubarak-
mental—they are likely to face from their peers.
According to a 1999 study by GLSEN, 69 per­ Dah@aol.com.
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