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T eaching T ools
2003 survey conducted at Port
land’s Madison High reveals that 96
percent of students who responded
report hearing frequent queer slurs
Equify Foundation's Safe Schools Summit offers lessons learned
and homophobic remarks at school.
Nearly half say other students don’t bother to
to combat harassment of queer students by Timothy Krause
intervene, though a teacher or staff person some
times ikies. Because they felt uncomfortable or
nomah County Commission on C hil
unsafe, two out of three kids have skipped schixil.
dren, Families and Communities and
And according to a 1999 Oregon Health Division
former Portland Public Schools hoard
report, students who experience anti-gay harass
president, served as rmxlerator for two
ment are three times more likely to report a suicide
panels that shared both advances and
attempt than their nonharassed peers.
advice.
Scenarios like these, along with successes
"I worry about those students that
and strategies in com bating discrimination,
don’t have anyone to talk to,” said
harassment and bullying, peppered the discus
panelist Paul Wagenblast, a high
sion of more than 50 policy leaders, educators
school student in The Dalles who
and students from throughout the state attend
described the challenges he and his
ing the Safe Schools Summit on Nov. 4 at Nike
colleagues faced when trying to form
World Headquarters in Beaverton.
a G SA last spring. Though the club is
Launched in 2002, Equity Foundation’s
Karla Wenzel moderates a panel on safe schools solutions
now active, counselor Ayme Allison
three-year Safe Schools Initiative recognizes
Nov. 4 at N ike World Headquarters in Beaverton
suggested that controversy might
growing docum entation that queer and ques
offered the summit’s keynote speech, addressing reappear next year when The Dalles’ two school
tioning students— and those even perceived to
districts merge under a new board.
he— are frequent targets for bullying and harass his experience as the father of a lesbian student
“No one is hard-wired to believe gay is wrong,”
who didn’t feel comfortable coming out. Look
ment. The nonprofit believes all students should
contended Misha Isaak, who attends Reed Col
ing hack, he said his daughter Katie, who now
have the opportunity to learn in a safe educa
lege and served as a student representative on the
works for the Portland Police Bureau, asked
tional environment.
Portland Public Schixils hoard. Isaak called on
him, “W ho could I tell?”
The challenge, however, is to help adminis
administrators and teachers to re-evaluate the
Potter, a Portland mayoral candidate, offered
trators and teachers understand that the problem
environments they create because harassment
suggestions to build hate-free schools, including
is real and that there are effective ways to address
and violence are symptoms of a larger problem.
running
for
school
hoard,
working
with
univer
it. To that end, Equity last year awarded $20,000
Portland Police Capt. Dorothy Elmore suggest
sities that train teachers, being a mentor, writing
to four Oregon organizations to support Gay
ed that safe schools programming he intnxluced
letters to newspaper and legislators, and “letting
Straight Alliances as well as other methods to
not only in secondary schix>ls hut also in elemen
battle intolerance of queer students in education children know you will always love and accept
tary schools. She recommended “dialogue circles”
what they are, as they are.” He added, “If we
al settings. The results are helping the foundation
that address harriers preventing people from even
can’t end discrimination and bullying in our
develop a “blueprint for success" to aid educators
talking to each other about particular issues. Like
schools, we’ll never end it in our adult s<x:iety.”
in implementing safe schixils programs statewide.
Karla Wenzel, vice chairwoman of Mult wise, Layne Newton, a former student at Col
Fortner Portland Police C hief Tom Potter
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orado’s Columbine High School, said, “You’re not
going to hurt someone if you know them."
Representatives from grantee organizations
included David 0 4 ton and Chris Enyeart of
Madison High School, where a G SA has
evolved from a vehicle for safety and visibility to
one that embraces activism.
Marion Malcolm, representing Springfield
Alliance for Equality and Respect, was joined by
Devin M cGeehan, a student and G SA founder
at Springfield High School. Both spoke of the
need to continue to develop G SA leadership
and build on community partnerships.
That sentiment was echoed by Joyce Lilje-
holm, who discussed the accomplishments of the
Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coali
tion, highlighting its recent conference in Eugene
to train teams of adults and youth on working
with educators and students in their hometowns.
Another grantee, Salem’s chapter of Parents,
Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, was rep
resented by Gloria Holland Smith, who shared per
sonal stories as Kith a PFLAG mom and a schixil-
teacher, asking that educators and parents alike
review everyday assumptions, even one as simple as
households with two parents of the opposite sex.
Equity executive director Linda Traeger says
the Safe Schools Initiative s progress is on target.
Grantees will continue teacher training, plan a
statewide G SA network, conduct annual forms
and implement an evaluation component to
ensure replicable models. J D
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