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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2011)
JC Jâ AUGUST 5, 2011 ■ schools McVittie-Law PC AT T ORNE Y S L c v fjrijfj« I a f Your Mom A Poppy - S hip * C opy - N eighborhood S h o p p . AT LAW Trust th e S p e c ia lists. A Good Fit Wills & Living Trusts MOVED 4784 N. Lom bard Suite B Portland, OR. 97203 Corner o f Fiske & Lom bard BY AARON SPENCER Hospital Visitation Power of Attorney Domestic Partnerships Call Today For a Free Consultatioi 503.224.6611 1841 NW 23rd Ave., Portland Licensed in Oregon & Washington PHONE :503 - 283 - 7767 FAX : 503 - 283 - 2745 www.copypilot.com Finding the right school for children in LGBTQ families Healthcare Directives Probate & Trust Administration AUGUST 1st www. Me Vi ttie- Law.coni As Nina’s little boy grew older, she started to debate where he should attend school. But in addition to the questions most parents ask when considering their chil dren’s educations, Nina had another con cern. Namely, she wanted to be sure her child wouldn’t be treated differently for having two moms. “We wanted to find the right school where no one was going to make fun of him,” Nina says. Nina, who requested that only her first name.be used to protect the identity of her child, is one of many LGBTQparents in the Portland area who have searched for a wel coming school. Each family is different— either the parents or the children identify as sexuality than ever before. For the first time, a majority of those polled by Gallup in 2010 said gay and lesbian relationships were “morally acceptable.” “Stiidents coming out used to be some thing you’d see in high school, but now you see students identifying as LGBT much younger,” says Jollee Patterson, head attorney for Portland Public Schools, who deals with sexual orientation and gender identity issues. Nina eventually settled on a school in the Portland Public School District after visiting several schools and speaking with teachers and principals. “Every single principal was very sup portive,” Nina says. “I asked them how they would deal with different situations, and I was very happy with Portland-area schools. They are very progressive.” Not every LGBTQ_ parent places such a high priority on welcoming schools, however. The level of priority depends in part • Administrators and faculty who talk fairly about on each family’s situation. LGBTQjssues Stephen Dunlevy, for example, • Anti-bullying policy that complies with the says he and his male partner Oregon Safe Schools Act chose Glencoe Elementary for • Names sexual orientation or gender identity their two children based partly • Accessible to the students, either posted or on school report cards they re online viewed when looking for houses. • Effective measures are in places for reporting “I don’t think we really scout violations ed out individual schools for a degree of LGBT support,’’Dun- • LGBTQ support group, if the child is old enough to need it levy says. Their decision-making pro • Supportive parents in the parent-teacher * cess could have been different if association they had thought their children Information from Zena Britadesco program may identify as LGBTQj Dun- manager fo r community education at TramActive levy says. Their children don’t give any indication that they some sort of sexual minority—but the fac identify as anything other than heterosexu tors they want in a supportive school are al, and they don’t show signs that they need similar. LGBTQ_support. Parents ask a number of questions: Does But Nina’s son, though he’s still in grade the school have an effective policy against school and has not yet identified as LG- bullying? Can families openly talk about BTQ_ either, does have a penchant for LGBTQ^issues with teachers and adminis something most boys his age do not—he trators? How do parents of other children likes to wear dresses. react to LGBTQ_families? “He’s just a boy who loves dresses,” Nina The extra level of choosiness follows a says. “He’s a gender warrior—what can I trend of teenagers coming out of the closet say? \ n at a younger age, according to school ad The dress issue was challenging in the ministrators and the Gay, Lesbian and beginning. Other kids talked negatively Straight Education Network, or GLSEN. about him. But Nina talked to teachers at Also, more Americans approve of homo the school about the problem; she even ■ What to look for in an LG BTQ-supporti ve school R outan T ig u an , Let's talk Volkswagen. A V W d o e sn ’t just start off a s sheet m etal an d engine parts. It begins a s an id e a . A belief that getting the little things right is a big thing, a view p oint that asks why dum b it down w hen you can sm art it up. An attitude that says to m ake thing perfect, you have to m ake them perfectly. 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