We Cannot Wait on Congress to Protect Our LGBT Youth

Originally posted at: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/12/09/we-cannot-wait-on-congress-to-protect-our-lgbt-youth/

Last week, a coalition of LGBT organizations and allies sent a letter to the Senate HELP Committee expressing “great concern” and “a lack of support” for the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act, due to its lack of LGBT inclusion. These organizations and allies are to be commended for holding members of Congress accountable and pushing for the passage of the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) and the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA). But it is becoming very clear that SNDA and SSIA face a long uphill political battle that will hopefully result in their passage sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, outside of advocating for their passage, we should push for the creation of Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) in schools all across this country, especially in schools with a predominantly black population. The creation of GSAs will help promote a more inclusive and safer educational environment for LGBT youth across this country until federal legislation is passed. In fact, according to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), schools that have GSAs positively impact LGBT youth because these schools have fewer homophobic remarks, less victimization, less absenteeism, and greater sense of belonging. Considering that in 2009, 84 percent of LGBT students have been verbally harassed, 40 percent have been physically harassed, and 18 percent have been physically assaulted, it is imperative to tackle LGBT bullying and harassment. Establishing GSAs is an effective way to do that.

Combating LGBT bullying and harassment is especially important in schools with a predominantly black student body because black LGBT students face some of the most hostile treatment in our nation’s schools. Earlier this year, the Center for American Progress released an article that explored the plight of black LGBT youth in America’s schools. This article presented research that showed that black LGBT youth fare better academically and socially in schools with GSAs. Unfortunately, many predominantly black schools do not have GSAs because of the commonly accepted notion that being LGBT is a “white issue” and because the issue is rarely discussed in many black communities.

Yes, it will be a challenge to establish GSAs in schools where LGBT students are seen but rarely talked about in a positive manner. But that is the exact reason we should advocate hard to have them. Regardless if you are a parent, educator, or community member, your support is needed to make these GSAs a reality. LGBT students cannot do the work alone; providing them with assistance and support can be the difference between having a GSA or not and providing a safe environment for education. More importantly, GSAs benefit both LGBT students and non-LGBT students by creating an environment where it is okay for all students to express who they are.

The creation of GSAs will not completely solve the problem of bullying and harassment for LGBT youth; only federal legislation can lay the groundwork for that to be accomplished. Nevertheless, their creation can place schools on the road to not only being more inclusive but to providing a safe educational environment that will help all students. We owe that much to our LGBT youth, to ensure that school does not become a place of dread because of consistent fear of violence and rejection.

So while our elected representatives work out the politics, we can help lead our nation’s schools to being more inclusive to our LGBT youth through the creation of GSAs. Together we create a very powerful voice, one that cannot be ignored and will not go away until equality is given to LGBT youth.

Rethinking the NAACP Town Hall on LGBT Issues

Orignially Posted: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2011/08/02/rethinking-the-naacp-town-hall-on-lgbt-issues/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=story&utm_term=Washington%2BBlade&utm_campaign=Washington%2BBlade

Last week, the NAACP made history at its 102nd Annual Convention in Los Angeles by hosting the first-ever NAACP town hall on LGBT issues. The town hall comes on the heels of a partnership between the National Black Justice Coalition and the NAACP to create an LGBT taskforce in 2009. One of the goals of the taskforce’s three-part mission is to advance the awareness of LGBT issues “as they relate to the overarching programs and interest of the NAACP.” Interestingly, the NAACP as an organization has not endorsed full equal rights for LGBT people, but its current president and CEO, Benjamin Todd Jealous, has been extremely supportive of equality for the LGBT community. Thus, hosting a town hall on LGBT issues sends a powerful message that the NAACP is working toward being a more inclusive civil rights organization.

When I first heard about the town hall, I was elated. The NAACP surely was going to finally make a firm commitment to helping LGBT people of color in the quest for equality. This joy would be short lived, however, after I read about the town hall. Instead, I was left to wonder when civil rights organizations like the NAACP are going to start asserting some leadership.

Although the panel included lesbian actress/comedian Wanda Sykes, gay CNN anchor Don Lemon, and civil rights activist and NAACP Chairman Emeritus Julian Bond, there was no representation from the bisexual and transgender community. Instead of seizing an opportunity to have open and frank dialogue about the issues affecting the whole LGBT community, a critical segment of the population and their legitimate concerns were absent from the conversation.

Seeing that there is a dearth of research about the black bisexual and transgender community, their participation in the town hall was critical. A quick examination of what we do know about the transgender community reveals that they earn an estimated $10,000 less a year than the general population, according to a study by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Additionally, transgender individuals face high levels of discrimination and violence. On the other hand, most of the research about the bisexual community largely focuses on the issue of HIV/AIDS.

This quick examination sure raises red flags for me and makes me eager to know what other issues the bisexual and transgender community is facing. Knowing that people of color face a number of obstacles achieving economic security, educational attainment, and affordable health care, LGBT people of color are surely facing additional sets of barriers. So why was this population not represented? Their experiences and the issues they face are just as important as those of gay and lesbian individuals.

Yes, it is no secret that the Black community has issues with acceptance of homosexuality. Nevertheless, the town hall was not a plea for acceptance but a medium to learn about how to help the LGBT community achieve the equality it deserves. Leaving out important members of the community is not a step toward equality but a step back from equality.

With that said, I applaud the NAACP’s efforts to better understand the needs of the Black LGBT community. This is the beginning of what I am sure will be a meaningful relationship with the LGBT community. The NAACP is an organization of honor and distinction for its work on civil rights and a natural ally for the LGBT community. And while the NAACP may be late to the LGBT equality rodeo, they should not tread lightly. Inclusion of all LGBT individuals is crucial and vital to the fight for equality. Now is not the time to point fingers and dwell on the past.