APPENDIX B
Parent Education and Collaboration Handout Pages

LGBTQ+ FACTS

Ryan et al. (2009) demonstrated that high family rejection is associated with LGB, and some T, youth being:

•   8.4x more likely to have attempted suicide

•   5.9x more likely to report high levels of depression

•   3.4x more likely to use illegal drugs

•   3.4x more likely to be at high risk for HIV and STDs

Moreover, Latino males retrospectively reported experiencing the highest levels of rejection for their sexual orientation during the teen years.

LGBTQ+ YOUTH AND HOMELESSNESS

•   LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately homeless compared to cisgender and straight youth.

•   40 percent of all homeless teenagers identify as LGBTQ+ (Newton, 2014).

•   Homeless LGBTQ+ youth are at greater risk of:

•   Substance abuse: more alcohol and drug use than non-LGBTQ+ peers.

•   High-risk sexual behavior: selling sex for survival; exchanging sex for shelter, drugs, affection, group inclusion, and protection.

•  Trauma: homeless gay youth experience more physical assault and sexual abuse than homeless lesbian and bisexual youth. Transfemales experience even more violence, and both transmales and transfemales experience significant hardship locating shelters that will admit them. Gender plays a significant role in accessing homeless services, which contributes to even more harm against transyouth.

•   Interaction with juvenile criminal justice: family rejection and homelessness facilitate entry into the school-to-prison pipeline (Snapp et al., 2015).

•   Mental health issues: greater anxiety, depression, withdrawal, psychosomatic illness, and social problems.

GLSEN NATIONAL SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY

•   57.6% of LGBTQ+ students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation.

•   43.3% of LGBTQ+ students felt unsafe at school because of their gender expression.

•   31.8% of LGBTQ+ students missed at least one day of school because they felt unsafe/uncomfortable at school.

•   10% missed more than 4 or more days of school.

•   Over 1/3rd of LGBTQ+ students avoided gender segregated spaces because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable (39.4% avoided bathrooms; 37.9% avoided locker rooms).

•   85.2% of LGBTQ+ students experienced verbal assault.

•   27% of LGBTQ+ students were physically harassed.

•   13% of LGBTQ+ students were physically assaulted.

•   48.6% of LGBTQ+ students were cyberbullied.

•   71.5% of LGBTQ+ students avoided school functions.

•   65.7% of LGBTQ+ students avoided extra-curricular activities.

*Both because they felt uncomfortable or unsafe.

•   57.6% of LGBTQ+ students who were harassed or assaulted at school did not report to staff because they doubted effective interventions would occur, or that the situation might improve as a result of reporting.

•   63.5% of LGBTQ+ students who reported said staff did nothing or told the student to ignore it.

•   56.2% of LGBTQ+ students heard teachers or other staff make homophobic remarks.

•   63.5% of LGBTQ+ students heard teachers or other staff make negative remarks about gender expression.

•   66.2% of LGBTQ+ students personally experienced discriminatory practices and/or policies at school.

•   29.8% of LGBTQ+ students were disciplined for public displays of affection that were not disciplined among non-LGBTQ+ students.

•   16.7% of LGBTQ+ students reported being prevented from discussing or writing about LGBTQ+ topics.

•   14.1% of LGBTQ+ students were restricted from forming or promoting a Gay Straight Alliance.

The effects of victimization on students because of their sexual orientation or gender expression include:

•   Higher levels of truancy.

•   GPAs about 2 points lower than peers who were not harassed.

•   Twice as likely to report lack of intention to go to college.

•   Lower self-esteem.

•   Higher levels of depression.

•   42.5% reported consideration of dropping out of high school because of the harassment faced at school.

INTERSECTIONALITY

•   Asian/South Asian/Pacific Islander LGBTQ+ students experienced the lowest levels of victimization based on sexual orientation and gender expression.

•   White LGBTQ+ students experienced the lowest levels of discrimination compared to all other races and ethnicities.

MIDDLE SCHOOL LGBTQ+ STUDENTS

•   Hear more negative remarks about gender expression & sexuality.

•   Report more victimization as a result of sexual orientation or gender expression.

•   Are less likely to have access to LGBTQ+ curricula, GSAs, and comprehensive anti-bullying/harassment policies.

TRANS STATISTICS

•   0.3% of the adult US population is trans.

•   Studies have shown that identical twins are more often both transgender than fraternal twins, indicating that there is indeed a genetic influence (Diamond, 2013.)

•   Early coming out leads to more time in life as their authentic self, and can reduce negative symptoms and the need for future surgeries.

•   Coming out in families with low acceptance leads to high risk of violence, rejection, and homelessness.

•   Family support is associated with:

•   Lower rates of homelessness

•   Lower use of alcohol and drugs

•   Lower smoking rates

•   Lower rates of incarceration

•   Less sex work

•   Lower risk of suicidal ideation and attempt

(Transgender Discrimination Survey, Grant et al., 2011),

GROUNDING AND CENTERING MEDITATION FOR IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT

Find a comfortable position, seated, standing, or even lying down.

Notice your body and where it makes contact with the ground and/or the furniture.

Close your eyes, if you feel comfortable.

Take three deep breaths all the way down into your belly.

Feel the air inflating your chest as it enters your body through your nose.

Notice the sensations in your belly as you breathe deeply.

Now imagine there is a connector at the base of your tailbone.

Examine the width and color of this connector, then attach a cord to it.

The cord can be any color, width or thickness; there is no right or wrong here.

See the cord drop down through the floor beneath you, magically and instantly penetrating the crust of the Earth and connecting to the core.

When your grounding cord is connected to the Earth’s core, you are “grounded.” People often report feeling centered, energized, and radically alive.

Now that you are grounded, notice a yellow sun hovering around your forehead where it meets the bridge of your nose.

Invite this special yellow sun to collect all of your energy that may have been scattered about as you made your way through the day. Silently say to yourself:

“Yellow sun of mine, please collect any and all of my energy that may have been scattered about. Please purify it, recharge it, and return it to me.”

When you are ready, allow your cleansed energy to shower down upon you like a raindrop of yellow light.

See the yellow light envelope you, and fill the space around you within the drop.

Enjoy this special space, and when you are ready, take a deep breath, and open your eyes.