Isolation or Inclusion: Creating Safe Spaces for Lesbian and Gay Youth

• Published in: Families in society Vol. 84; no. 3; pp. 331 - 337
• Main Author: Peters, Andrew J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-07-2003; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Action Research; Adolescents; Children & youth; Community based; Gays & lesbians; Harassment; High School Students; Homophobia; Homosexuals; Inclusion; Intergenerational Relations; New York City; New York City, New York; Programmes; School Environment; Schools; Sex discrimination; Speech Codes; USA
• ISSN: 1044-3894; 1945-1350
• DOI: 10.1606/1044-3894.122

This article demonstrates the use of action research to bring youth and adults together to address homophobia in their community. Two community-based organizations led an action research project, using student surveys, peer-to-peer interviews, student artwork, and artifacts of homophobia in schools. The research found that 94% of the students surveyed hear anti-gay epithets “frequently” or “sometimes” in their schools; 86% of students say that anti-gay harassment is “rarely” or “never” confronted by school officials; and nearly 1 in 10 (9%) of students have been physically harassed based on their real or perceived sexual orientation. This project culminated in an inter-generational conference during which participants developed a network to provide ongoing education, advocacy, and youth development around the problem of school-based homophobia.