Gay bullying

Gay bullying can take one or many different forms, but it often includes verbal or physical actions that are direct or indirect in nature by a person or group against a person who is gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or, of questionable sexual orientation, or, one who is perceived to be so. Gay bullying involves intentional and unprovoked actions toward the victim, repeated negative actions by one or more people against another person, and an imbalance of physical or psychological power. In the early 21st century, gay bullying has expanded to include acts conducted over the Internet or cyberbullying, too, and these act can reach audiences electronically across a city or worldwide in an instant, giving them greater propensity for causing considerable harm.

History

Gay bullying has occurred worldwide for many decades and continues today. Just a few instances of gay bullying include:

• In 2010, a gay man from Cameroon, an African nation, was granted asylum in the United Kingdom after reporting that he had been attacked by an angry mob in Cameroon after they saw him kissing his male partner.

• Brenda Lee, an African-American lesbian and firefighter in Los Angeles, California was harassed by her co-workers and subsequently sued the city and won a $6.2 million settlement.

• Tyler Clementi, an 18-year-old male university student in New Jersey committed suicide by jumping off a bridge in September 2010, after his male roommate and another student secretly took video of the man engaging in sexual relations with another man, and broadcast the video live online.

• A 32-year old man in Paisley, Scotland was bullied and harassed by his employer a Glasgow publishing firm, before he was fired. He later sued the company and won a £120,000 award.

Statistics

Every day, teens face harassment, threats, and violence, and they hear anti-gay slurs such as “homo”, “faggot” and “sissy” about 26 times a day or once every 14 minutes, according to Mental Health America.

About two-thirds of gay and lesbian students in Britain’s schools have suffered from gay bullying, a survey by the Schools Health Education Unit found. Almost all that had been bullied had experience verbal attacks, 41 percent had been physically attacked, and 17 percent had received death threats.

Several studies in the United States and worldwide have shown that gay, lesbian and bisexual youth attempt suicide at a rate three to six times that of similar age heterosexual youth.

Suicides by gay youth may comprise up to 30 percent of all youth suicides in the US. All gay youth likely represent about 2% to 10% of all youth.

There is a high rate of suicides among gay men and lesbian women. A Jay and Young study (1979) found that 40 percent of gay men and 39 percent of gay women had attempted or seriously thought about suicide.

Legislation

Around the world, many cities, countries and other jurisdictions have developed laws in recent years that are designed to prevent gay bullying. This includes the State of Illinois which passed a law (SB3266) in June 2010 that prohibits gay bullying and other forms of bullying in the schools in that state.

Anti-gay proponents

Strong societal influences and conservative religious organizations and governments sometimes promote gay bullying or work to lessen the efforts to stop it. For example, in the United States, Focus on the Family, a conservative organization, is opposing efforts by local governments and school boards to approve bullying and nondiscrimination policies that protect gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered people. The organization has urged its members to “resist and win” and to consider the spiritual aspect and Bible references including “rescuing those being led away to harm or death?” In Uganda, a bill was introduced in 2009 that if it is approved, will further criminalize homosexuality. "Aggravated homosexuality" will become a capital offense, and anyone who does not report a homosexual person within 24 hours will face up to seven years in jail.

Solutions

Home

To help a gay or lesbian child or one perceived to be gay or lesbian who is being bullied, David Fassler, MD, a clinical professor of psychiatry recommends

• Create an open, honest, and helpful environment. Encourage your child to talk about what’s happening. Don’t blame them for the harassment. Let them know that you’ll help them to decide what action to take.
• Urge your child to be assertive when confronted by a bully. Suggest walking away from the bully or seeking help from a teacher, coach, or other adult.
• Help your child rehearse what to say to a bully so your child is ready.
• If the bullying is taking place at school, talk with the child’s teacher, guidance counselor, or principal as soon as possible. Many schools have instituted policies and procedures to address bullying early.
• Arrange for your child to go with friends when walking, biking or traveling to school or doing activities in your area. Bullies will be less likely to bother them in a group.
• If your child exhibits stress, anxiety, depression, trouble eating or sleeping, less energy, or avoidance of school, talk with a mental health professional.

School

To prevent gay bullying in the schools, experts recommend: being alert to signs of distress; working with student councils to conduct programs on respect, safety and anti-bullying; asking school personnel to discuss gay prejudice at a school meeting or after-school activity, and to start a gay-lesbian support group at their secondary schools.

Workplace

To prevent gay bullying in the workplace, in 2007, Stonewall, a UK gay and lesbian rights group, launched a Workplace Guide on preventing bullying of gay staff. Available for free download online, the guide introduces and researches organisations that are taking various steps to prevent “bullying and harassment on the basis of sexual orientation.” Researchers interviewed 11 organisations in various sectors and of different sizes.

See also

• Abuse
• Bullying
• Cyberbullying
• Gay bashing
• List of LGBT rights organizations
• School bullying

Further reading

• “Sexual Bullying: Gender Conflict and Pupil Culture in Secondary Schools,” by Neil Duncan (Routledge, 2001, UK)
• “Gender, Bullying, and Harassment: Strategies to End Sexism and Homophobia in Schools,” by Elizabeth Meyer, (Teacher’s College Press, 2009 USA)
• "Cyberbullying and the LGBT Community," Human Rights Campaign, USA
• "You Have to Be Strong to Be Gay": Bullying and Educational Attainment in LGB New Zealanders, Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, (Sept 2008, New Zealand)
• "Traversing the Margins: Intersectionalities in the Bullying of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth," (Routledge, 2008, New Zealand)

External Links

If you cannot find a local resource here, contact your local gay and lesbian rights organization that may assist you.

Asia

• Australia, Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service of NSW
• Taiwan, Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association

Europe

• UK, Stonewall UK
• Ireland, BeLonG To LGBT organisation
• UK, Workplace Guide (includes download) for employers
• Scotland, Anti-Bullying Network
• Russia, Russian LGBT Network

North America

• Canada, Egale Canada
• USA, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• USA, Mental Health America
• USA, “Bullied” Film Offers Lessons for Students and Teachers
• USA, "Bullying: A Module for Teachers"
• USA, "Bullying Harassment of Gay and Lesbian Teens," Expert Q & A
• USA, Safe Schools Coalition
• USA, It Gets Better Project, YouTube videos
• USA, "Bullying of Sexually Diverse Children and Adolescents", National Association of School Psychologists
• USA, "Anti-bullying Resources," Gay Lesbian & Straight Education Network

South America

• Brazil, Gay Group of Bahia (Grupo Gay da Bahia

Africa

• South Africa, South African Human Rights Commission