The First National School Climate Survey for LGBT Youth, conducted in 2016 by the civil organization 100% Diversity and Rights and promoted by the Confederation of Education Workers (CTERA), reveals that discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity are a problem that needs to be addressed. It also shows that Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is key to promoting inclusion. Seven out of ten LGBTI students were bullied in high school because of their sexual orientation. This data comes from the First National School Climate Survey for LGBT Youth, conducted between March and January 2016 by the civil organization 100% Diversity and Rights, with the support of the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) in the United States, and promoted by the Confederation of Education Workers (CTERA). The results also indicate that 54.1 percent of students felt unsafe because of the way they express their gender. The survey indicates that LGBTQ+ youth in Argentine schools do not feel safe. It also notes that this has a significant negative impact on absenteeism and academic performance. The results show that in Argentina, non-heterosexual students are overwhelmingly exposed to derogatory, prejudiced, and discriminatory language. Nearly eight out of ten reported hearing comments like “faggot,” “tranny,” or “dyke” used negatively. 30.6 percent reported that school staff did not intervene when such comments were made, even though almost three-quarters of LGBTQ+ students say these expressions bother them greatly. The sample consisted of 781 students between the ages of 13 and 18, from 23 Argentine provinces and the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. To participate in the survey, they completed an online form, as they were primarily recruited through social media. One statistic highlighted by Martín Canevaro, Secretary General of 100% Diversity and Rights, was the high number of students who identify as pansexual (a sexual orientation where affective or sexual attraction is independent of the gender or sex of other people, including non-binary genders): 33.5 percent. “This would indicate that young people are expressing their sexuality more freely. They feel less pressure from the social mandate of heterosexuality as a required or expected identity,” he noted. 58 percent identified as gay or lesbian. Regarding gender, 51.7 percent identified as female, 35 percent as male, and 5 percent as transgender.

Derogatory and prejudiced language

The report highlighted that students are “overwhelmingly” exposed to being victims of derogatory and prejudiced language: 76.2 percent reported frequently hearing other colleagues make derogatory comments such as “faggot” or “dyke.” And 30 percent acknowledged that the staff did not intervene in these attacks, even though almost 75 percent of the students expressed that they were greatly bothered by them.

 

Harassment and physical assault

Another noteworthy fact: 32.7 percent of students reported having suffered some type of physical harassment, such as a push. Whereas 13 percent said they had been physically assaulted (beaten, kicked, or wounded with weapons). The 54 percent of the students surveyed said they had reported those assaults and 42 percent said that the intervention of teachers or school staff in those situations was “ineffective”.

Discriminatory spaces

Among the places avoided by LGBTI students in order to avoid discrimination, gym classes are at the top of the list. the bathrooms, the patio and the changing rooms. The survey highlights the alarming level of absenteeism among discriminated students: - Nearly 40 percent reported missing at least one day of school per month due to feeling uncomfortable or unsafe. - 15 percent missed four or more days of classes. - 14 percent changed schools. “This demonstrates that LGBT students who experience higher levels of victimization report lower academic performance, lower expectations, and a weaker sense of belonging at school,” explained [name/title of researcher]. Present Ricardo Vallarino, vice president of the organization.

Northeast Argentina alert

Another finding of the survey was the variation across provinces and regions: the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the provinces of Buenos Aires and Santa Fe reported lower levels of harassment than the rest. At the opposite extreme, the northeastern region of the country not only had higher levels of reported victimization, but also lower levels of complaints filed by students against school staff. “This could indicate that this region needs greater intervention in training and resources to reduce harassment and increase the positive intervention of trained staff,” the report states.

The urgency of complying with the Comprehensive Sex Education law

To mitigate the serious impact of violence against LGBTI youth, Vallarino said, it is necessary to promote public policies that train teachers and include positive LGBT-related content in the curriculum at all educational levels. “For this, it is essential to implement and disseminate the Comprehensive Sex Education Law (26.150) and the Law for the Promotion of Coexistence and the Addressing of Social Conflict in Educational Institutions (26.892),” he emphasized. Juan Goldín teaches Philosophy in secondary schools in the City of Buenos Aires. “I am quite optimistic. In the places where I work as a teacher, I think a lot of progress has been made. There are teams of teachers who, thanks to the Comprehensive Sex Education Law, felt supported in developing projects,” he says.     Goldín recalls that when she started teaching at one of the schools where she works, there was a trans student. “It was before 2010. At that time, things weren't easy for her. For example, where she went to the bathroom was a whole issue; she ended up using the teachers' restroom. The school didn't do anything about it then. I think that today, after laws like marriage equality and gender identity law, we're in a different situation. I don't know what happens in schools in the provinces, but in downtown Buenos Aires, where other issues related to social inclusion haven't had as much weight, this has had an impact. I see a cultural shift,” says Goldín.     Recently, in one of her classes, a student teacher wanted to make an impact on the students by showing them a video by a trans artist: Susy Shock. "We already know her," they told her. "She was at the school." "I think these are issues that are taking root strongly, and in some schools, they're even more advanced than in the rest of society," says Goldín.

 

Agreements for coexistence with diversity

According to the survey, students in schools with coexistence agreements that include respect for diversity and non-discrimination, and with supportive teachers, "were more likely to report that the student body in general is more respectful of LGBT people (59.3% vs. 32.6%) and to feel a sense of belonging to their school (66.0% vs. 38.5%)." To help teachers prevent discrimination in the classroom, Vallarino suggests: not separating students into male and female lists; asking students how they prefer to be addressed; and not assuming students are heterosexual. Cannevaro highlighted the noticeable improvement in attendance rates, educational expectations, and students' sense of belonging to the school when coexistence agreements that include respect for diversity and non-discrimination are in place. “This highlights the urgent pedagogical need to promote respect for the free expression of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, to guarantee the social right to education for thousands of young people.” The organization 100% Diversity reported that the study will be submitted to the national and provincial Ministries of Education, along with a series of recommendations to improve the school climate. Read the full survey here. The photos accompanying this article are of the bulletin board and an inter-shift installation at the Mariano Moreno School in Buenos Aires. The opening image is from the survey cover.  

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