Lambda 10 Project Community Recruitment Guidelines

Spearheaded by Sophomore Abby Snyder, this group of students are fighting to create an inclusive community where students that identity as transgender can feel comfortable and have a safe place to use the restroom. After talking with Abby Snyder and Kelly Doran, the assistant director for capital planning and construction at Colby, it is clear that there are many possible ways of implementing gender-neutral bathrooms on Colby’s campus. For example, a short term solution would be to to make all bathrooms in the dorms coed. Since Hillside buildings only have space for one bathroom on each floor. As a result, when someone whose sex does not correspond with the gender indicated on the bathroom sign, they have to go downstairs. In these buildings, if everyone is okay with making these bathrooms coed, it should be allowed by the school for them to do so. This acts as a quick and easy fix that benefits the transgender community as well as the cisgender community because it means that men and women do not need to travel to certain floors to use the “appropriate” bathroom. Since a majority of this school states that they feel comfortable with using bathrooms with someone of a different sex or gender, the Colby rule preventing coed bathrooms should be revoked. Secondly, if a dorm has two bathrooms on one floor, they could make one of these bathrooms gender-neutral to benefit those who do not mind it, and then bathrooms for specific genders could alternate by floor. A third possible idea would be to have student indicate on their housing application whether or not they are comfortable sharing a bathroom with another sex or gender. This way, multiple dorms could have all gender-neutral bathrooms and only have people who feel comfortable with it, while other dorms could have people who are not comfortable with it. These are a few of many possible ways to

Years after the National LGBTQ Task Force released their report calling LGBTQ youth homelessness an epidemic, these youths are still fighting each other for limited resources. Unfortunately, LGBTQ youth still do not have access to services that respect their identities. National

Many women admit that they in fact feel safer on their own turf because they are familiar with the house, they also have the say with what happens and can have more control. While many Sorority women feel perfectly safe going to parties in Fraternity homes, there are many that do not and many that would just like the option to host a party or have over male friends. She goes onto to concluding that Fraternities and institutions are not to blame but that it comes from the national chapters, that “Panhellenic must reframe these obsolete double standards to convey that Sorority women can, and should, act as independent community

in the year 2021, the atmosphere surrounding gay and lesbian citizens in the United States had grown increasingly hostile. In response to this Congress passed a new law entitled the public accommodations equal access Act. this law which will be referred herein as PAEAA, Was created in order to forbid discrimination regarding sexual orientation in many economic zones including hotels motels restaurant in any sort of eating establishments that include bars barbershops gasoline stations in entertainment establishments. very few establishments are actually excluded from the laws covering those excluded include private membership clubs boarding houses that can only room for five or fewer tenants at a time and other facilities that are

According to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Alliance (LGBT) since the introduction of non-discriminatory laws in 200 cities, it is transgender individuals who are on the receiving end of abuse in restrooms (Margolin, 2015). In order to protect the rights of transgender individuals in the locker rooms, Planet Fitness revoked a woman’s membership because she complained about the showering practices of a transgender female (biological male) in the women’s locker room (Shapiro,

Conflict: Tracy was “blackballed”, or eliminated out of the sorority invitation because she was “different” for wearing knee high socks and carrying a backpack around.

Homophobia has been an uprising issue since the 80s, and it needs to be stopped before it gets more out of hand. Homophobia has been the motive behind various crimes; in just the US alone. One of the various crimes was the Pulse Club shooting in Orlando.(Attaiah) wrote after an interview with the shooter's father, “Mateenn(shooter) had seen two men kissing and was instantly enraged by what he saw.” The fact that someone's sexual preference is the cause of a mass shooting shows how homophobia is a major problem here in the US. Another issue with homophobia is that it is driving a vast amount of teens to suicide. Suicide rates have increased drastically for members of the LGBTQ community. (WONG) “Suicide rates amongst gay youths are devastating. With suicide becoming a far too common way “out” of unbearable homophobic condition.” Not only suicide in general, but there has been a trend of gay youths killing themselves because it is the only way “out”. Fortunately, a man by the name of Dan Savage is trying to help with that. He has created a project by the name of “It gets better project” which is for gay, lesbian, or Transgenders to have a “safe place”.

Many services are available that can positively impact protective factors, however, barriers to these services exist for LGBTQ youth; particularly transgender youth (Mathematica Policy Research, 2014). The barriers to providing services to LGBTQ homeless youth are twofold. First, LGBTQ youth are not always open to accepting services for a variety of reasons. Stigma, discrimination, and victimization are factors that impact the willingness of LGBT homeless youth to utilize services, especially homeless shelters; as is prior rejection at home and school (Hunter, 2008; Whitbeck, Chen, Hoyt, Tyler & Johnson, 2004). It is important to consider that many LGBT homeless youth have previously been in the foster care system and have reported that abuse

Domestic violence is also associated with Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) (National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, 2010). Domestic violence statistics stated by Domestic shelters (2014) notes, “The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV, n.d), two out of every five gay and bisexual men experience abusive partner relationships, comparable to number of heterosexual women who endure domestic violence. The Coalition also found that 50 percent of lesbian women have experienced or will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. In a survey of one year’s time, 44 percent of victims of LBGTQ domestic violence identified as men while 36 percent identified as women (para, 2.).” Moreover, CDC (2014) found that, “45% of lesbian and 61% bisexual women compared to 35% of heterosexual women experienced rape, physical violence, and /or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. As well 26% of gay men and 37% bisexual men-compared to 29% of heterosexual men experience the same (para.1).” Staggering numbers for domestic violence with LGBT people, indicates there is a need for laws to be put in place for

Based on the discussion from the Williams Institute, it is evident that there continues to be a prevalence of discrimination among groups that are not viewed as culturally acceptable in our county. In this article, it is reported that people are more likely to experience hate crimes based on their sexual orientations. For instance, 44% of people reported experience physical violence (without a weapon) because of their sexual orientation, and 80% had been verbally harassed (Herek, 2009). Although the Hates Crimes Statistic Law became effective in 1990, the stigma surrounding the LGBTQ community continues to affect their everyday life. It may defer a person by identified their sexual orientation for the fear of being discriminating in the workplace,

The Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Transgendered (LGBT) youth population is one of the most vulnerable groups in our community. Being gay does not lead to risky behaviors or bad decision making, rather, societal stigma and discrimination can lead LGBT youth to seek emotional outlets. Today’s society has improved immensely towards the LGBT community, although it has not always been this way. Society can affect a person in shocking ways, influencing one’s unhealthy and unsafe physical and mental behaviors. This current vulnerable population deserves a voice and the simplicity of someone listening to them in order for both sides, accepting and non-accepting, to find a common ground and settle the violence.

As a member of the graduating class of 2016 at Burncoat High School, I care deeply about its students and their wellbeing. I am currently enrolled at Smith College, and in my sociology class we read a book titled, “Dude You’re a Fag,” by C. J. Pascoe. This book has brought to my attention many problems regarding gender and sexuality in high schools. That being said, I am concerned about institutionalized heterosexuality1 and homophobia2 and their effects on the student population at Burncoat. During my four years at Burncoat High, I witnessed many instances of blatant homophobia with absolutely no intervention from anyone in a position of authority. This must be changed. The curriculum must be updated and new rules must be enforced.

Society’s view of the LGBTQ population has changed dramatically over time. Until 1973, the American Psychological Association had considered homosexuality to be a mental disorder (Silvestre, Beatty, & Friedman, 2013). Today, many LGBTQ couples are getting married and raising children. Although these individuals are receiving more legal benefits, they still must struggle with the stigma that society has associated with these gender and sexual identities (Hequembourg & Dearing, 2013). This stigma has contributed to a variety of issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer or questioning individuals. Although little research has been done on LGBTQ families and substance abuse, studies have shown that there are high rates of substance abuse for individuals who are of sexual minorities (McCabe, West, Hughes, & Boyd, 2013; Senreich, 2009; Silvestre, Beatty, & Friedman, 2013). In addition to high rates of substance abuse for LGBTQ individuals, many problems exist for those in families with LGBTQ members. Youth may have a

In the summer time of 2015, it was shown in a CNN article that “two-thirds of Americans were in favor in gay marriage” soon to become a law change in most states to make it acceptable for people of the same sex to live together as partners and live the life they wish to as a married couple. This quick acceptance in our country shows the urgency of openness to everyone around, prior to the summer of 2015 an issue that our country faced was the issue of acceptance of others that would classify themselves as a member of the LGBTQ community. As the campus of Southeast Missouri State University constantly breaks new records of enrollment and students choosing to live on campus the universities new President is embarking on a new way to market the university, diversity. As the acceptance with members in the LGBTQ community, more and more students are opening up at home, expressing and or finding out their true selves in their college years. Limiting the residence halls to same birth sex only is limiting the growth as individuals of the new students who come in that might be included or interested in the LGBTQ community. Some students are afraid to come out expressing themselves, having the opportunity to room with a person who is of the opposite gender or “trans” can be very beneficial. Like in the article “So Roomie, Let’s Talk” students don’t always understand one another’s diversity which can lead to some very terrible things. “Bullying peaks in middle school and decreases in high school but can continue in college.” Students are constantly facing peer pressure and judgment in the story by Slotnik the two roommates barely communicated amongst each other, once the truth came out about one of the roommates the others life soon ended.(Slotnik) If the campus would allow its students to choose everything some students' identities might be

Charlotte should not judge Mary because of her sexual orientation; it should not be a factor within the group setting. Charlotte should have kept her personal feeling of Mary being gay to herself. She has broking the ethnic rule of discrimination against someone gender. The group should have had a private meeting with Charlotte about her behavior. The conflict should have been addressing the first comment Charlotte made about Mary, and if she feels strongly about not working with Mary cause of her sexual orientation, she should either compromise to work on the group or remove herself from the group. Charlotte has to make the right choice for the group to be produced and receive a good grade on the project. Her feeling can reflect the group grading.