Homophobia essays

Homophobia essays Homophobia is a problem in public school systems, denying homosexual students a safe learning environment. Everyday a student is discriminated against because of his sexual orientation. Gay, lesbian and bisexual students are being verbally, physically, and academically abused. Homophobia is taking hard working student and creating a negative and damaging learning environment for them. Faggot, queer, homo, fairy and dyke are just a few of the discriminatory phrases used towards both homosexual and strait student in public school systems. According to Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, seventy to eighty five percent of eight graders reported hearing anti-gay comments often (Jennings 1). Homosexual students like Casey and Sean are verbally harassed on a daily bases because of the sexual orientation. Casey, an honor student at High School, says that he is called anti-gay names at least five times a day (Andrews). Another student at High School, Sean, also reports several incidents in which he is called a fag by other classmates. Both of these students once loved coming to school and excelled at their studies. While Casey continues to be a good student, Sean rarely shows up at school anymore, unable to handle the taunting of his classmates. Casey also reported being physically harassed at High School. During an interview Casey reported being pushed and having food thrown at him. Caseys experience is very common in public schools and, unfortunately, one of the mild cases. Reports of homosexual students being physically abused go from light pushing to severe beatings. Examples of physical assaults experienced by homosexual students are being pushed, having things thrown at them, being beat, and in a few extreme cases being forcefully raped. Although the number of reports have declined in recent years, fifty seven percent of homosexual student reported being...