Testimony of Brenda Spurlin

Before Ohio Senate Education Committee

Regarding H.B. 276

December 12, 2006

It is the first day of school.  The eighth grade history classroom is lined with posters of famous sports stars. A student asks the teacher if he could bring in a poster to hang on the wall. The teacher responds, “Just as long as it isn’t a poster of a “track fag.” Several students jeer loudly, laugh, and otherwise affirm the teacher’s sentiment. The teacher chuckles, seemingly pleased with this response. One girl in that class was deeply offended. She knew the teacher was being cruel to any student in that classroom who may be gay or lesbian. She understood how hurtful and damaging homophobic words could be.  She understood the basic premise that all people deserve respect, because she was raised that way. She also deeply loved her older gay brother and would never remain silent after hearing such intolerant comments. She spoke up. She knew there might be another student in that class who wouldn’t be able to do so. She stood up and told everyone to stop laughing.  She said what they were doing was wrong. They continued to laugh. That girl was my daughter and she was defending my son.

Kids have been my adult life. I raised three successful children, including my gay son. I recently retired from a rewarding thirty-five year career teaching English to middle school youth for the Toledo Public School system. I have been the executive director of Rainbow Area Youth (RAY) a peer support group for self-identified gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (GLBTQ) youth for the past ten years.  I have been in the unique position to see first hand and also hear about the problems GLBTQ youth face in many different life situations. 

As other moms, I sent my children to school certain in the knowledge they would be safe, and the adults around them would take care of them and protect them. I never expected that my son would have to fight to become a leader in his high school class despite being called names and harassed. I never expected my daughters would regularly have to defend their brother from teachers or other students. We expect our schools to be safe havens where children can be educated and learn the basic tenants of fairness and equality.  Unfortunately most GLBTQ youth do not have this positive educational experience, especially in junior and senior high. For them, school is often a place of torment and harassment where adults can not be counted on for support or protection.

In my teaching career, countless times I have seen teachers ignore when a student was called a “fag” or  “dyke.” I have seen the property and lockers of students defaced with similar epitaphs. Their cars in high school parking lots are often targeted. I have heard teachers express to students their own view that being gay is a sin. Numerous times I intervened when students were being verbally or physically attacked based on the perception they may be gay or lesbian.

At our weekly RAY meetings we have seen about 1,000 youth from about 50 schools attend over the past 10 years.   That number represents only those youth that have the means or courage to attend our meetings.  How many more are out there? Each week, the adult volunteers and I have listened to what these youth have to say about their school experiences. What they share makes me wonder how adults could be so blind to the needs of so many. RAY youth routinely report being harassed while an adult was present and did nothing to stop it.  They report being hit, kicked, and shoved into walls. When they do approach an adult, they are often told to “just act different” in order to avoid the harassment. This only reinforces the notion that they may actually deserve such terrible treatment, or that they somehow brought it upon themselves.  They tell about teacher lead classroom debates on the morality of being gay. RAY youth report being told by school staff that they couldn’t possibly know if they are gay or lesbian…..or they just haven’t met the right boy/girl.  The needs of RAY youth are routinely ignored or misunderstood. School systems seldom offer staff members information on how to help these students succeed.  As a result, adults respond to RAY youth based on their misconceptions, stereotypes, or religious beliefs. Students take the lead from staff and do the same.

House Bill 276 is unacceptable, because it perpetuates the invisibility of GLBTQ youth by not enumerating the full spectrum of youth that need protection in Ohio schools. Omitting “sexual orientation” ignores the existence of many students. It allows school systems and staff members to continue pretending there are no GLBTQ youth in their schools.  These kids have been ignored for too long. Their statistics on school failure, substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, and suicide are a result. If enumerated categories are left out of House Bill 276, the protections for students will be left up to interpretation and ambiguity. Then the situation for GLBTQ youth with remain the same. They will be ignored and overlooked.  They will continue to suffer without protection from those charged to care for them. 

There have been many debates across the country as to whether or not include the words “sexual orientation” in nondiscrimination policies for cities, universities, places of employment and school systems.  The argument is that doing so is an endorsement or approval of what some consider wrong. Recognizing the existence of gay youth does not make an ethical or moral statement, because no matter what we think or what we believe these kids ARE in our schools, our neighborhoods, and often our families.  Pretending they do not exist does not make them, or their need for protection, go away. 

Brenda J. Spurlin       

Rainbow Area Youth

www.toledoray.org