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Invisibility of LGBT students; facing potential
of a hostile campus climate
 No easy method of identifying safe, supportive
persons on LGBT issues and concerns
 Potential isolation and loneliness of LGBT
students; inability to identify sources of
support

Want you to be able to direct LGBTQ
students to resources
 Want you to recognize that LGBTQ
students are people who are in a
different place than you might be and to
provide you with some information
 Want to encourage you to be an ally for
people – no matter your personal beliefs

Evaluating Yourself:
As an ally, it is important for you to understand your own feelings
about LGBT people that resulted from growing up and living in a
heterosexist and homophobic society. Ask yourself the following:
1) When did you first become aware of sexual orientations other than
heterosexual?
2) When did you first realize that not everyone fits neatly into gender
categories?
3) What early/recent messages have you received about
homosexuality, bisexuality, or people who do not fit traditional
gender roles?
4) Do you stop yourself from doing or saying certain things because
someone might think you are gay or lesbian?
People will think I am L/G/B/T
 I might be harassed
 I will feel overwhelmed
 I won’t know what to say or how to say it
 Who will I turn to if this happens?

Group Agreement

Respect and openness

Confidentiality and openness

Right to pass

Nonjudgmental approach

Taking care to claim our opinions

Sensitivity to diversity

Acceptance

Have a good time
Rainbow Flag
Freedom Rings
Pink Triangle
Lambda Symbol
Confusion
Comparison
Acceptance
Pride
Adapted from: Cass, T. Homosexual Identity Development, 1979.
Adapted by Susan Young, SIUC, 1995
Tolerance
Synthesis
Becoming an Ally
Our society is heterosexist, so most people grow up with unexamined
heterosexist assumptions and attitudes. It takes time to overcome
those assumptions, attitudes and the behavior to which they give
rise. We call that process "becoming an ally" of non-heterosexual
people. The stages that an ally goes through are below:
1. Naïve
2. Acceptance of Dominant Group
3. Resistance
4. Redefinition
5. Internalization

See Handout

Questions?
Being LGB is contagious
 People who are LBGT can usually be
identified by their mannerisms, physical
characteristics, clothes, hobbies and
jobs.
 There is no such thing as the “gay
lifestyle.”
 Most lesbians want to be men, and most
gay men want to be women

Being LGBT is a mental illness and can be
cured by appropriate therapy.
 The majority of child molesters are gay
men.
 The statistics for teen suicides are similar
for LGBT and heterosexual adolescents
 People are legally protected by the
Federal government from being
discriminated against solely on the basis
of their LGBT identity.

Heterosexism results from the underlying cultural and social assumption that
everyone is heterosexual and if not, they should be.
Although it is a passive form of prejudice, heterosexism is a potent, oppressive
force that disavows LGBT identities and undermines the development of
healthy, positive LGBT identities and relationships. Institutionalized
heterosexism impacts LGBT people in -very real, tangible ways.
Examples of Heterosexism:
 The assumption that everyone you meet is heterosexual
 The assumption that everyone has or is interested in having a opposite-sex
partner
 The assumption that all mothers and fathers are heterosexual
 The assumption all sexually active women use birth control
 The assumption that all unmarried people are “single”, while in reality they
may have a same-sex partner
 The assumption that all children live in families with male-female couple in
parental roles
 The use of language that presumes heterosexuality in others, such as
“husband” or “wife” instead of gender neutral language such as “partner”
 The use of official forms which only allow for designation as married or single

You are an advocate, educator, resource guide
& mentor
› Respect privacy and confidentiality
› Be a positive listener, avoid trying to sway the person to
another viewpoint
› Use language sensitive to person’s identity development
› Remember professional and personal boundaries
Provide reference materials and other resources
about sexual identity
 Be aware of other support services in the area and
provide referrals when necessary

› ISU Office of Diversity, Residential Life Staff Members,
Social Justice Committee Members, Advocates for
Equality, LGBTQS Alliance, ISU Counseling Center, Safe
Zone Members

Assist individuals in finding legal and official
assistance in harassment situations
› Public Safety, ISU Office of Diversity
Web Resources:
 http://www.indstate.edu/diversity/Safe_zone.htm
 http://www.clubs.psu.edu/aa/gsa/terms.html
 http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/glbss/education.html
 http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/PUBLICATIONS/factsheet/f
sglbt.htm
 http://www.sprc.org/library/SPRC_LGBT_Youth.pdf