A Short Introduction

Creating Safe Places for Everyone

Personal Connection

One morning, I was walking towards my first period science class and as I turn the corner I see my best friend, Kristen. I call her name and try to get her attention but she doesn't respond. I try and catch up to her but she kept her head down and kept on walking, so I tried to call her name again. Suddenly, she turns around and says, "Reilly I can not talk right now", I could see the tears fill up in her eyes. Kristen has been my best friend since the first day of kindergarten, and I have seen her cry four times. I promise you, she naturally does not cry unless she is really upset, so when I saw the tears fill her eyes, I instantly knew something was wrong. I pulled her into a side hallway and she blurted out, "my parents are getting divorced". 

I have grown up with divorced parents since the age of four, and it has almost been a normal thing for me, so I was ready to help my best friend through the next challenge in her life. I have recognized that every divorce has been different, but many coping mechanisms have been similar. Yet, when she continued to tell me her mom was cheating on her dad with a women, I had no idea how to help her. 

Over the next year, her sister began questioning herself and her sexual orientation as her mom before her never felt like she belonged. Within that year, not only did my best friend's sister worlds flip upside down but also my best friend and myself too. Kristens sister has identified herself has bisexual, but she has struggled to find safe places especially in schools. Which has led to her attempting to commit suicide not only once but recently she attempted again. It has been hear When this first occurred, I was shocked and decided to look more into how LGBTQ students do not feel safe anywhere. 

August touches upon how LGBTQ students feel within the walls of the classroom and how psychological harm occurs everywhere. Heterosexism is one of the first topics she touches upon. Not only does heterosexism occur in the classroom, but parents, students, peers, and adults may assume that everyone should be heterosexual. This creates an unsafe environment for students as they feel they do not feel included or they are not wanted. Teachers play a key role in creating a safe environment for everyone despite their sexuality, race, ethnicity and religion. August points out that more often than not the discussion about sexuality is left out of the curriculum in an elementary setting. This then creates less of an opportunity for acceptance as they do not gain tolerance for the differences in life. 

 Simple things as including LGBTQ acceptance cirrculm and using inclusive language allows for people like my best friends little sister to feel included in a place where so much psychological harm exists.