LGBT youth are at an increased risk for bullying and hostility in schools and it is impacting their learning more than ever. According to stopbullying.gov, Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth, or those perceived as LGBT, may be teased and bullied by their peers, usually bullying towards LGBT youth targets their non-conformity to gender norms.
Recently a beautifully-nuanced movie came out entitled Moonlight, which really looks at “boyhood.” It is about taking a serious look at a young man’s evolution over time though Chiron, the main character, an African-American child who is from Liberty City, Miami. Very quiet by nature, throughout his childhood and adolescence Chiron is bullied in school because he is perceived as “soft” or homosexual by his peers. Even though at a young age, Chiron is still figuring out his identity. Eventually he reaches his breaking point and retaliates against this one particular bully. Consequently, Chiron is taken out of school and is sent to juvenile detention. While this movie touches on other complexities in the black community, the topic of LGBT youth particularly youth of color is important to talk about especially because homosexuality is still a very taboo subject in many communities. The stigma associated with non-conforming gender identities ultimately leaves LGBT youth vulnerable in schools.
Having been raised in Miami, this movie really resonated with me. Not only did I wear similar uniforms in the Miami-Dade school systems as in the movie, but I witnessed so many LGBT or perceived LGBT youth called “soft,” bullied and sexually harassed. Bullied LGBT youth, or youth perceived as LGBT, are more likely to skip school, and are more than twice as likely as their peers to be depressed and think about or attempt suicide. (stopbullying.gov). So what are some of the ways schools are working to foster safe spaces for LGBT youth?
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, creating a supportive environment for LGBT students improves educational outcomes for all students, not just those who may identify as LGBT. Any educator can and should be a resource for LGBT students. In order to build an inclusive environment, educators, administrators, and counselors must work to implement inclusive policies and nurturing practices. Though there have been strides for these inclusive spaces, LGBT youth are still at risk for negative educational outcomes. As my colleague Gabrielle Hickmon points out in her article, “Education in Trump’s America,” with the recent election of Trump and his advisers who promote the harmful practice of so-called “conversion therapy” for LGBT people, it is very troubling to think about how this will impact LGBT students in the future.
References:
Click to access lgbtyouthtipsheet.pdf
Gabrielle
hulyamiclissepolat
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najibmadiha
Rabani Garg
Gendered Ed 
December 6, 2016 at 6:46 pm
Hi!
This really was a great movie (and a great blog post)! I think so much of the movie’s strength was in its willingness to be subtle and address complexities. Although Chiron’s life circumstances included a lot of violence, the movie tended to give the audience space to consider the emotional aspect of physical violence. Could you imagine what a director like Quentin Tarantino would do with the opportunity to have so many violent scenes? Or even with sexuality (I’m thinking about the scene on the beach), the movie always allowed for textured, nuanced readings that went beyond the physicality of things.
This sort of emotional and intellectual flexibility is def what we need more of if we want to combat the issues you bring up in your last paragraph.
Peace
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