This month, Equality Florida was invited to present at a training for 100 of Miami-Dade Public Schools Sexual Minority Youth Counselors.
Miami-Dade's Sexual Minority Youth Network is an incredible program and one of just a few of it's kind throughout the country. Each Middle School and High School in the district is assigned a Sexual Minority Youth Counselor who is tasked with ensuring the safety and well being of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning youth.
(Photo: GSA Network Coordinator Michael Farmer speaks to Miami-Dade Sexual Minority Youth Counselors.)
Equality Florida Deputy Director, Stratton Pollitzer gave an update on the status of anti-bullying policies throughout the state and a background on Equality Florida's 13 years of dedication in passing a bullying law to protect all students.
Equality Florida's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Network Coordinator, Michael Farmer spoke about our programming supporting student organizers who are bravely building GSAs in their High Schools and Middle Schools. These GSAs are a lifeline and support system that help students work together to defeat homophobia and bullying. We invited all of the counselors and their students to participate in our next Miami GSA Leadership Institute happening in October.
For information about forming a GSA or our GSA Network visit www.eqfl.org/GSA.
A new study reveals that programs supporting LGBTQ students and their allies is as critical as ever. According to a story from the Huffington Post, "A new report by the Family Acceptance Project at San Francisco State University traced the effects of LGBT-victimizing bullying in school -- including unintentional epithets like “that’s so gay,” more direct verbal harassment, and physical violence -- beyond their initial sting in school hallways. Using data from the project's survey of 245 LGBT young adults, the paper links such bullying to long-term health and developmental problems."
See the full story here.
