You ARE protected!

You might not be safe but your are legally protected and there are things you can do to help yourself.

Every student in Colorado's public and charter schools is  legally protected from bullying, harassment, intimidation, discrimination, and violence based on their sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

Prevention:

• Know who are safe persons in your school (neighborhood, etc.).  Identify caring adults and tryto have buddies who will stick by you.  However, avoid the temptation to become a gang of bullies yourselves as a preventative measure.
• Be sure of the difference between tattling (trying to get someone into trouble) and telling (reporting something in order to prevent or solve a dangerous situation).  Tattling breaks a social code of behavior; telling is a duty to yourself and others!
• If certain areas are the territory where the bullies hang out, decide whether it is necessary or, if not, worth it to walk through those areas.
• Walk confidently.  Body language can sometimes label someone as an easy target.
• At the beginning of school, ideally, faculty should make sure that everyone knows the school’s anti-harassment policy and the procedures for reporting harassment.  If this has not happened, privately ask an administrator to see that all teachers review the policy with their students.  If your community has anti-intimidation laws or hate crime laws, everyone should be familiar with those also.

If harassment happens:

• First, get safe!   There is no shame in taking care of your own safety.  That is more important than anything else, especially having a confrontation that could escalate into something more dangerous.
• If the harassment is physical, try to leave immediately, without bothering to respond.
• Think about where you could go, whether there are people nearby.  Could yelling attract help? Can you run?  Must you fight back in order to get away?
• Are there weapons involved?  Are you outnumbered?  Sometimes people decide that the least dangerous thing to do is not to resist.  However you react, remember that the harassment is NOT YOUR FAULT!
• If the harassment is verbal and ongoing, ignoring the bullies may only tempt them to try harder to “get to you.”  However, showing that you are frightened or very emotional may also egg them on. If possible, stay calm and respond.
• If the problem is verbal, such as name-calling, it might be OK to say, “Cut it out!” angrily and then walk on.
• Some successful strategies involve actually admitting that something hurts (See T-shirts with the slogan “Hate Hurts”):  “You know, I have a neighbor friend who has Downs syndrome.  That term ‘retard’ is really hurtful.”  “I know some people have money enough for fancy brand- name clothes. I’m not one of them, so I don’t appreciate your comments about my jacket.”  “Do you have any idea how not funny that remark is?”  Surprisingly, being openly vulnerable sometimes takes the fun out of bullying and may even change attitudes.

• One of the best strategies is to do something totally unexpected. A student  told of his friend who was called “faggot” and just turned and said,  “Thank you!” Ridicule of someone’s clothing elicited “Hey, I’m a trendsetter! Just wait till you see everyone wearing this next year!” Humor is often a great weapon of self defense. So is “owning the putdown”:  “Yep, that’s me, all right!” The program Bully-Proofing Your School points out that “a bully does not know what to do or say next if the victim simply agrees with him or her.”
• Whatever your response, make it a response to the behavior, not the person. Personal attacks only make situations worse. Focus on the harassment itself and avoid the word “you”: “That was a mean thing to say,” rather than “You are a mean person to say that,” or “You are such a bigot!”
• Whether or not you reply to the harassers, the next thing to do is to walk away, refusing to get hooked into a debate or further namecalling.”

Afterward:

• Remember: The attack was not your fault!
• You may have any of a number of reactions after an attack. Anger, fear, hopelessness, shame, embarrassment, tears—all these and more are possible and OK. There is no one “right” reaction.
• Try to think of the harassment as “The attackers have a problem, not me.”
• Find someone safe to talk to. Friends and sometimes family or guardians can be a wonderful support.
• Also, fine a safe adult to report to. Remember that this is not tattling, but telling. Any harassment is serious, not to be brushed aside as teasing or a minor problem. You deserve to be safe. A teacher, security guard, principal, bus driver, counselor, dean, nurse—the adult who seems safest should know about the harassment and help provide protection. If you fear retaliation, discuss this with the safe adult and consider options.
• As soon as possible, write down in detail exactly what happened. Tell when and where this took place, who was there, who did what, who said what, who were witnesses. Try to write down actual quotations or paraphrases. If you have any physical results from the attack, write them down and be sure that your safe person sees them.
• If your safe person is unable to help, go to higher levels: supervisors, district administrators, even school board. It is possible that you may even seek help from legal sources if nothing else works. There are also community resources, from the police to various agencies and support groups available to harassment victims.
• In Colorado, the Anti-Violence Project has a hot line for reporting harassment (anonymously if you wish) and finding connections for help if you request it.

1. 24-hour emergency pager: 303-852-5094
2. Non-emergency calls: 
3. Outside the Denver metro area: 1-888-557-4441-x2

Crisis Prevention Resources

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
http://www.afsp.org/

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.

Trevor Project
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

The Trevor Lifeline is the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQ youth. The Trevor Lifeline is a free and confidential service that offers hope and someone to talk to, 24/7. Each year, tens of thousands of calls are fielded from young people across the country. The Trevor Lifeline is accredited as an exemplary crisis intervention program by the American Association for Suicidology (AAS).

General LGBT Support Resources

It Gets Better Project
http://www.itgetsbetter.org/

Itgetsbetter.org is a place where young people who are lesbian, gay, bi, or trans can see how love and happiness can be a reality in their future. It's a place where our straight allies can visit and support their friends and family members. It's a place where people can share their stories, take the It Gets Better Project pledge, watch videos of love and support, and seek help through the Trevor Project and GLSEN.

National Center for Transgender Equality
http://transequality.org/

NCTE is social justice organization dedicated to advancing the equality of transgender people through advocacy, collaboration and empowerment.

Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
http://pflag.org

PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, their families and friends through Support, to cope with an adverse society, Education, to enlighten an ill-informed public and Advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights.

Trevor Project
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

In addition to the Lifeline mentioned above, The Trevor Project has numerous resources for youth including online discussions and a database of community organizations that can provide local support to youth.

Legal Assistance Resources

American Civil Liberties Union
http://www.aclu.org/

The ACLU also works to extend rights to segments of our population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities.

Family Equality Council
http://www.familyequality.org/

Family Equality Council works to ensure equality for LGBT families by building community, changing hearts and minds, and advancing social justice for all families.

Lambda Legal
http://www.lambdalegal.org/

Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education and public policy work.

More information:

GLSEN Colorado

www.glsen.org

303-936-6562

Thanks to the Washington Safe Schools Coalition and Bully-Proofing Your School for concepts incorporated