Sexual orientation and gender identity
Many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) students are members of our community. Unlike other underrepresented students, many GLBT students are "invisible" because sexual orientation and gender identity are not always determined through physical expression, or because some students choose not to be out. Some students do talk about their sexual orientation or gender identity openly. Regardless of your sexual orientation, your goal as a mentor is to maximize learning and professional opportunities for all your protégés. You can help your academic community eliminate, or be more aware, of the following:
Resources
To learn about special programs and activities for GLBT graduate students, contact:GLBT Student Association
234 Nebraska Union
402-472-5644
http://www.unl.edu/lambda
Homophobia
Even within a fairly accepting educational climate, GLBT students say that they still encounter homophobia around campus and in the classroom, either as students or teaching assistants. Behaviors can range from the blatantly offensive, such as verbal or physical threats or attacks, to the less obvious, such as the casual remark "that is so gay" in classroom or hallway conversations.
Heterosexism
Many graduate students and professors discuss topics with the unconscious assumption that everyone is heterosexual. Even some straight faculty and students who have a heightened awareness of gender issues might still tend to think about the world from a heterosexual perspective. As a result, GLBT students can find their perspectives missing in research or discussions, making them feel isolated from opportunities for intellectual engagement.
Genderism
Similarly, many people on campus assume that all individuals identify fully with the gender in which they were raised. Genderism is the assumption that male and female assignments of gender are fixed at birth. This is not the case for every person. Gender biases in classrooms and departments (e.g., saying "it" to refer to individuals of ambiguous gender; gendered bathrooms) are oppressive to individuals who feel the need to alter their gender identity.
Disclosing
Being out as a GLBT student is not a one-time event, but a decision experienced in each new social situation. Each new interaction comes with the burden of having to assess the personal, social, and political ramifications of disclosure. Heterosexual students do not bear this weight when interacting with peers and professors.
Suggestions
- Assume that GLBT students are present in every classroom, lab, seminar, or campus meeting in which you participate and that they might not feel safe being out.
- Establish standards for language use and communication when you interact with graduate students. Convey that your goal in doing so is to ensure an environment that is conducive to effective learning and achievement.
- Avoid using examples that are exclusive to heterosexual experiences. For example, when talking about families, avoid talking as if every family were composed of a husband, wife, and children. Words like "spouse" and "partner" instead of just "spouse" or "husband" or "wife" go a long way in assuring that GLBT students and students who are single are represented in discussions.
- Ask students whom you know are out to discuss with you how best to address their learning and professional needs. Ask them if they are willing to foster discussions about how sexual orientation in academic settings can be handled productively.
- Realize that your mentoring is more effective if you develop sensitivity to sexual orientation as a multi-dimensional phenomenon. That is, homosexuality is only one of several expressions of sexual orientation.
- Discuss how discriminatory remarks impede the learning process, not only of GLBT students but of all students.
- Encourage your department to put GLBT concerns on the agenda of graduate student orientations and faculty and staff training programs.
