I chose to implement the program that adresses homophobia in high school. I chose high school because I personally believe that homophobia and heterosexism is most evident amongst high school students. Students in high school feel the need to prove themselves , especially males , and insulting someone using derogatory homosexual terms is quite common in high schools. The biggest insult I today’s society is an attack on someone’s sexuality, it also makes a person (in particular males) feel more empowered when they insult someone based on their sexuality. This problem afflicting the youth of today is getting significantly worse and there should be measures put in place to hault the discrimination against homosexual students.
The program I would like to see put in place in high schools is inspired by the “Just Communities’ Safe Schools Program”. It is a two day program which is basically like workshop to inform and teach students , teachers , counsellors and administrators about homosexuality and heterosexist in high schools and how they can make in difference in changing the way we handle situations associated with it. The participants are made knowledgeable of the discrimination against homosexuals that is constantly occurring everyday in schools. Discrimination can be anything from ridiculing someone because of their sexual orientation to homophobic incidents perpetrated by the school systems itself. The first step of the program should be an information session in which the participants are made aware of all the forms and aspects of homophobia and maybe also information about homosexuals which makes people realize that homophobia is not a curse or a problem but just a certain preference for some people which does not make them peculiar outcasts. People should know just how bad the problem of homophobia is and how difficult it makes the lives of people who have to deal with situations regarding homophobia. A big part of the problem of homophobia is that most people are oblivious to how deeply homophobia affects the people on the receiving end, what may be a meaningless joke to one person may be a hurtful comment to another. Real life accounts of victims of homophobic incidents should be shared in order for people to have a better idea of the severity of the problem. The second step of the program should involve the participants more, they should be asked questions about what they learnt in order to make sure they understood. Participants should actively come up with solutions or plans to rectify the problem as this would make the problem more personal to them and therefore make them want to be more involved. They should be asked their thoughts and opinions nd give insight. This may even make some people realise what they were/ are doing is wrong and make them attempt to help themselves and other people at the same time. They can think of ways to make students who are homosexual feel me included in the society and not isolated as they do now. The point is to make the school body unite so that no one feels excluded. There should also be hotlines and offices set up so that people can follow up with what they learned in through the program.
I chose this program because I felt like it is trying to tackle homophobia from every angle. It also tries to include everyone in it so it would not seem like an obligation seminar but more of a community workshop where everyone is involved. Difficulties in implementing this program may come from high school students who are so homophobic that they criticize the program simple for being in place. This might discourage other people from taking part in the program. Some students may even take it as a joke which will make the program counter productive. Also students and faculty members often times do not want to feel like they are pressured into doing something they don’t care about which may lead to criticism of the program.