Some Things to Remember
INTRODUCTIONS – to become a real human being to your audience. “I am a
person and just one aspect of that is being
lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender.”
1. Keep it brief.
2. Avoid negatives
3. Don’t focus on being lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender. Perhaps bring
it up near the end (or maybe not – it will come up.)
4. Include ...
a. Where/when did you grow up? go to high
school?
b. What was your childhood like? your family? your
high school?
c.What do you do now (family, hobbies, interests,
school activities, work)?
5. Always speak from personal experience.. Let them know about you.
DISCLAIMER – to protect our reputation
1. We’re not here to recruit.
2.We’re not suggesting that you “try it.”
3.We’re not here trying to represent all lesbians/gays/bisexuals. We
are speaking from our own personal experience and what we say will
reflect our own opinions.
4. It’s understandable that you might have stereotypes; we all do.
Don’t let having a stereotype keep you from asking a question.
One reason we’re here is to help break down stereotypes.
5. We’re not here to lecture because we don’t know what is of interest
to you – so our format is question and answer. We won’t bring subjects
up if you don’t ask about them
6.The only “dumb” question is the one you don’t ask. If you have a
question, others probably have it too and will be glad you asked it.
CREATING A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT –
1. Check with the instructor beforehand to see if there are any
sensitive issues you should avoid (e.g. explicit talk about sexual
behavior) and to get a general feel for the class ... lively/dull,
open-minded/conservative, etc ... Also show the instructor the handouts
and discuss how they will be handled.
2. Consider your appearance and the statement it makes. Teenagers are
very much affected by appearance.
3. Be supportive and non-confrontational.
4. Demonstrate a positive attitude. Be open, honest and understanding
5. Don’t refuse to answer a question without giving an explanation.
next subject: Information
We May Take for Granted
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