When asking Chester High School teachers about LGBTQ+ inclusivity restrictions in the classroom, the responses were very informative. In short, there are no legal restrictions telling teachers that they cannot add LGBTQ+ inclusivity in their curriculum. However, teachers who aren’t tenured state that they are pressured to keep under social guidelines as to not risk their employment. Teachers in general have stayed away from “political topics”in the classroom so as to not risk a punishment from the school board or getting yelled at by parents. Despite the importance of having proper education on the topic, Missouri has no laws protecting LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace. While Illinois is progressive, the southern parts need to catch up with the times and accept the existence of LGBTQ+ individuals. So, what does CHS need to know about the topic?
According to a survey conducted for this story, out of the total population of teachers at CHS, that being all 26 in-classroom teachers, around 8% of teachers are LGBTQ+. Out of the 325 students at CHS, about 6% are enrolled in the GSA, or Gender Sexuality Alliance. None of the GSA are allies, meaning all of the students in GSA are LGBTQ+. However, out of that 6%, about 11% are not out to the public as LGBTQ+. It should be noted that this number is only accounting for the people who participate in the club and not the entirety of the population of LGBTQ+ students at CHS. The thing that is obvious now is that LGBTQ+ teachers and students exist at CHS.
Although 5.9% of the high school is LGBTQ+, discrimination is an underlying issue. For example, students who identify as LGBTQ+ have reported to school staff that they have experienced some form of discrimination from some staff and students. In September of this year, a student was denied access to the gender neutral bathroom by a staff member because, in the staff member’s words, “it’s against the rules.” The situation was brought to the attention of the principal and, to his credit, the situation was seemingly resolved. In past years with different administrators, this would’ve been a totally different story. Almost every person who attends CHS who is LGBTQ+ can say they have been harassed for their identity. And according to statistics, they are not alone. In 2020, an article about the Centers for Disease Control showed that “43% of transgender youth have been bullied on school property. 29% of transgender youth, 21% of gay and lesbian youth and 22% of bisexual youth have attempted suicide.” More trans students, according to this article, have been subjected to bullying in 2019 than they were in 2017. And according to Healthline, the numbers still haven’t stopped rising. “The Trevor Project found that bullying was reported by 65 percent of LGBTQ+ middle schooler respondents, while 49 percent of high school students reported bullying. Within the greater LGBTQ+ community, 61 percent of transgender and nonbinary students reported bullying compared to their cisgender LGBQ peers at 45 percent.” It is clear that the bullying for LGBTQ+ individuals hasn’t stopped, but continues to rise.
Looking at the statistics, bullying is actually steadily rising for people in this community, and what have schools in Illinois done about it? According to the Illinois State Board of Education, “On August 9, 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 246 (Public Act 101-0227) into law. This made Illinois the fifth state in the nation requiring public schools to include instruction and adopt instructional materials that accurately portray the political, economic, and social contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals” Yet, even though this was passed, it is still highly unlikely teachers will feel comfortable teaching the subject in public schools. A teacher at CHS states, “Although the people up in Chicago are a lot more progressive than other states, we are kinda afraid to teach what needs to be taught about the community in the classrooms due to the fact our employment is still at risk. An angry parent could march up to the school board, complain about the topic, and we could risk getting fired by the school board because of it.” That is how taboo the topic has become in southern Illinois Schools. Human rights and identity have been suppressed so much to the point that mentioning one’s identity as a teacher in a southern town could get someone fired. It needs to end.
So, with all that being said, what can we as a community do to educate ourselves, as well as the people of Chester, that being LGBTQ+ isn’t a political battle? We first need to implement the teaching of LGBTQ+ topics in the curriculum of the school. Across departments in the school like FACS, Biology, and English, and within the community at large, everywhere someone looks there are people behind the concept of acknowledging and accepting the diversity that has grown both globally and here in Chester. We shouldn’t be afraid of the backlash that might happen because it is physically a law implemented so that we can educate people on this matter. It is a law that needs to be followed through on so that the members of the LGBTQ+ community can freely express themselves in an educational way. Regaining the lost history, biology, etc. needs to be the first step. The step to take is the step towards progression. We need to act as a community and be respectful towards each other regardless of sexuality or gender identity. It’s time to take action and stand up for what is right.
The problem, the result, and the solution. The whole issue is that because LGBTQ+ education isn’t taught in school, it’s not considered normal. That’s when bullying occurs and, when people are being bullied for a thing they cannot control, it takes a mental toll on that person, which leads to self harm and suicide. That’s why the solution is so important, to not only protect LGBTQ+ kids and other individuals, but also educating the general public about the issue will alleviate some feeling of danger in the child.