=Gender and Society=

Mangubat, Justine A.
SBAC 1A

“The Safe Space Kit:Guide to Being an Ally to LGBT Students”

Talking about LGBT is a very sensitive topic, we must keep in mind that not all people have
only one gender identity. There are other gender identity exists in our current generation. They
have a wide range of people in every corner of our country like they can be seen on TV, politics,
pageants, in the workplace, and in school but, do LGBT students accepted in school? How can we
able to protect LGBT students from bullies? , As an ally, how can we show our support to the
LGBT students?

“When teachers are accepting of you, it means the world to you. You know that things will be
OK and that they are there for you. ”. This statement means a lot to every student who is afraid to
show their true self. We all know that our second home is our school and our second parents are
the teachers so being accepted by them is a big achievement to each and everyone especially to the
LGBT students, they may not be accepted at home or by the environment they lived in at least
several people can see their worth as an individual and makes them feel that being an LGBT is not
a disease or sin, by the help of their support, they can freely act that can make them happy and they
can be true to themselves.

School is not the safest place for every LGBT student that’s why there must have what we call
Safe Space, a welcoming, supportive, and secure environment for students who identify as lesbian,
gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). The word, “Safe” means they will feel that no one can harm
them in a particular place specifically in school while “Space” because we know that school is our
second home so the security of safety they have in their houses can also exist in school so there
must be a safe space to everyone not only for the LGBT students but for all the students. We must
consider the feelings of each other by treating them equally and welcoming them wholeheartedly.

There is a safe space kit designed for the educators and staff who want to support LGBT
students and to protect students while they are in their safe space regardless of their sexual
orientation and gender identity. This kit can help not just the educator but also all the people inside
the school about the awareness of each and everyone’s identity, the school personnel must conduct
a seminar so that all will be informed and they can reflect on the actions and words they are going
to say to a student with different gender identity or sexual orientation, it can also be their guide to
share to others that we must start to work on the equality wherever we go.

As an ally of the LGBT students, we must have these characteristics on how to help them be at
home or be safe on their second home but first let us know what is an ally. Ally is a person who
speaks out and stands up for a targeted individual or group as well as discriminated. An ally
contributes by supporting and advocating for the abolition of oppression for those who are
stigmatized or discriminated against being discriminated against or treated unfairly.

The guide to become an ally to LGBT students includes: Know the Issues, Support, Educate,
Advocate. Know the issues, provides background information about LGBT students' experiences
as well as anti-LGBT bias. Support refers to specific actions. you can take to provide effective
assistance to LGBT students are welcome. Educate discusses various methods of teaching students
and educate school staff on how to combat anti-LGBT prejudice and behavior. Advocate offers
strategies that you can use to encourage change in your school. The final section contains
additional materials. including LGBT-related term definitions and a comprehensive resource and
referral list LGBT youth resources.

In a conclusion, we must start to take action about this matter, we need to be open-minded and
aware that other genders exist. We must also remember that no one deserves to question their
worth and existence because they show who they are and in a return, being judged by others, it is
not wrong to be true to yourself as long as you are happy. It’s not easy to achieve equality but as
long as we are willing to accept each and everyone, maybe someday we can achieve it, for now,
let’s respect each other's identity and let them be human too.