MVP Scenario wild pitch

Review class agreements and norms for discussion.
Review options for students who need to take a break from the content/conversation.
Agree - Disagree - Unsure

People who are openly gay and show affection in public are asking to be harassed.

Why do some people threaten, intimidate, or harm gay people?

Should people have the right to be and express who they are in public even if that makes others uncomfortable?

SCENARIO

A friend you often hang around with constantly makes anti-gay comments. They call a lot of people "gay" in a mocking tone or use the phrase "stop being gay" or "that's gay". You've also heard your friend make threatening statements indirectly about people who are openly gay in your school. Your friend has been known to be physically aggressive and you are worried they might get physical towards an openly gay person in your school.

Train of Thought

I can't control what all my friends say and think. Some people are just uncomfortable with homosexuality. Isn't that their right? But what if it's something violent? I know that it's attitudes like this that sometimes lead to violence. But what can I do about it? Why would my friend listen to me? What will others think about me if I speak up? What should I do in this situation?

Is this situation realistic? Could this happen within our school or surrounding community?

What’s problematic about this situation? What concerns or “red flags” do you notice in this scenario?

Have you ever witnessed or observed a similar situation? If you are willing, please share your experience(s).

What responsibility might you have in this situation to the person(s) being targeted? To the person causing the potential harm or abuse? To your school? To yourself?

Have you ever observed someone intervene or get involved in a similar situation before? If so, what did they do? What was the outcome?

Why might an observer in this situation choose to be silent or not get involved? What’s the potential IMPACT to those involved here if no one intervenes or disrupts this situation?

Give examples of how a friend or classmate might respond “directly” in this situation? How might someone respond utilizing a “distraction” in this situation?

If you didn’t intervene or respond immediately in this situation, what might you consider saying or doing later?

To whom could you go to for help? What additional resources might be needed?

Which of the examples shared thus far would you most likely use in a situation like this? Why?

Let's talk it out!

How might we engage?

  • Direct – Respond directly with words or deed to the aggressor or victim --- or both.
  • Protocol – Report, inform or advise to person in charge, authority figure, supervisor, etc.
  • Indirect/Distraction – “Shift the focus,” use humor, tell a story, current events, weekend plans, etc.
  • After the Fact/Next Day – Return later when things calm down. Check in. Let the person know you care about them.
  • With an Ally or Friend – Recognize another peer’s disapproval of the situation, act together.

options

1. Do nothing. It’s really none of my business anyway.

2. Talk to my friend one day in private and tell them I am not comfortable with the anti-gay remarks.

3. Talk to a couple other people who know my friend, and who seem informed to these sorts of issues, and come up with a plan.

4. Find the genders and sexualities alliance (GSA) group in my school, community or state and ask someone in the group for advice.

5. Talk to a parent or trusted adult in the school and get some ideas for how to handle this situation.

6. Personal option:

Sexism and homophobia are directly related; both are about gender and sexual identity; what we reinforce as social norms and how we respond to anything that challenges that norm. Sometimes the fear of being mislabeled silences people who might otherwise speak out against the abuse, harassment, and mistreatment of LGBTQIA individuals.