Resources and Publications

1. Challenging Homophobia - A Teacher's Resource Book 2nd Ed.

2. Book Resources Fiction and Non-Fiction Titles for K-12

    also check out these: Gay and lesbian characters and themes in children's books and Homophobia and Heterosexism - Top Ten Resouces NEW!

3. Video Resources on Homophobia and Heterosexism

4. Web Sites Which Provide LGB Resources for Educators and/or Youth
5. Web Sites Which Provide Transgender Resources for Educators and/or Youth

6. Community Groups and Services for LGBT Youth in BC
7. Information for transgender youth, their service providers, friends and allies

8. "I Think I Might Be Gay, Lesbian or Bisexual" (A student brochure)
9. Gay/Straight Alliance Handbook and CTF GSA Handbook Flyer (2006) NEW!
10. Dealing with Name-Calling 08 NEW Edition! Lesson: A Sociometry of Oppressions
11. GALE Newsletters
12. Sample Lesson Plans

13. Downloadable Posters

14. Discussion scenarios for teachers (What would you do?) NEW!
15. Myths about Anti-Homophobia Education also available in Chinese and Objections to H&H Curriculum NEW!
16. Coming out book for parents in (English/Chinese) and in (English/Japanese/Korean) NEW!
17. Canadian Teachers' Federation GLBT resources Order form (English) and in (French) NEW!
Click here for GALE BC resources order form

In his engaging cultural overview, Generation Queer: Sexual Minority Youth and Canadian Schools (PDF), author Kristopher Wells draws from his extensive research to document the evolution of attitudes and perceptions toward gay students, details their current challenges and outlines the support networks available to them throughout their academic years. (Permission to use granted by Education Canada and the Canadian Education Association)

Teacher Resource Book

"Challenging Homophobia In Schools" (First edition) is a comprehensive new professional resource produced by Gay and Lesbian Educators of BC (GALE-BC). It was sent to Pro-D. reps in all public schools in B.C. by the B.C.Teachers' Federation (B.C.T.F.) in September 2000. This is the first resource of its kind in B.C. to deal with the complex reality of homophobia and heterosexism in schools. "Challenging Homophobia In Schools" received funding and support from the B.C.T.F., B.C. Human Rights Commission and twenty-seven local teacher associations and unions around the province.

We have just finished (August 2004) the production of "Challenging Homophobia In Schools" (Second edition). This resource includes many new and revised practical lesson plans from K-12 as well as a rationale on why schools need to teach about sexual orientation. A comprehensive background section on homophobia and heterosexism includes information on: negative myths perpetuated against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, coming out issues, counselling ideas, violence prevention strategies, dealing with anti-gay slurs and how to support students by starting gay-straight alliances in schools.

Teachers are provided with lots of concrete, practical strategies and lesson plans written by classroom teachers. The resource section provides a wide range of age-appropriate classroom resources from K-12 as well as parent and professional resources. Community groups and support services for LGBT people and relevant web sites are also listed.

To order copies of the handbook mail a cheque payable to GALE-BC for $26.00CDN (includes postage) or $21.00US per copy to GALE-BC, Box 93678, Nelson Park PO, Vancouver, B.C. V6E-4L7.

For GALE Handbook Info and order form click here!

For information on the Canadian Teachers Federation's resource addressing homophobia and heterosexism in communities, schools and classrooms, click here.

An opinion paper on "opting out" of provincial curriculum (click here)

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Sample Lesson Plans

(Email us with a lesson that worked for you at: noblekelly@telus.net ).

Student safety survey

Lesson of the month:

Brokeback Mountain Lesson (PDF)

Name-calling (Word document)

Ending Name-calling in schools (PDF)

What does "faggot" and "dyke" mean? (PDF)

GALE BC Name-Calling Resource (PDF)

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A NOTE TO EDUCATORS

Click here for the two-page brochure titled, "I Think I Might Be Gay or Lesbian or Bisexual". These two pages constitute a brochure for all students in secondary grades, and some in upper elementary grades. Click here for the two-page brochure titled, "I Think I Might Be Gay or Lesbian or Bisexual" in Chinese.

This same brochure can be downloaded from GALE’s website www.galebc.org along with the three brochures on transgender issues (click on “Resources”). Any time that a brochure is updated, it will be posted on this website. We hope to have the GALE brochure available in a few other languages soon too.

We encourage educators and community workers to download this brochure from our website, or to photocopy these two pages, back-to-back (enlarge them by about 28%). This will produce a double-sided brochure on legal-size paper (11” X 14”), which can then be folded in four. These brochures can be displayed in school counselling offices, student areas, community centres, churches, health units, medical offices, or anywhere where young people are likely to visit.

Please note: there is a place on each brochure to write in a name and contact (phone or email) of a local contact in your community, whether it be a specific counsellor or teacher, an LGBT youth group, a women’s centre, a crisis line, etc.

These brochures should be displayed in a manner and place where any young person can privately pick one up, without “outing” himself or herself. This is important, since the very population who need to read this information are usually not out to anyone else, may not be sure about their own sexuality, and may be very vulnerable to taunting and harassment from others.

The language used in this brochure should make it accessible to most teenaged readers, and we have attempted to include enough information to help young lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth (and those who are questioning their sexual identity) to feel less alone and lonely. Several phone numbers are given, as well as the titles of a few supportive, well-written books. New groups are evolving all the time for young LGBT persons, and many more good books are being printed.

We hope that this brief introduction will be a starting point for those young people who need clear, accurate and supportive information. Unfortunately, there is no information on this brochure that is specific to transgender persons and issues, but the youth groups and telephone resources that are listed are very knowledgeable about, and supportive of, transgender youth.

Any educators who teach about sexuality, identity development, diversity issues, human rights, CAPP classes, etc. may consider giving this brochure to all young people in their audience, and discussing the contents briefly. This would allow every student to get the same basic information, with no one having to ask for it or being singled out for special attention. All students can be asked to read and keep the brochure, so that they may better be able to understand and to support their friends who are, or who may later come out as, lesbian, gay or bisexual.

 

 
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
(Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.)