Editing GSA Visits

This page has content useful for our "GSA" visits to high schools. [[GSA Invitation|The invitation to the teachers is here]]. [[GSA Contacts|The contacts for the different schools etc are listed here]]. ==Suggested Format== * Introduction ** Mi'kmag land acknowledgement ** About the Elderberries ** What we have planned for today's session ** You all have cards - these are for an Ask Me Anything. If you think of a question while we're talking, write it on the card, we'll collect them later * We will be answering for ourselves, not for all LGBT folk. Sometimes we'll try to make a generalization, sometimes we'll tell you we're doing that. * Main Part ** Short self introductions ** Speak to a topic maybe ** Ask the students to add any more questions on the cards. ** Answer questions Dan's Introduction: * I'm 57, I've known I was 8 years old (story about Mino) * I've had several long term relationships. (story about the one that ended because of a drug problem) * I live in a house in the north end of Halifax, I've lived there for many years and I really like it there. * My work: Do you know the internet? I built it! * Volunteer: publishing. what is publishing? * Now mostly retired * Life is good * Now I'm a part time archivist (what's an archivist?) * Current interest: thinking about privilege, different kinds, and how we can use it to do good in the world. ==For Next Time== * Before: ** We should agree what order we're going to speak. ** We should plan a debrief meeting afterwards * Prepare a couple sentences on words we use - and that these were words we used years ago in stories. * Prepare some stories from our own high school days. * It's easy to tell horror stories about how awful it was. Try to have at least one story of the good times. ** Dan's: "We laughed and loved and danced - a lot! At the gay bar I would get together with my dancing partner and dance from 10pm until 1 or 2 in the morning." Remember one big argument about whether men were allowed to dance with their shirts off. * During ** If it's a double session, plan a brief physical activity at the midpoint. ==Typical Questions== '''2020-01-16 Health & Wellness Day at Eastern Passage Education Centre:''' * Did teachers do anything to stop bullying? * How were you treated back then if you were gay? * What did your parents think / act when you came out? * Any ideas on how to come out with humour? * I’m non-binary, does that mean that whoever I date, it will always be gay? * How hard was life? * Is it possible to be one gender and feel like the other but not want to make any changes? * Can someone change their personal orientation if they wanted to? * How do you stop from getting bullied by your siblings because you’re bi? * What’s your worst bullying experience? Coming Out * How did you know you were LGBTQ? * Who was the first person you told? (repeated X4) * How old were you when you realized what your sexuality was? (repeated X 3) * When did you come out of the closet? * When was the first time you thought you were gay? * When or how did you realize you were LGBTQ? (x2) * When did you come out? How did people react? * How did you mother and father react when they found out? * How did everyone react when you came out? * Did it feel nice to come out? * How hard was it for you? * Did you ever tell your friends when you were younger? * How do I come out? * Were you scared about coming out? * It is verrrry hard for me to make friends and to tell other people that I am transgendered without them runnign away. Is there a way around that. * How do you balance being open about how you are and being safe? After Coming Out * What was it like living life as LGBTQ+? (x4) * Was life hard when you came out? * Are you happy you came out? * Were you ever ashamed of your sexuality? Harassment * Are you made fun of because of your gender?] * Were you ever bullied while you were younger because you were gay? * How do you deal with homophobic people? * Did you ever get sexually harassed? * Do you still get criticized or made fun of for being part of the LGBTQ+? * How do you deal with other people hating on you? * Did anyone ever call gay or a fruitcake? * What was the worst thing anyone ever said to you? Employment * Have you been asked your sexuality in a job interview? (repeated X2) * Were you ever denied a job because of your sexuality? * Were you able to get a job easily? * What discrimination did you have to deal with when getting a job? * Did you ever have to lie about your sexuality to get a job? * Have you ever been fired due to your sexual preference? Social * Was it hard to find people like you? * Did you ever have to date the opposite sex to hide the fact that you are gay? * Have you had a relationship with the opposite sex?/If you have, what restrictions/limits did you give yourself while you were involved? Trans * What bathroom do you use? Do you go to a girls bathroom or a guy’s bathroom? * What was it like to realize you were gay/trans?LGBT+? * Is there a way to tell if you're transgender? Legislative * How did you feel when gay marriage was made legal in Canada?/ Did you feel that it should have been done a long time ago? Other * Do you know what a furry is? Are any of you furrys? * What do you call someone who loves fictional characters? * Do you like Harry Potter? * What made you want to start the elderberries? * What was it like being an activist during that time? * What's one of your favourite memories / stories about beign queer? * Can a person be multiple genders / sexualities? * Vous parlez français? * What was it like transitioning to your selfs now? * As an older queer person, do you feel more or less comfortable expressing yourselves in public? * What does asexual mean? * I'm bisexual and I told my mom and my brother and hsi friends make fun of me how do I respond to them? * I like girls and boys but mostly boys does that mean I'm really straight? Our Question To Them * From Anita: How would you react if one of your parents or grandparents came out to you?

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This change is a minor edit.

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