Q&A with HRTS MA student Marsha McDowell: On Protecting LGBTQ Kids in Schools
Marsha McDowell is an MA student in Human Rights Practice at the University of Arizona. She also has a BS in Applied Psychology from Arizona State University. Marsha lives in the Seattle, Washington area but has previously lived in Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Oregon, Iowa, and California. She has been a stay-at-home parent for the last 14 years and plans on attending law school once she graduates from U of A. This Q&A was conducted by Prof. Raymond Smith.
Q: Marsha, you've been volunteering with the Washington State branch of GLSEN, a nationwide network that supports LGBTQ students. Please say a little about GLSEN and why you find its work so important.A: At the national level, GLSEN completes research regarding the school environments for LGBTQ students. They complete a bi-annual School Climate Survey, both at the national and local state levels, to show how LGBTQ students feel in regards to bias and discrimination in their schools and whether or not they feel safe when attending school. This research is then adapted into professional development programming to be presented to school districts across the country. Additionally, GLSEN has student programs for creating Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs and has a student council program to teach LGBTQ kids about leadership and policy change activism. GLSEN is also active in policy change and frequently speaks out against anti-LGBTQ bills that are introduced locally and nationwide. At the beginning of the pandemic, my oldest child came out as being gender fluid. I was aware of the discrimination that the LGBTQ community faces and I could not bear to sit around and not be involved in making change, especially with something that could impact my own child. I looked at many non-profits in the area to see what kind of work they were doing and GLSEN’s wide range of research, policy advocacy, and education really stood out as an organization that is working toward change on many levels. I attended GLSEN Washington’s annual Youth Leadership Conference and was very impressed with their leadership team and programming. I was lucky that they were looking for board members at that time and with my financial background was able to apply and be accepted as Treasurer. Besides handling the financial side for the chapter, I also have the opportunity to work with the board and other state chapters in many different ways including training, research, and project development.
Q: Can you tell us about your involvement with GLSEN's Rainbow Library program, which provides age-appropriate LGBTQ-themed books to school libraries? What's the aim of the Rainbow Library, and what challenges does it face?A: The Rainbow Library’s purpose is to ensure that LGBTQ youth have access to books that represent kids like them. Many school libraries are full of books about cisgender, heterosexual people with very few books on gender minorities. Representation is very important for LGBTQ kids to feel a sense of belonging and libraries that have books about kids who share similar experiences and identities and stories with diverse families helps them know they are not alone and that it’s ok for them to be who are they are. It is also important for non-LGBTQ children or children who may be questioning to learn similarly so that they can be allies to their fellow students. Although GLSEN offers the Rainbow Library for free, we can only give them to school libraries that are willing to accept them.
In my role as a GLSEN board member, I promote the Rainbow Library directly to school districts but also through social media and word of mouth to get parents and community members involved with telling school boards, administrators, and librarians how important these books are to their students. Oftentimes parental and community voices are what helps change the minds of more resistant school administrators. I am seeing this community organization happen in my own children’s school district as I was initially denied by the school district but with help and pushback from other parents and community members we are close to getting the Rainbow Library at all schools in the district.Q: GLSEN also advances professional development with educators to create safer spaces for students and advocates for inclusive sexuality and gender education. What's GLSEN's approach to these issues, which remain controversial in many communities in the US?A: Each GLSEN chapter is responsible for promoting and completing professional development training at local schools. The Washington chapter offers free, one-hour, virtual training sessions to introduce educators to the data surrounding school climates in their area and the work that GLSEN does to promote safety. Many times teachers are surprised at the school climate surveys that show how hostile schools are for LGBTQ students as many are unaware of the extent of bullying and harassment going on, even in a state like Washington that is considered liberal. We then offer our longer training sessions that can be presented to larger groups within the school setting to go further in-depth to the struggles that LGBTQ students face and how teachers and administrators can make their schools a safe place for students. We also provide a workbook which includes the data and references, as well as safe space posters and stickers that teachers can put in their classrooms to let students know that they are trusted adults students can go to at any time. At times, educators are resistant to keeping students’ sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) private so we try to educate them on the importance of maintaining confidentially, especially for children who have not come out to their parents. We help them to understand that, as a trusted adult, they may be the only person that child has to talk to about their SOGI. It is always heartwarming to see other teachers step up in these situations and help explain the need for confidentiality. It means that our message is being heard and acted on. We have recently partnered with Planned Parenthood and become certified facilitators for “IN*clued Sex Education” training where we give students information on safe sexual behavior, talk about what consent is, and how they can advocate for themselves in a healthcare setting. This is being offered to GSA clubs in primary schools and, because one of my fellow board members runs the Gender Inclusive Program at the University of Washington, we have presented the training to students there. Unfortunately sexual education is still a hot topic in Washington State so we haven’t been able to complete this training in many GSA’s but we are hoping with more awareness, similar to how we promote the Rainbow Library, there will be more requests for training in the future.Q: How does your work with GLSEN connect with your pursuit of a master's degree in Human Rights Practice at the University of Arizona?A: My focus in the Human Rights Practice program is mass incarceration. I have come to realize through my work with GLSEN that LGBTQ students are a big part of the School-to-Prison Pipeline due to discrimination and hostility in schools, along with other traumatic events they experience in their daily lives. My hope is that I can combine the research that GLSEN has and continues to complete with the work I am doing in the Human Rights Practice program to find ways to reduce the number of LGBTQ youth who are being funneled into the juvenile justice system. Joining the graduate program actually made me have the confidence to apply to the board of GLSEN . What I've learned in my classes has been helpful in working with GLSEN’s research and development team to come up with ideas on how to bring awareness and programming to the schools in Washington with the hope that educators will come to understand the role they play in the lives of their LGBTQ students. Having a safe school environment can increase the positive outcomes for these students and allow them to have safe and productive lives.Q: Beyond your work with GLSEN and the MA in Human Rights Practice, can you tell us a little more about yourself and your interests?A: I am an avid musician and play the piano with a symphony orchestra and enjoy jamming rock and jazz with local musicians. I also quilt and love making quilts as gifts for friends and family. Along with my two children and husband, I have several pets and farm animals that keep me active. I love living in Washington State and am always enamored by the beauty of the forests and mountains, especially Mount Rainier (known to the Duwamish people as Mount Tahoma) which I am luckily enough to have a spectacular view of on a regular basis.
You can read a collection of op-eds about LGBTQ human rights topics written by UArizona HRTS students, including Marsha McDowell.