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Introduction to the Study Guide
With this study guide, we hope to provide questions, vocabulary, activities, and resources that will help and inspire teachers and students to broaden and deepen their explorations of Outside long before the actors arrive at their schools and long after the final sounds of applause fade away. Here you will find jumping off points to engage in the difficult, but important work of discussing homophobia, bullying, cyberbullying, and mental health/teen suicide.
Class Waiver/Disclaimer
It is very important to set some guidelines when working on sensitive topics with your students:
1. Everyone has the right to pass or sit out from an activity
2. Create a safe learning environment, where beliefs are freely expressed
3. What happens in this class, stays in this class
4. Respect for privacy and opinions expressed
5. Openness and willing to discuss
Activism (n)- the use of direct and public methods to bring about political or social change
Ally (n)- a person who supports disregarded, silenced, or less privileged groups without actually belonging to these groups. An ally often directly addresses and challenges systems of injustice.
Anti Depressants (n)- medications taken to help manage symptoms of depression
Asexual (adj)- describes a person who does not experience sexual attraction
Bully (n)- a person who uses strength or power to hurt, frighten, exclude, or insult others. Bullies can inflict harm, for example, through verbal, non-verbal, physical, or electronic means.
Bystander (n)- a person who witnesses an event, e.g. bullying, but does not get involved
Cisgender (adj)- describes a person whose gender identity matches their assigned sex
Come out (verb)- to declare and affirm to oneself and to others as not being heterosexual and/or cisgender. Not everyone has the means to come out; not everyone thinks it is necessary to come out.
Equity (n)- A state of fair, inclusive and respectful treatment of all people. Equity does not mean treating people the same without regard for individual differences.
Derogatory (adj)- showing a critical, insulting or disrespectful attitude
Diversity (n)- the presence of a wide range of human qualities and attributes within a group, organization, or society. The dimensions of diversity include, but are not limited to, ancestry, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, physical and intellectual ability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status.
Gay Pride (n)- the idea that gay people should not hide their sexuality and that they should be proud of it instead. Also refers to the social and political movement that is based on this idea.
Gender (n)- a classification system created by society that attributes qualities of masculinity and femininity to people. Expected gender norms can change over time and are different between cultures. Words that refer to gender can include man, woman, transgender, masculine, feminine, and gender queer.
Gender Identity (n): a person’s internal, psychological sense of oneself as female, male, both or neither. Since gender identity is internal, one’s gender identity is not necessarily visible to others.
GSA (n)- a Gay-Straight Alliance is a student-run club providing students of all sexualities and genders a space to meet and support each other. Students often talk about issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression and work to end discrimination of all people, regardless of how they identify.
Heteronormative (adj)- describes someone or something that assumes all people are straight, privileging heterosexuality and ignoring or underrepresenting same-sex relationships
Homophobia (n)- hatred and/or fear of homosexual people (lesbians and gays) that can lead to violence. Anyone who identifies as or is assumed to be part of the LGB community can be the target of homophobia.
Intersex (adj)- describes a person whose sex chromosomes, genitals, and/or secondary sex characteristics (e.g., facial hair, breasts) do not fit society`s ideas of male or female
LGBTQ (n)- a short form that means Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer. It is commonly used to refer to all communities of diverse sexualities and genders.
LGBTTQQIAA2S* (n)- an acronym that means Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Allies, and Two-Spirited. The asterisk acknowledges any other identity that falls outside of heterosexual or cisgender. It is a less commonly used, but more encompassing term, which refers to all communities of diverse sexualities and genders.
Out (adj)- describes a person who declares and affirms to oneself, and to others, as not being heterosexual and/or cisgender.
Queer (adj)- a general word used to describe sexual and gender minorities that are neither heterosexual, nor cisgender.
Questioning (adj)- used to describe a person who is experiencing feelings, emotions or impulses that are changing/ making them unsure of their understanding of their own sexual orientation and/or gen- der identity.
School-related Gender Based Violence (n): acts of sexual, physical or psychological violence commit- ted against children in and around schools because of stereotypes, roles, or norms attributed to or expected of children because of their sex, gender identity, or gender expression
Self-Esteem (n)- how we see ourselves and how we feel about ourselves
Sexual Orientation (n)- refers to a person’s deep-seated feelings of sexual, romantic, and/or emotional attraction
Suicide (n)- the act of killing oneself on purpose
Trans* (adj)- an umbrella term which can refer to transgender, transsexual or other identities that fall outside of cisgender
Transgender (adj)- describes a person whose gender identity does not match their assigned sex
Transphobia (n)- hatred and/or fear of transgender/transsexual people that can lead to violence
Transsexual (adj)- describes a person who intends to or who has taken measures to change their body with hormones and/or surgery in order to make it fit better with their gender identity
Two-Spirited (adj)- a term used by some First Nations and Métis people who are not heterosexual and/ or cisgender. It may describe a person who does not identify as male or female, but as a person with a masculine spirit and a feminine spirit living in the same body.