LGBTQIA+ - Citrus College

LGBTQIA+
      Welcome to the LGBTQ+ Resource Page! In support of the mission of Citrus College, the goal of the resources offered is to increase
      LGBTQ+ visibility on campus and provide students with a safe space to be proud of who they are. These resources have been selected
      because they are believed to be helpful, educational, inspirational, and empowering for the LGBTQ+ community. The links and information
      provided are not to be construed as an endorsement of any of these organizations or their work by Citrus College. These links are offered as
      additional resources.

Being an ally to the LGBTQ community
Qualities of an ally
  •   Believes in the equality and dignity of people who are LGBTQ and their right to live and pursue their goals free from
      intolerance, discrimination, and harassment
  •   Generally has more power than the group they are standing up for
  •   Works to develop an understanding of people who are different from them
  •   Seeks to develop an understanding of heterosexism, homophobia, and transphobia
  •   Expects to make some mistakes but does not use mistakes or fear as an excuse for non-action

•   Works to develop an understanding of how prejudice and discrimination against people who are LGBTQ oppresses those
      individuals, while also providing societal privileges to people who are heterosexual
  •   Refuses to ignore or accept discrimination, homophobia, transphobia and other oppressions that exist in their environment

How can I be an ally?
  •   Be supportive when someone comes out to you
  •   Respect confidentiality
  •   Do not assume everyone is heterosexual
  •   Do not ever "out" someone
  •   Don't use anti-LGBT language
  •   Use all-inclusive language
  •   Educate others
  •   Interrupt prejudices and bias
  •   Know when and where to seek help
  •   Commit yourself to ongoing personal growth and education

Four basic levels of becoming an ally
  1. Awareness: Explore how you are different from and similar to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning
     people. Gain this awareness through talking with LGBTQ people, attending workshops and self-examination.
  2. Knowledge/ Education: Begin to understand policies, laws and practices and how they affect LGBTQ people. Educate
     yourself on the many communities of LGBTQ people.
  3. Skills: This is an area that is difficult for many people. You must learn to take your awareness and knowledge and
     communicate it to others. You can acquire these skills by attending workshops, role playing with friends or peers, and
     developing supportive connections.
  4. Action: This is the most important and frightening step. Despite the fears, action is the only way to affect change in the
     community as a whole.

Options for visibility as an ally
  •   Attend events with LGBTQ themes (movies, speakers, etc.)

•   Support LGBTQ groups through attending events, promoting the groups, encouraging involvement
   •   Confront homophobic/transphobic language
   •   Interrupt offensive jokes
   •   Celebrate LGBTQ cultural holidays: National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11th), Pride Week (Varies through month of June),
       Day of Silence (April 27, 2018- Varies yearly), Transgender Day of Remembrance (November 20, 2018-Varies yearly),
       Intersex Awareness Day (October 26, 2018), etc.

Materials adapted from Arizona State University’s Becoming an Ally https://eoss.asu.edu/sites/default/files/Trans_Guide.compressed.pdf

Becoming an ally to Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming
people
   •   Challenge your own conceptions about gender-appropriate roles and behavior
   •   Respect the confidentiality of anyone who comes out to you as transsexual, transgender, genderqueer or gender
       questioning.
   •   Never try to tell a person what “category” they fit into.
   •   Do your best to be respectful and call the person by the name and pronouns they use.
   •   Ask “What pronouns do you use?” or “What are your pronouns?” instead of “preferred gender pronouns/PGPs” as
       pronouns are not “preferred,” they just are.
   •   Names, pronouns, and expression may change depending on the day/circumstances. Check in with folks, and use the
       name and pronouns that they use for that day.
   •   Advocate for more inclusive, non-gender-segregated spaces
   •   Educate yourself and pass on this knowledge to others
   •   Challenge gender assumptions in the classroom and around campus
   •   Listen if a transgender person chooses to talk to you about their gender identity. Be honest about things you don’t
       understand—don’t try to fake it!
   •   Don’t assume all transgender people want hormones and/or surgery, or to transition at all.
   •   Don’t assume you know what someone’s sexual orientation/identity is or is going to be.
   •   Be trans-inclusive in your programming & language.
   •   Don’t assume the public, “Gay Agenda,” matches the needs or political priorities of transgender people. Educate yourself
       and learn from transgender people about what they need.
   •   Be patient with a person who is questioning their gender identity.

Things Cisgender people take for granted
   •   Strangers do not ask me what my “real name” (birth name) is and then assume they have a right to call me by that name.
   •   People do not disrespect me by using incorrect pronouns even after they’ve been corrected.
   •   I do not have to worry about whether I will be able to find a bathroom to use or whether I will be safe changing in a
       locker room.
   •   Strangers don’t assume they can ask me what my genitals look like and how I have sex.
   •   If I end up in the emergency room, I do not have to worry that my gender will keep me from receiving appropriate
       treatment, nor will all of my medical issues be seen as a product of my gender.

   Adapted from: California State University Safe Zone Ally Handbook. http://www.calfac.org/sites/main/files/file-
   attachments/safe_zone_manual.pdf

LGBT A-Z glossary of terms
Includes a LGBT glossary of terms as well as terms to avoid and which terms to use instead, along with defamatory language.
http://www.wearefamilycharleston.org/lgbt-a-z-glossary/

The Gender Book
This project started in a cute grey house in Houston, Texas on Marshall Street in the part of town called Montrose. These
individuals first helped educate each other, and then themselves, to learn more of what it means to live and express and perform
one's gender role. The more they learned, the more they wanted to share with everyone else. They saw a need around them in
transgender friends who wanted more options on their census forms, and transsexual lovers who had to educate their own
therapists, and parents wanting to know how to be supportive of their gender-variant kids. Their solution: the GENDER book.
http://www.thegenderbook.com/the-book/4553374748

It’s Pronounced Metrosexual
It’s Pronounced Metrosexual is a website created by Sam Killermann where millions of people learn about gender, sexuality,
and social justice by reading and sharing articles, edugraphics, and other online resources.
http://itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/