All of these phobias often stem from discomfort and lack of exposure to people who identify as LBGTQ. When we don’t know something it can feel threatening. People can choose to learn about something instead of feeling threatened by it.

Here are some ways these phobias can impact how people treat others:

• Calling a guy a “fag”
• Writing insults on the locker of a girl who the rumor mill says is bisexual
• Forcing a guy to have sex with a girl to prove he’s not gay
• Raping a girl who identifies as lesbian to “turn her” heterosexual
• Stripping a transgender person to reveal that person’s genitals and challenging their identity
• Hitting or hurting someone because she or he is gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender

This type of behavior is always wrong. No one has the right to hurt any person, either emotionally or physically. And no one should be discriminated against based on their race, gender, age, physical abilities, sexual orientation or any other part of their identity.

If you are being harassed here are some steps you can take:

1. Find a teacher or administrator that you particularly trust, or who has reached out to you in the past. Talk to him or her about how you are feeling, specifically what it feels like when students make homophobic or tansphobic comments and when teachers don’t say anything.

If your teacher seems interested and asks how he or she can help, here are some suggestions:

• Ask the teacher to research the school’s harassment policy and share it with the rest of the faculty. If the policy doesn’t specifically include harassment based perceived or actual orientation or gender identity, ask the teacher to consider advocating for an updated policy. You could get other students involved in this too.
• Help organize a training for teachers on LGBTQ issues at school. Ask the speakers who come to the training to talk about homophobia, tansphobia and the differences between sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender identity and what it means to be transgendered.
• Ask him or her to talk to other teachers about the harassment taking place and their required role in responding to the harassment.
• Help start a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) so that an entire team of students can change the climate at your school to be more aware of homophobia and transphobia.

2. Do some research. If your state school system has adopted the "Safe Schools" laws, then this harassment must be stopped by the school administrators. Check out our project called "Sex in the States" to review the laws in your state. Be sure to follow the link in the sources for updates.

3. Go straight (no pun intended) to the top and talk to your principle. You could try to talk to him or her about this harassment or bullying and ask that it be addressed in a staff meeting with teachers. If you want to do some research on this topic before you talk to your principle, then try these Web sites: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network and Lambda Legal.