RSS Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Flickr
The Hub
  • Home
  • News
  • Headlines
  • Inside Dallas ISD
  • News Briefs
  • Nota Escolar
  • Contact Us
The Hub
  • Home
  • News
  • Headlines
  • Inside Dallas ISD
  • News Briefs
  • Nota Escolar
  • Contact Us
The Hub
You are at:Home»News»Headlines»Gay Alliance sponsor works to create a safe space for students
Gay Alliance sponsor works to create a safe space for students

Gay Alliance sponsor works to create a safe space for students

0
By Tina Pania on June 30, 2021 Headlines

Michael Dixon-Peabody, a social studies teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School and sponsor of the school’s Gay/Straight Alliance group, TJ Pride and Equality, knows the importance of having a safe space where  students can “be who they are.”

And as Pride Month winds down, he welcomed the opportunity to reflect on the crucial role the GSAs can play in the lives of students who identify as LGBTQ. Dallas ISD has about 30 active campus groups, most of them in high schools, where the meetings are also attended by those who consider themselves straight allies, there to support their peers.

“Each student comes seeking something different,” Dixon-Peabody says. “Sometime the GSA creates a safe place for them to be who they are. They can dress the way they want, paint their nails, talk about their favorite celebrity crushes, or even catch up on their favorite anime. Some students come to seek a listening ear, whether it be a friend, a staff member, or the group. Some of the best group discussions have come from a student needing to share or asking a thought-provoking question. GSAs are also able to connect our students to resources in the community.”

Dixon-Peabody knows from experience what it means to have that safe space. He was in middle school when, he says, “I was forced to come out to my mother,” knowing that she would learn about his sexual preference when his younger brother joined him at his  school. Though his mother was not surprised at the revelation and took it in stride, his father took the news much harder. “Because of my sexuality, I never felt ‘at home’ or safe when I was home. There was a time when I spent a summer living elsewhere because it was not safe to live at home. I no longer speak to my mother or father.”

It was his teachers in high school who became his chosen family and really helped light the way for the work he does now, he says. “I credit my teachers for raising me and in many ways saving my life. I was heavily involved on campus as a student and in most organizations on campus. School in many ways was my home because I could be who I was and felt safe.”

Even though he had the greatest teachers and support system, he says, “I never had an openly ‘out’ teacher. I was accepted but I never had that role model or teacher that I could relate to on that level. Part of the work I do on campus and my passion is being that openly out teacher with the Pride flags who shows up authentically every day to let students know they can do the same.”

One of the key reasons for having a GSA on campus, Dixon-Peabody says, is that students are able to openly express who they are. “Our students are tough and have overcome major back-to-back setbacks,” he says, including a tornado that destroyed their school and forced a relocation, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Because a large number of students remained virtual during the school year, many did not feel comfortable opening up in a Zoom conference while at home with their families. “The tornado and COVID made achieving that safe place inaccessible for a number of our scholars,” he said.

Because the group was unable to meet in person during the pandemic, he started what he called Pride Office Hours, where he would open Zoom and be online if a student needed to talk or needed access to a resource.

When the new school year begins, Dixon-Peabody will be working to find new ways to create the most open, safe and welcoming campus for all students.

“When we started the group, students talked about not knowing which teachers they could open up to on campus,” he said. “In response, I started the Safe Place program. Every year I send out an all-staff email asking them if they would like a rainbow Safe Place placard in both English and Spanish to display inside and outside of their classroom. This past year I also added pronoun placards. We have over 70 faculty and staff members on campus displaying the Safe Place placards along with their pronouns. This little card in the corner has a huge impact for our students to know they are able to be themselves.”

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Tina Pania

Related Posts

Dallas ISD Board of Trustees approve Legislative Agenda priorities, prioritize safety

Dallas Teen School Board taste-tests potential new menu items

See the Dallas ISD 2023 graduation schedule

  • ESSER
June 13, 2022

ESSER update: Reading Academies lead to early intervention

May 23, 2022

ESSER Update: Tutoring bridges the gap  

April 29, 2022

ESSER Update: PPE keeps students and staff safe

Our Voices, Our Stories
Archives
  • Recent
February 7, 2023

Dallas ISD se asocia con Dallas Black Dance Theatre y Broadway Dallas en iniciativa educativa de arte durante el Mes de la Historia Afroamericana

February 7, 2023

Dallas ISD partners with Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Broadway Dallas for an arts education initiative during Black History Month

February 6, 2023

Celebraciones próximas para la apertura de Walnut Hill ILA y Thomas Jefferson High School

About
About

Connecting you to the personalities, places and perspectives of Dallas ISD



The Dallas Independent School District
9400 North Central Expressway Dallas, TX 75231
© 2023  Dallas Independent School District

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Go to mobile version