Homophobia Awareness Training
Rationale
WheelWorks develops arts programmes with some of the most excluded young people in Northern Ireland. Over many years arts based projects have been developed with Arts Facilitators where LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) young people are able to give 'voice' to their experiences. WheelWorks was keen to promote both the expertise developed and resources on a wider scale. Recent research (ShOut Report, 2003) looking at young LGBT people’s experience of the education and youth sectors found (from 362 respondents) that 50% of young people experienced a negative attitude towards their sexual orientation whilst a member of a youth organisation; 65% had experienced verbal abuse and 44% had been bullied in school because of their sexual orientation. WheelWorks has partnered with professionals experienced in the issues of homophobia awareness to devise a suitable and practical based training programme.
Participants
The Dealing with Difference training offers Youth Workers and Arts Facilitators an opportunity to explore the area of difference in relation to sexual orientation. These workshops are particularly useful for Youth Workers given the YCNI Core Values of Equity, Diversity and Interdependence.
Length of Workshop
This is a one day workshop of approximately 6 hours (including lunch and evaluation) for 5-20 participants, including both arts and youth workers who work with young people.
Aims
The aim of the workshop is to raise awareness with those working broadly in the youth sector of the issues affecting LGBT youth, highlighting strategies and creative activities that can be used in a youth setting to increase visibility and understanding of LGBT issues.
Approach
The programme incorporates a mix of facilitator input, group discussion, looking at previous WheelWorks arts projects and physical/artistic activities.
Overall the trainers aim to create a positive and non-threatening environment where participants feel comfortable to share experiences and ask questions. The trainers’ own experience demonstrated that if the right atmosphere was created then participants would be more confident with the issue and more likely to get involved.
The trainers ensure a good balance between theory (issues, legislation, research key findings) and practice (using different arts methods to engage LGBT young people or to be used with young people to explore LGBT issues).
Learning Outcomes
- An understanding and increased confidence around LGBT terminology and definitions
- A greater understanding of the issues facing LGBT young people
- Awareness of the impact of sexual orientation on the lives of young people such as being a minority, exclusion and self harm etc.
- Participants will have explored creative methods that can be used to engage young people to consider and understand their own and others' identity
- Confidence, ideas and techniques for running interactive and creative sessions around LGBT issues
- An increased knowledge of a range of existing services and resources
Sample Training Activity
The 'Gay Continuum' - a visual exercise and discussion that looks at how LGBT people are portrayed, how society bases its judgement and the impact of this. (This exercise was developed by trainers Sally Young and Gail Neill)
Resources: An assortment of approx 20 x A4 images depicting people of a variety of ages, cultural backgrounds and gender from magazines or internet are collected and brought to the workshop; several sheets of blank flipchart paper taped together to provide a long narrow sheet, felt-tips and Blu Tac.
Activity: The facilitator attaches the paper sheet to the wall where everyone can see it. The group decides the parameters of the continuum, the scale of 'gayness' e.g. someone who looks gay can be at the 'pink as a piglet' at one end of the scale and someone thought to be 100% heterosexual would be at the other end of the scale 'straight as a die'.
The assorted images are laid out and as a group participants now stick the images to the large sheet placing then along its length according to how gay the think the person depicted is. The placing may take some time and images might have to be moved about a few times. The exercise is finished when all the images have been added to the sheet.
Discussion: the group should discuss their criteria for judging the 'gayness' of images. Are stereotypes being used to judge people? Are these stereotypes positive or negative? What is the impact of using these stereotypes?
Summary
The approach taken during the pilot training by the facilitators worked extremely well, participants' feedback confirmed the benefits of using two trainers who had arts and issue-based expertise; that the use of creative activities made the training enjoyable and interactive; that the balance of information giving and participatory exercises was right and that the day was both inspirational and confidence building.
This project was supported by the YCNI Short Term Programme.
Training can be tailor made to suit your group/organisation. You can commission a single topic or the complete set of three sessions. For further details and costs please contact lucy@wheelworks.org.uk
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