LGBT Rights Workshop

Author:Jennifer Bersdale

Content Areas:Activism and Civil Rights, Legislation

Grades: 9th-12th grade

Objective: This lesson will guide students through an experiential exercise on discrimination, and an exploration of LGBT legal rights.

00:00Employment Role Play

Needed: Two adults, six chairs in a row facing the class. The rest of the class can sit in rows or a semicircle facing the front

Ask for five student volunteers. The volunteers, plus one of the teachers (Teacher #1), should sit in the six chairs.

Teacher #2 should identify (privately) the following:

--Student 1 who is “too white” or “too black” (race)

--Student 2 whose name is “too Jewish” (religion)

--Student 3 who is female and “might get pregnant” (pregnancy discrimination)

--Student 4 who is female and wearing pants or shorts and is “not feminine enough” (gender expression)

--Teacher #1, who is gay (sexual orientation)*

--Student 5, who will get the job

*We use a teacher or adult for the gay role, because our students are still sensitive at this age about being wrongfully called gay, and more importantly, because we would never want to risk accidentally outing a student. Depending on your group, you might make a different decision.

Teacher #2 acts as supervisor interviewing job candidates

“Thank you all for coming in today to apply for this job. I know it’s hard to find jobs these days, and you all badly need the work, but I can only afford to hire one of you. Can each of you please tell me why you would be a good employee?”

(Have each volunteer + Teacher #1 say why they would be a good employee.)

Teacher #2:

“Thank you all. It sounds like you all really want the job, but some of you are just not what I am looking for.”

(Go down the line and talk to each student, with statements like the following):

  1. “Student #1, I’m sorry, but I just can’t have someone representing me who is as white/black as you are.”
  2. “Student #2, you must have the most obviously Jewish name I’ve ever heard. How will my customers feel comfortable being served by someone with your name? I’m sorry, but I can’t hire you.”
  3. “Student #3, you seem like you would work hard today, but I know you have a boyfriend, and I can’t take the risk that you might get pregnant, and I’d need to look for a new employee all over again.”
  4. “Student #4, I can’t believe you came to the interview wearing that. Women should wear skirts or dresses and dress ladylike. I can’t have a girl who dresses like a guy working for me.”
  5. “Teacher #1, everybody knows your gay, and nobody wants to work with a gay person. Maybe someone else will hire you, but I won’t.”
  6. “Student #5, looks like you got the job. Congratulations. You can start Monday at 9.”

00:10Discussion – which of these reasons for not hiring were legal under federal (and state, depending on your state) law?

  1. Racial discrimination – illegal
  2. Religious discrimination – illegal
  3. Pregnancy discrimination – illegal
  4. Gender expression discrimination – LEGAL
  5. Sexual orientation discrimination – LEGAL

As part of discussion, define the following terms:

  • Sexual orientation
  • Gay
  • Lesbian
  • Bisexual
  • Gender expression
  • Gender identity
  • Transgender

Discuss: How does that make you feel?

00:30Policy explanation - nondiscrimination

--In X (number of) states, it is legal for a company to not hire, fire, demote, or not promote someone on the basis of sexual orientation. In Y (number of) states, it’s legal to do so on the basis of gender identity or expression.

--Describe status of law in your state and (if applicable) municipality.

--Describe Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) – federal – plus any state or local efforts to pass nondiscrimination where you live.

Other issues: Marriage equality – status of law where you live and at federal level

00:40Text study on LGBT rights – What do our texts say about discrimination, and what do we think about ENDA based on those texts? What about marriage equality?

00:55Wrap up with summary of your Jewish community’s perspective on nondiscrimination and equality. Mention the good bills that have been passed (Hate crimes legislation, repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell), and the importance of raising our voices to talk about these issues – it took a lot to make the changes that have been made and it will take a lot more to make the next round of changes.

1:00End

When reproducing this lesson, please give credit to the author and Keshet.