The national Respect for All Project believes that even elementary school students can inadvertently promote homophobia.
Ten years ago, the project released a documentary film, "It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School," in which teachers discussed LGBT issues with elementary school students.
Tomorrow, Tufts students can view the project's new film, "It's STILL Elementary," an update on the original movie. The Tufts LGBT Center will screen the film in Cabot Auditorium as a kick-off event to its celebration of Gaypril - a month of gay pride programming.
The LGBT Center will co-sponsor the screening along with Tufts' Department of Education and the national Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
Ryan Schwartz, national outreach and media relations coordinator for the Respect for All Project, explained the goals of "It's STILL Elementary."
"Ten years later, we found those kids [who had been interviewed in 'It's Elementary'] and now they're in college and graduated and working and we followed up with them as adults to see what kind of impact ... LGBT lessons had on their lives," Schwartz said.
"I think the original [film] really is a model for adults on how to have these kinds of discussions with young kids," Schwartz said. "This new film really makes a case [for] why we need to have those conversations."
"This isn't just about people who identify as LGBT," Schwartz said. "This is really about the well being of all students." Many of the students with whom "It's STILL Elementary" followed up had "really benefited from having these candid discussions with someone they trust, someone who's neutral, at an early age," Schwartz explained.
The original documentary "caused a huge amount of controversy" regarding teaching K-12 students about sexual orientation, said Dona Yarbrough, director of the LGBT Center.
This film screening is part of an annual GLSEN Boston conference for students, faculty and staff, most of whom come from K-12 schools. Tufts has "a longstanding relationship with [GLSEN]. They've held the conference several times at Tufts, and so they approached me with the idea of having this screening at Tufts," Yarbrough said.
Schwartz said that "It's STILL Elementary" discusses LGBT issues in an age-appropriate way. "It is not a conversation about sex, about sexual practices, about sexual identities."
Instead, the movie is about talking to children about different kinds of families and communities, and the impact of kids' attitudes about LGBT issues on their community. "I think [people] are really overlooking the kinds of conversations that kids are already having," Schwartz said.
Due to exposure to popular media, Schwartz believes that young children are shown LGBT issues in a negative light early on. He said it is never too soon to educate children about hurtful behavior.
"This film is designed to spark people to go out and be active," Schwartz said. "We know that people are definitely leaving the screening recommitted to helping kids address prejudice of all kinds."
