H O M O P H O B I A
Why SFRCC Considers Homophobia Sexual Violence

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) of the Federal Department of Education issued the Policy Guidance Regarding Peer Sexual Harassment stating, "...if harassment is based on conduct of a sexual nature, it may be sexual harassment prohibited by title IX even if the harasser and the harassed are the same sex or the victim of harassment is gay or lesbian. If, for example, harassing conduct of a sexual nature is directed at gay or lesbian students, it may create a sexually hostile environment and may constitute a violation of title IX in the same way it may for heterosexual students."

Y.O.D.A. is a youth alliance program whose goal is the elimination of homophobia and violence motivated by ignorance and hate in our schools and communities. We plan on doing this by implementing a culturally-competent, age-appropriate, anti-homophobia, anti-violence curriculum in the high schools and middle schools in the Santa Fe area, training teachers and administrators to the needs specific to sexual minority youth, and training students to help do peer education.

The Santa Fe Rape Crisis & Trauma Treatment Center has taken an important step towards safety, equity and inclusion in our schools by recognizing homophobia as sexual violence. Homophobia is recognized as sexual violence because some students due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation have been subject to discrimination through abuse, harassment or exclusion from participation in educational activities.

Harassing conduct of a sexual nature creates a hostile environment for all students. The Santa Fe Rape Crisis & Trauma Treatment Center is committed to ending sexual violence on all levels and Y.O.D.A. pledges to continue our work with those on the "front lines" to ensure safety, equity and respect for all youth -- especially gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and/or questioning youth in our schools and communities.