Text of Letter Sent to Parents
Regarding GLSEN Speaker 

November 22, 2000

An upcoming school speaker and attendant survey. One of our goals at this school is to bring important social and societal issues to our students and to give them a chance to think carefully about them. One issue that has become part of our national conversation in recent years focuses on homosexuality and homophobia. For tow years our administrative staff has discussed appropriate ways to address this issue. Las June six members of the faculty heard a compelling speaker on the subject at the international Boys’ Schools Coalition Meeting in San Francisco, and in August the entire faculty engaged in thoughtful and constructive discussion. In seeking a way to move forward in helping our students understand homosexuality and deal with homophobia, we are bringing to school Kevin Jennings, a highly regarded speaker on this issue and head of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) based in New York. (Indeed, it was Mr. Jennings whom the six faculty members heard last summer.) Mr. Jennings will meet with the faculty on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 7, and will speak at the school meeting on Friday morning, Dec. 8. In preparation for that meeting, Mr. Jennings has asked all student and faculty to fill out a “school climate survey” so that he can best understand issues at Belmont Hill. Because we want you as parents to know what is happening at school, I want to make sure you understand what the survey includes. In its essence, the 15 questions ask about language referring to homosexuality and where, when and with what frequency students hear those words at school; whether students have intervened, or seen others intervene, when disparaging language is uses; and whether homosexual students would feel accepted at the school. The survey will take roughly ten minutes to complete and will be overseen by faculty during advisor homerooms. In addressing these issues, I want to emphasize that our goal is education: to help students better understand what homosexuality is and to help them understand and respect difference among others in the world. If you have questions about this, please feel free to contact me. Upper School Director Cliff Goodband, or Middle School Director Debbie Callahan. Having heard Mr. Jennings speak before, I am confident that this step will make us a better school community, and I appreciate your support in that goal.