If I was approached by a student who "came out" to me, I would treat the student how I would want to be treated by being respectful, supportive, and a good listener. If the student had not come out to their family and friends yet, I would honor their decision by keeping the information private. I would not want to break trust with the student, especially if I were the one person they felt comfortable talking with. Although it is a delicate situation, if I ever felt the student was at risk academically, emotionally, etc. I might recommend them to a counselor, because I would never want it to be my fault if something were to happen and I didn't say anything. One way to make any classroom feel safe to GLBTQ students is to post the signs near the door similar to the ones at ABCDEF high that have the words "Safe Zone" with a rainbow background.
Last semester I took Painting 1 and Keith Haring was an artist my teacher suggested I look up when she noticed I was interested in incorporating words/symbols in my artwork. His black, white, and pink heart inspired me to do the painting above it - for the heart I used different colored paints to write Spanish words, and in the yellow background I scratched in more Spanish words. I like his pieces with various colored people too, maybe its the future foreign language teacher in me who enjoys other cultures? Either way, its a happy image that to me says, "no matter who we are, we can still have fun together and dance around!" I would definitely consider including Keith Haring in my curriculum.
