"If Travis wanted gay rights, he got them," says one actor. "Rights, lefts, uppercuts, a kick to the face. Bam!"

The discussion heats up, and the kids start baiting each other. Before long, the class is out of control.

This training program is presented by Encompass, a non-profit group that focuses on diversity issues in California schools. The actors are students from the LA County High School for the Arts. School administrators, counselors and teachers are in the audience.

According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, challenging moments like the one in the skit, come up a lot. By the time they get to high school, 90 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered students have experienced physical, verbal or sexual harassment at school.

Artistic Director Kevin Blake, who co-wrote the scene and plays Mr. McGregor, the teacher in the scene, says that can poison the classroom environment for everyone.

Kevin Blake as the teacher, Mr. McGregor

“Just on that basic level, if these students are feeling this pressure or this bullying or teasing or harassment, they’re not able to focus on their work, they’re not able to accomplish what they’re there in school to accomplish.”

And when that happens, Skyler Jackson, program director of Encompass says, California teachers don’t have a choice about whether or not to intervene.

In 2000, state lawmakers amended the education code "...to include sexual orientation and gender identity and those that are perceived to be different based on sexual orientation to be protected from bullying and harassment in schools.”