Anti‐LGBTQ+ sex education laws: The effects on students and implications for schools and school practitioners

Abstract

Anti‐Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and/or Queer (LGBTQ+) education laws are defined as laws that prohibit or limit schools from discussing same‐sex relationships, broader sexuality, and gender issues in their sexual education curriculum. This study presents a historical context of anti‐LGBTQ+ sex education laws, examines the extant literature on the possible impact of these laws, and suggests recommendations for schools and school practitioners. Anti‐LGBTQ+ sex education laws may impact school climate and have been associated with poorer well‐being for LGBTQ+ students and cisgender heterosexual allies that encompass a range of sexual orientations and gender identities. With an Executive Order from the US president outlining the need to support LGBTQ+ youth in schools and the US Surgeon General's Advisory to highlight the urgent need to address the nation's youths' mental health, it is imperative to support LGBTQ+ students. We offer strategies that may be used to address anti‐LGBTQ+ sex education laws by school administrators and practitioners in a call for advocacy to make changes in sex education policy to improve the well‐being of students, particularly LGBTQ+ youth.

The Urgent Need to Advance Health Equity: Past and Present

“…2-4 Over the years, researchers and advocates have documented well-established disparities across a myriad of health outcomes including mental health, 7,8 suicidal ideation and behavior, 9 substance misuse, 10-12 cancer prevention and care, 13-15 HIV and other sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), 16-18 cardiovascular diseases, 19 violence, 20,21 and discrimination. 22-24 LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, also frequently encounter barriers to accessing appropriate and affirming healthcare, leading to delays in necessary interventions. 25-27 In fact, the federal public health guidelines, Healthy People 2030, included LGBTQ+ milestones across 7 key areas 28 : (1) bullying among adolescents, (2) cancer, (3) drug and alcohol use; (4) mental health and mental disorders; (5) HIV/STIs; (6) tobacco use; and (7) the inclusion of SOGI data throughout our public health infrastructure.…”