LGBTQQ students and safe schools: A call for innovation and progress

Abstract

In a historic decision on June 26, 2015, the United States (U.S.) Supreme Court affirmed the rights of sexual minorities to marry; however, rights and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth still lag behind (Singh, 2010). In a large biannual survey exploring the experiences of LGBTQQ students in schools found that over half of the sample reported not feeling safe in their schools based on their sexual orientation and nearly 40% of respondents reported feeling unsafe due to their gender expression. Also concerning was that over 55% of the sample shared they experienced school policies or practices that were LGBTQQ-discriminatory, yet over 60% of respondents shared when they reported LGBTQQ harassment or assault there was no response from school personnel. There are often few schools that enumerate sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression as protected categories in bullying and harassment policies. In addition, LGBTQQ students and their allies frequently experience difficulty in establishing LGBTQQ-affirming clubs in schools such as Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs), despite the research that suggests the presence of GSAs may improve school climate for the entire student body (Davis, Royne Stafford, & Pullig, 2014). Recognizing the many challenges that LGBTQQ students face in schools, the Institute of Medicine (2011) issued a call to researchers and practitioners to further develop the literature base on the experiences of risk and resilience for LGBTQQ students in school settings, as well as generating further research on how to develop safer school settings for these students.