If you are an LGBTQ young person, feel free to provide this list to a teacher, guidance counselor or school principal—or ask your parent or guardian to do so.
If you are a school administrator or educator, here's a list of dos and don'ts when it comes to making your school safer for LGBTQ youth:
DO enact written policies. If you’re an administrator or policy-maker, advocate for, formulate and enact written policies specifically addressing and prohibiting discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
DO train all employees. School districts can provide training to faculty and staff to help them recognize and respond to anti-LGBTQ harassment. Information on LGBTQ-inclusive training programs is available from organizations such as the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (www.glsen.org) and the Anti-Defamation League (www.adl.org). Make sure the program you use specifically addresses sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.
DO protect employees from discrimination. The Constitution prohibits the government, including public schools, from discriminating based on anti-LGBT hostility or prejudice. In most states, statutes, regulations or executive orders provide additional protection against employment discrimination based on sexual orientation; an increasing number of states include gender identity in these laws as well. School district policies that expressly prohibit discrimination against employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity help ensure respect for employees’ legal rights. In addition, they help foster a climate of inclusion and acceptance and increase the possibility of LGBTQ students finding positive role models among faculty and staff.
DO show your support. When staff members emphasize their support of LGBTQ people, this can have a substantial impact, both on students who experience mistreatment and on students who engage in it. If you're a staff member, you can display an “LGBTQ Safe Zone” sticker in offices and classrooms, for example, or participate in student-sponsored events like the Day of Silence. You can, when setting expectations for student conduct, specifically mention LGBTQ issues. In addition, you can:
- Adopt LGBTQ-inclusive curricula
- Support LGBTQ-supportive student groups, such as gay-straight alliances (GSAs)
- Remember and support the needs of transgender students
DON’T forget the Internet. An increasing amount of peer abuse occurs online, but valuable online resources for students, especially LGBTQ students, are available on the Internet as well. Schools must be careful not to unduly restrict Internet access or to punish students for constitutional protected speech. At the same time, schools must not tolerate abusive speech that disrupts the education, health and well-being of their students. Contact your state Department of Education, a local attorney or Lambda Legal’s Help Desk (1-866-542-8336 or visit www.lambdalegal.org/help) to help clarify these matters.
DON’T limit your policies to what’s required by law. Educational and related professional organizations, including the National Education Association, the American School Counselor Association and the American Psychological Association have issued codes of ethics and/or other official statements that provide important guidance on issues affecting LGBTQ youth and their allies. School officials and employees should inform themselves of their professional obligations, regardless of what the law provides for or requires.
Contact Lambda Legal if you have further questions about LGBTQ rights under the law (866-542-8336 or use our online email form at www.lambdalegal.com/help.)
