Protecting the Rights and Safety of LGBTQ+ students in the United States

 

Introduction

“We are told that the best policy is no policy.” This is a quote from my father, Jeremy Lusk, who is the High School Principal of Gettysburg Area High School.^[1] During my conversation with him regarding the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ students in public schools, Mr. Lusk informed me that most school solicitors will advise against a policy that will surely face opposition on both sides of the “issue.” So instead, school officials and students must navigate situations concerning safety and discrimination based on sexual and gender orientation on their own. This causes stress for school administrators and students alike, leaving LGBTQ+ students feeling unprotected.

According to the 2020-2021 report from the National School Climate Survey that was conducted by the research and advocacy group GLSEN, only 12 percent of students reported that their school had a comprehensive policy that specifically prevents bullying based on both sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, and only 8.2 percent of LGBTQ+ students reported that their school or district had official policies or guidelines to support transgender or nonbinary students.^[2]

(Click on the link below to see clearer image)

Issue Brief Infographic

The National School Climate Survey also reported that more than 68 percent of LGBTQ+ students said they felt “unsafe in school because of hostility to at least one of their actual or perceived personal characteristics, for example, their gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation.” To prevent the issue concerning the safety and mental well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S. educational system, I am arguing that district school board members adopt a consistent policy that protects and affirms students’ sexual orientation and gender identity/expression that includes prohibiting discrimination against students, families, and school staff on those bases.

To achieve this goal, there is a roadmap of actions that will ultimately encourage the support of school board members to adopt a policy of this description. These actions include capacity builders such as professional development seminars and educator resources that include a focus on creating an inclusive environment in which students of all gender identities and sexual orientations feel welcome.^[3] In addition, similar resources can be made available to students that encourage those in favor of the policy to speak at school board meetings that are open to the public.

To elaborate on why this policy should be adopted, I will first describe the need for safety measures to be put in place in schools for LGBTQ+ youth due to the increase in suicides; second, I will delve into the plan of encouraging action from community members; and finally, I will detail the advantages that such a policy would have on the school environment for all.

Need

Although it is deeply saddening, the shocking reality is that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 10-14 and is the third leading cause of death among 15–24-year old’s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). LGBTQ+ youth are at significantly increased risk due to how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society; young people in this community are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020). The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization which is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ young people, conducted a survey in 2023 on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth and found that 41% of respondents seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth.^[4]

A crucial step in lowering the numbers of these statistics is fostering a healthy, safe, and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ youth in schools where they spend about 6 hours a day, 5 days a week, not including extracurricular activities. These developmental years shape every individual, whether positively or negatively, and we must work to protect those who are vulnerable to discriminatory words and actions due to societal prejudice.

In my home school district of Northern York County in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, the school board voted last month to join the expanding list of districts seeking the counsel of a right-leaning, Christian law firm that promotes banning books that include LGBTQ+ history and characters and anti-LGBTQ+ policies. This organization, called the Independence Law Center, notes that it recommends policies to school districts and state lawmakers, advocating for a “steady, common-sense voice for life, for marriage and religious liberty” through the media and relationships with parents and school administrators.^[5] My friends who are in high school and are members of the LGBTQ+ community have spoken up about their disappointment in the school board and their failure to promote inclusivity and acceptance of LGBTQ+ individuals by aligning with those who implement harmful policies.

Plan

First and foremost, in order for the school board to consider enacting a policy to protect the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth in schools, there must first be a considerable amount of vocal support from the student body as well as the community within the district. The majority of students (myself included when I was in high school) are not aware of their ability to attend and speak at school board meetings that are public and discuss impactful policies. By implementing capacity builders such as flyers containing information about the agendas of school board meetings posted around the school, it may encourage students to want to know more about what decisions are being made about their education. In addition, one inducement that can be implemented to encourage student action could be extra credit for an honors or AP level course such as AP Government and Politics. Extra credit could be awarded to students who showcase civic engagement, and this could include writing a letter/email to school board members regarding the policies protecting LGBTQ+ students, or lack thereof, or speaking at a board meeting.

The more difficult battle, in my opinion, is how to encourage parents and community members to support a policy to protect the LGBTQ+ youth, especially in rural areas of the country where homophobic and transphobic ideologies are more present. In this situation, one possible capacity builder could be workshops for parents on how to best support their LGBTQ+ children, including in-person opportunities and online resources. If parents and adults are more aware of the damaging effects of bullying within the school environment, they may be more inclined to support an inclusive policy that would ensure the safety and happiness of the LGBTQ+ youth.

With sufficient support from students, parents, and community members alike, school board members would be more inclined to debate a proposed policy that would protect LGBTQ+ children from discrimination that is detrimental to their mental and physical well-being as well as their education.

Advantages

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, all students experience less emotional stress, less violence and harassment, and fewer suicidal thoughts and behaviors when schools implement supportive policies for LGBTQ+ youth.^[6] Not only do these nondiscriminatory measures improve the emotional and physical well-being of students who are within the community, but it positively impacts their peers as well. By fostering an educational environment that is committed to the safety and support of its students, LGBTQ+ students included, it ultimately encourages young people to apply those principles to their future working environments.

In Baltimore City Public Schools, LGBTQ+ students benefit from the district’s recognition of the effectiveness of restorative practices and other disciplinary measures that build positive relationships among staff and students. The policy within their district outlines categories designed to aid teachers and administrators in utilizing progressive methods of intervention and responses at all grade levels to act as models for students to exhibit positive behaviors.^[3]

While this statement may sound obvious to the average adult, students are most likely to reach their maximum educational potential in positive learning environments that are safe, secure, welcoming, and where they feel a sense of belonging. As someone who has recently graduated from America’s public school system, I can say that more often than not, these are not words that I would use to describe the learning environment that I was brought up in. For this reason, it is becoming increasingly important for the mental health of today’s youth, especially those in the LGBTQ+ community, to be raised in an inclusive school environment.

Conclusion

LGBTQ+ young people in America’s public school system face disproportionate levels of discrimination and harassment from their peers. By spreading awareness to the student body as well as the community of decisions made by the school board that will affect students in the LGBTQ+ community, it will encourage individuals to advocate for inclusivity. To prevent issues concerning the safety and mental well-being of LGBTQ+ individuals in the U.S. educational system, I am calling upon school board members across the country to adopt a consistent policy that protects and affirms students’ sexual orientation and gender identity/expression that includes prohibiting discrimination against students, families, and school staff on those bases.

Endnotes:

1) Jeremy Lusk, phone conversation, March 25, 2024.

2) Pendharkar, Eesha. “What School Is like for LGBTQ Students, by the Numbers.” Education Week, Education Week, 26 Oct. 2022, www.edweek.org/leadership/what-school-is-like-for-lgbtq-students-by-the-numbers/2022/10#:~:text=Only%2012%20percent%20of%20students,policies%20or%20guidelines%20to%20support. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

3) “Respect for All: Policy Recommendations to Support LGBTQ Students.” GLSEN, www.glsen.org/activity/respect-all-policy-recommendations-support-lgbtq-students. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

4) “Facts about Suicide among LGBTQ+ Young People.” The Trevor Project, 1 Jan. 2024, www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

5) Willse, Meredith. “Who Is the Independence Law Center, the Group Pushing School Book …” York Dispatch, 28 Feb. 2024, www.yorkdispatch.com/story/news/education/2023/08/01/who-is-the-independence-law-center-the-group-pushing-school-book-bans-and-anti-lgbtq-policies/70321559007/. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

6) “U.S. Department of Education Toolkit: Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory School Environments for LGBTQI+ Students.” U.S. Department of Education, 21 June 2023, www2.ed.gov/ocr/lgbt.html. Accessed 25 Mar. 2024.

 

For the Advocacy project, I plan on undertaking the 3-4 minute video encouraging a certain behavior or action in the form of a Youtube style video, likely with the use of a visual aid.