Creating Safer Spaces for LGBTQIA+ Youth

First Presenter's Institution

The Ohio State University

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Sin is a PhD candidate at The Ohio State University, in the Philosophy & History of Education program, currently writing a dissertation about school-based sex education and social justice. They are also the Ohio GSA Network Manager for Kaleidoscope Youth Center, a state-wide organization whose mission is to serve and support LGBTQIA+ youth, based in Columbus, Ohio. Their job involves working with K-12 school staff, administrators, policy makers, and queer youth to aid in creating safer school spaces for LGBTQIA+ folks.

Document Type

Event

Primary Strand

School Safety

Relevance to Primary Strand

My presentation is entirely about how to make schools safer spaces for queer youth, including examining district policies, school guidelines, pedagogical practices, and general school climates.

Brief Program Description

Studies show that schools are not safe spaces for all youth, especially those who identify as LGBTQIA+. In this session, participants will gain a better understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community, examine the necessity of creating safer school spaces for LGBTQIA+ students, and discuss tangible ways to create such spaces.

Summary

My presentation will revolve around the subject of LGBTQIA+ youth, particularly their relationship with k-12 schools. For many LGBTQIA+ youth, home does not feel like a safe place where they can be their most authentic selves. Unfortunately, neither does school. As places where the needs of youth are served, schools often do not meet the needs of LGBTQIA+ students. Participants in this session will gain an understanding of why schools and school staff need to be more cognizant of meeting these students' needs. They will also discuss tangible, implementable ways of better serving LGBTQIA+ students and for creating safer spaces in schools for these (and all) students. Some of these solutions include examining school policies, hosting GSA clubs, using personal pronouns and preferred names, and visible signs of allyship both from the staff and within the physical building. When schools act as safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth, they can literally save students' lives.

Evidence

According to the 2019 GLSEN school climate survey, a biennial survey given to over 16,000 LGBTQIA+ youth aged 13-21 across every state in the U.S. since the late 1990s:

  • more than 60% of youth surveyed felt unsafe at school
  • more than 70% avoided school functions or extracurricular activities because they felt unsafe
  • more than 95% reported often hearing homophobic language at school, with more than 60% reporting hearing such language from teachers and school staff
  • nearly 60% reported personally experiencing LGBTQIA+-related discriminatory policies and practices at their school
  • and that LGBTQIA+ students were three times more likely to miss school regularly

Additionally, students who attend schools that have GSA clubs are less likely to feel unsafe at school, experience harassment, or miss school. Those who attend schools with supportive educators and inclusive curriculum were twice as likely to report that their classmates are accepting of LGBTQIA+ identities, had higher GPAs, and were more likely to graduate from high school than those without. Finally, students, especially transgender students, who attend schools with inclusive policies, they were half as likely to report feeling unsafe at school and were more than twice as likely to feel a sense of belonging to their school.

Learning Objective 1

discuss the necessity of creating safer school spaces for LGBTQIA+ students.

Learning Objective 2

recognize tangible ways to be allies to and create safer school spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

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Creating Safer Spaces for LGBTQIA+ Youth

My presentation will revolve around the subject of LGBTQIA+ youth, particularly their relationship with k-12 schools. For many LGBTQIA+ youth, home does not feel like a safe place where they can be their most authentic selves. Unfortunately, neither does school. As places where the needs of youth are served, schools often do not meet the needs of LGBTQIA+ students. Participants in this session will gain an understanding of why schools and school staff need to be more cognizant of meeting these students' needs. They will also discuss tangible, implementable ways of better serving LGBTQIA+ students and for creating safer spaces in schools for these (and all) students. Some of these solutions include examining school policies, hosting GSA clubs, using personal pronouns and preferred names, and visible signs of allyship both from the staff and within the physical building. When schools act as safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth, they can literally save students' lives.