Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth

 

Three percent of high school students describe themselves as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and over five percent report they are either lesbian, gay, bisexual, or have had sexual experiences with individuals of the same sex.[1] As a minority population in schools across the country, LGBTQ youth commonly experience high rates of discrimination and harassment, yet are often not protected under school policy. And even though most parents favor teaching about sexual orientation in schools, most sexuality education programs do not cover this topic and abstinence-only-until-marriage programs merely further negative sentiment toward these students. As a result, LGBTQ youth are more vulnerable to a variety of harmful behaviors, including skipping school and attempting suicide, than their heterosexual peers.

 

LGBTQ Youth Are More Vulnerable To Harmful Behavior

Homophobic remarks and harassment, lack of protection at school, and negative messages from abstinence-only-until-marriage programs all contribute to making LGBTQ youth more at risk for harmful behavior than heterosexual students.[2]

 

• Over twice as many lesbian, gay, and bisexual students (19%) report being threatened or injured with a weapon at their public high school during the year than heterosexual students (8%).
• Lesbian, gay, and bisexual students (16%) are twice as likely to have skipped school in the last month for safety concerns as other students (8%).
• Attempted suicide rates are over four times higher for lesbian, gay, and bisexual students;33% report that they attempted to commit suicide during the past year, compared with only 9% of all other students.

 

 

LGBTQ Youth Experience Discrimination and Harassment At School

LGBTQ youth often hear homophobic remarks from both students and staff. Many of these students are verbally, physically, and sexually harassed because of their sexual orientation, and as a result, report feeling unsafe at school. [3]

 

• 92% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students in middle and high school report that they frequently or often hear homophobic remarks, such as “faggot,” “dyke,” or the expression “that’s so gay” from their peers. Almost one in five of these students heard homophobic remarks from faculty or staff at their school. 
• 84% of middle and high school aged lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth say they are verbally harassed at school, including name calling or threats, because of their sexual orientation.
• 65% of these students report having been sexually harassed over the past school year, including sexual remarks or touching, because of their sexual orientation. 
• 39% report having been physical harassed, including being shoved or pushed at school, because of their sexual orientation.
• 64% of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students in middle and high schools say they feel unsafe at school.
• Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender high school seniors who have experienced higher frequencies of verbal harassment at school (13%) are more likely to report they do not plan to attend college than lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender seniors who have never or rarely experienced verbal harassment (7%).  

• Over 75% of students in the United States attend schools in states where sexual orientation and identity are not protected classes under the law as religion, race and national origin are under federal law.[6]
  
• Teachers cannot portray homosexuality as an acceptable lifestyle in Arizona, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. In some of these states, students were reminded that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense despite the fact that in 2003 the United States Supreme Court ruled, in Lawrence v. Texas, that such laws were unconstitutional. 

• 79% of parents want their children to learn about sexual orientation in sexuality education classes at school.[8]
• 67% of parents believe their children should be taught that gay people are just like other people.[9]

• Abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula ignore LGBTQ youth.

For example, Choosing The Best curriculum teaches students “one of the major purposes of dating is to understand members of the opposite sex.”

• Abstinence-only-until-marriage curricula show clear bias against homosexuality.

CLUE 2000 equates homosexuality with clearly immoral and illegal behavior, such as incest or pedophilia. “Among Kinsey’s most outrageous and damaging claims are the beliefs that pedophilia, homosexuality, incest, and adult-child sex are normal.”