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In recent years, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered youth have made huge strides. Young people are coming out of the closet at earlier ages than ever before, gay/straight alliances exist in thousands of schools from coast to coast, and many schools now actively work to protect all students from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

In spite of this progress, many LGBT youth face tremendous difficulties when they go to school every day. Harassment is commonplace -- nearly 70% of LGBT students say they have been harassed, threatened, or physically assaulted at school. And schools themselves are often part of the problem -- 53% of students say they've heard homophobic comments made by school staff. Administrators often drag their feet when it comes to addressing anti-gay harassment in their schools -- sometimes out of ignorance about their responsibility to protect the students in their care, sometimes out of their own bias. Some administrators get away with letting harassment happen, knowing that students aren't aware that they have a right to attend school without being harassed or intimidated.

There are things that can be done to make our schools safer for all students, but these things often require some work on the part of students, parents, and community members. Schools can adopt nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies that send a loud and clear message that anti-gay attitudes have no place in their classrooms. Students can form gay/straight alliance clubs where they have a safe and supportive environment at school and can help educate other students about diversity and acceptance. Students can demand that schools respect their privacy and not disclose their sexual orientation to others without their permission, or they can be as out, loud, and proud as they want to be -- they can even take their same-sex dates to prom if they want. There's a whole world of opportunities for LGBT students in our nation's schools, as long as students know that they have the right to do these things.

This section of our website will give you the tools to make your school a safer space for LGBT students.