Promoting School Safety for LGBTQ and All Students

Schools are often unsafe for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) students; they frequently experience negative or hostile school climates, including bullying and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity at school. Negative school climates and discriminatory experiences can threaten LGBTQ students’ well-being. Simultaneously, a consistent body of research identifies strategies to support LGBTQ and all students to be safe and thrive at school. First, policies that specifically identify or enumerate protected groups such as LGBTQ students create supportive contexts for all youth. Second, professional development prepares educators and other school personnel with tools to support and protect all students. Third, access to information and support related to sexual orientation and gender identity or expression (SOGIE), including curricula that is SOGIE-inclusive, provides students with resources, support, and inclusion, creating school climate. Fourth, the presence of student-led clubs or organizations such as gender-sexuality alliances (i.e., GSAs) improve students’ school experiences and well-being, and contribute to positive school climate. This article reviews the research foundations of each of these strategies and concludes with recommendations for multiple audiences: policymakers, school personnel, parents, and students.

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School safety experiences of high school youth across sexual orientation and gender identity

Children and Youth Services Review ◽

10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104403 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 104 ◽

pp. 104403

Author(s):

Brittanie Atteberry-Ash ◽

Shanna K. Kattari ◽

Stephanie Rachel Speer ◽

Samantha Guz ◽

Leo Kattari

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

School Safety ◽

And Gender ◽

School Youth

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A Mixed-Methods Examination of the Unique Associations of Gender-Sexuality Alliance Involvement and Family Support on Bravery in Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

Journal of Adolescent Research ◽

10.1177/0743558420933226 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 074355842093322

Author(s):

Christopher J. Ceccolini ◽

V. Paul Poteat ◽

Jerel P. Calzo ◽

Hirokazu Yoshikawa ◽

Kasey Meyer

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Mixed Methods ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Family Support ◽

Well Being ◽

Minority Youth ◽

Gender Minority ◽

Sexual And Gender Minority ◽

And Gender ◽

Heterosexual Youth

Research among sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth has suggested associations between Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) involvement and better health. Emergent research has similarly demonstrated associations between family support and general well-being among SGM youth. However, the trait of bravery has received little attention in this literature, despite its relevance for youth in marginalized positions. We examined the association between level of GSA involvement, family support, and bravery among GSA members ( n = 295; Mage = 16.07), and whether those associations differed based on sexual orientation or gender identity. We then conducted one-on-one interviews with SGM youth ( n = 10), to understand how they understood bravery and experienced support in both GSA and family contexts. Greater GSA involvement significantly predicted greater bravery for all youth, whereas greater family support predicted greater bravery only for heterosexual youth. No significant moderation was found for gender minority youth. Our qualitative findings clarified how SGM youth conceptualized bravery and how they experienced it within their GSA and family settings. GSAs were associated with more frequent displays of explicit support for SGM identity, while families were perceived as providing less explicit support.

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Life under COVID-19 for LGBT+ people in the UK: systematic review of UK research on the impact of COVID-19 on sexual and gender minority populations

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050092 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. e050092

Author(s):

Victoria J McGowan ◽

Hayley J Lowther ◽

Catherine Meads

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Well Being ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Gender Minority ◽

Sexual And Gender Minority ◽

And Gender ◽

The Impact ◽

Health And Well Being

ObjectiveTo systematically review all published and unpublished evidence on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of UK sexual and gender minority (LGBT+; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, intersex and queer) people.MethodsAny relevant studies with or without comparator were included, with outcomes of: COVID-19 incidence, hospitalisation rates, illness severity, death rates, other health and well-being. Six databases (platforms) were searched—CINAHL Plus (Ovid), Cochrane Central (Cochrane Library), Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Science Citation Index (Web of Science) and Scopus between 2019 and 2020 in December 2020, using synonyms for sexual and gender minorities and COVID-19 search terms. Data extraction and quality assessment (using the relevant Joanna Briggs checklist) were in duplicate with differences resolved through discussion. Results were tabulated and synthesis was through narrative description.ResultsNo published research was found on any outcomes. Eleven grey literature reports found to be of low quality were included, mostly conducted by small LGBT+ charities. Only four had heterosexual/cisgender comparators. Mental health and well-being, health behaviours, safety, social connectedness and access to routine healthcare all showed poorer or worse outcomes than comparators.ConclusionsLack of research gives significant concern, given pre-existing health inequities. Social and structural factors may have contributed to poorer outcomes (mental health, well-being and access to healthcare). Paucity of evidence is driven by lack of routinely collected sexual orientation and gender identity data, possibly resulting from institutional homophobia/transphobia which needs to be addressed. Men are more at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 than women, so using data from trans women and men might have started to answer questions around whether higher rates were due to sex hormone or chromosomal effects. Routine data collection on sexual orientation and gender identity is required to examine the extent to which COVID-19 is widening pre-existing health inequalities.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020224304.

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Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Gender Expression-Based Violence in Catalan Universities: Qualitative Findings from University Students and Staff

10.21203/rs.3.rs-97327/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Elena Maria Gallardo Nieto ◽

Aitor Gómez González ◽

Regina Gairal-Casadó ◽

Maria del Mar Ramis Salas

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

University Students ◽

Well Being ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Gender Expression ◽

Wide Range ◽

And Gender

Abstract BackgroundHate crimes have raised in Spain and the gender and sexuality-based conflict persist worldwide which leads to this problem having an effect on health and wellbeing. Following a focus of transforming Higher Education Institutions (HEI), this research focusses on analysing how this problem affects undergraduate students in six Spanish universities. The goal of this study is to improve the quality of life of LGBTQI+ University students, breaking the silence that exists about the violence that this group suffer in Catalonia, Spain.MethodsFollowing the Communicative Methodology, this study has identified violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity or expression in the target universities and provided guidelines to improve anti-discrimination protocols. A qualitative method has reached experiences of university students, heads of equality commissions, professors and administrative staff regarding this conflict. Focussing on the qualitative research tools, 30 half-structured interviews were conducted with university students, staff and professors around issues related to LGBTQI-phobic violence: 1) perception of violence and discrimination, 2) institutional measures, 3) actions against violence. An analysis of exclusionary and transformative dimensions was used to identify emergent themes. ResultsWe have identified two dimensions for the analysis: exclusionary -those that maintain the problem-, and transformative, -those that contribute to transform the problem of LGBTQI-phobia-. On the one hand, exclusionary facts have been described by participants in the study as a wide range of forms of violence against the LGBTQI+ community perpetrated at university, mainly verbal and psychological. Moreover, equality commissions have not received reports of LGBTQI-phobic violence, and university staff and professors show certain unfamiliarity regarding measures and politics to prevent and intervene in cases of violence on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. On the other hand, in the study of variables that contribute to overcoming this conflict, actions of LGBTQI groups against violence and the professors’ commitment to intervene show relevant changes in student’s wellbeing. An improvement and implementation of anti-discrimination protocols with mandatory measures has also been documented.ConclusionsFindings highlight the need for evidence that contributes to the improvement of protocols, measures and politics to protect the LGBTQI community at university. A better understanding of violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in HEI’s may guide national and international governments to improve the LGBTQI collectives’ health and well-being. This study provides relevant information regarding this pressing challenge and presents an important impact achieved contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of the LGBTQI+ community.Trial registrationNot applicable

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Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression-based violence in Catalan universities: qualitative findings from university students and staff

Archives of Public Health ◽

10.1186/s13690-021-00532-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Elena María Gallardo-Nieto ◽

Aitor Gómez ◽

Regina Gairal-Casadó ◽

María del Mar Ramis-Salas

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

University Students ◽

Life Quality ◽

Well Being ◽

Two Dimensions ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Gender Expression ◽

Wide Range ◽

And Gender

Abstract Background Hate crimes have raised in Spain and the gender and sexuality-based conflicts persist worldwide which leads to this problem having an effect on health and wellbeing. Following a focus of transforming Higher Education Institutions, this research analysed the problem that affects undergraduate students in six Spanish universities. The research goal is to improve the life quality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex university students, breaking the silence that exists around the violence that this group suffer in Catalonia, Spain. Methods Following the Communicative Methodology, this study has identified violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression in the target universities and provided guidelines to improve anti-discrimination protocols. A qualitative method has reached experiences of university students, heads of equality commissions, professors and administrative staff regarding this conflict. Focussing on the qualitative research tools, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted with university students and staff around issues related to the violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, queer and intersex students: 1) perception of violence and discrimination, 2) institutional measures, 3) actions against violence. An analysis of exclusionary and transformative dimensions was used to identify emergent themes. Results We have identified two dimensions for the analysis given their impact in contributing or overcoming violence: exclusionary and transformative. A wide range of forms of violence on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression perpetrated at universities have been identified as exclusionary facts and described by participants in the study. Equality commissions have not received reports of violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, and university staff shows certain unfamiliarity regarding the measures and politics to prevent and intervene in cases of violence against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex community. Among the results identified as transformative are the ways through which actions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex groups against violence and the professors’ commitment to intervene have a relevant impact on student’s wellbeing. An improvement and implementation of anti-discrimination protocols with mandatory applicability has also been documented. Conclusions Findings highlight the need of collecting more evidence that contributes to the improvement of protocols, measures and politics to protect all the members of the university community. A better understanding of violence based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression in HEI’s may guide national and international governments to improve the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex persons.

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Enumerated U.S. State Laws

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Schooling ◽

10.1093/med:psych/9780199387656.003.0015 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 255-271

Author(s):

Stephen T. Russell ◽

Stacey S. Horn ◽

Raymond L. Moody ◽

Amanda Fields ◽

Elizabeth Tilley

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Well Being ◽

Policy Advocacy ◽

Fiscal Impact ◽

State Laws ◽

Key Informants ◽

Effective Strategies ◽

Organization Strategy ◽

And Gender

There is strong recent evidence that enumerated anti-bullying and nondiscrimination policies are an important foundation for promoting school policies that support the well-being of LGBTQ and all students. To understand factors associated with the passage of US state laws that included sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in status enumeration, the authors conducted interviews with 33 key informants who were involved in policy advocacy in states with different policy enumeration outcomes. In addition to questions about strategies used in policy advocacy, results illuminate specific effective strategies and the conditions for successful SOGI policy advocacy. Key themes related to SOGI policy advocacy across the states under consideration included the relevance and response to a state’s distinct legislative climate and history, avoidance of fiscal impact of proposed legislation, coordinated and consistent communication and messaging, and the relevance of distinct approaches to the organization, strategy, and leadership for policy advocacy.

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Research update on findings from the USM campus climate survey: Results related to LGBTQ students

10.31235/osf.io/wujkn ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Kamden K Strunk

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Campus Climate ◽

College Campuses ◽

Campus Environment ◽

Diversity And Inclusion ◽

Negative Comments ◽

Survey Results ◽

Lgbtq Students ◽

And Gender

LGBTQ students nationally experience bias, discrimination, bullying, harassment, and assault on college campuses. The effects of these negative experiences are known. They can lead to depression, suicidal ideation, lowered earning potential, and a range of other negative outcomes. Also known are the effects of diversity on a college campus. These outcomes are positive for all members of the campus community. This is why it is incumbent on universities to provide safe, inclusive, and diverse campus communities.The present results make clear that LGBTQ students at USM do not find themselves subject to a supportive and inclusive environment. They are almost twice as likely to become the victim of assault or harassment on campus as their counterparts. They report hearing negative comments from staff, administrators, and other students more often than their counterparts. They witness threatening behavior more often, particularly with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. That experience isn’t unique to LGBTQ students, though. Across all students sampled, 1 in 5 report witnessing threatening behavior on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity at least somewhat often on the USM campus. Although nearly 4 in 10 students surveyed agreed that a diverse and inclusive campus environment was a factor in deciding which college to attend, LGBTQ students surveyed were less likely to find the USM campus inclusive and committed to diversity.These results present a clear picture of a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is to serve the university’s LGBTQ students and create an inclusive campus environment despite budget shortfalls and a difficult political/cultural environment in Mississippi for LGBTQ issues. The opportunity is that there is already much work going on at USM to create just such an environment, and that diversity and inclusion may lead to increases in recruitment and retention, particularly among LGBTQ students.

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