Education policy: Issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth
Publication Type: Report
Date: November 17, 2003
High school students hear 25 anti-gay remarks every day. Of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) high schoolers, 42 percent have been physically harassed on the basis of their perceived sexual orientation/gender identity.
LGBT youth are more likely to:
- Drop out of school;
- Engage in substance abuse and unsafe sex;
- Contemplate suicide.
Adolescents would benefit from more:
- Gay-straight alliances;
- Supportive adults at school and home;
- Legislation to protect students from harassment;
- Comprehensive sex education and LGBT-inclusive curricula.
