Supporting LGBTQ students makes schools safer and stronger for all

As students head back to school across Texas and all over the country, many youths and families see this as an exciting time — new clothes or uniforms, new school supplies and new possibilities with teachers and friends. But it can also be a difficult time for some students. Schools are not always safe and supportive for LGBTQ students. Research consistently shows that LGBTQ students are at higher risk for bullying, feeling badly about themselves and not doing well in school — including studies of students here in Texas.

Evidence suggests students who feel singled out for their sexual orientation are more likely to be absent from class. In a state like Texas, where schools receive resources based on their daily attendance, this concerning trend is one that impacts whole schools.

When it comes to supporting LGBTQ people, things have changed so much during the past 50 years. This summer, people around the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York City — the event that many say was the beginning of today’s LGBTQ movement.

I was a toddler when the riots happened at the Stonewall Inn. As a young gay man, however, I attended the 25th anniversary celebration of Stonewall in New York City, and decades later, I research LGBTQ youths and their health and well-being, having conducted some of the earliest population studies of sexual minority youths and their health. I have studied the health and well-being of LGBTQ youths for the past 2½ decades.

So I’m supportive of the celebrations, but I’m also worried. Despite the changes during the past 50 years, new studies show that things are not necessarily getting better. In some cases, disparities in mental health for LGBTQ youths are actually getting worse rather than better. This might be partly because our research is also showing that there is more homophobic bullying in schools now than during the previous decade and that public campaigns against sexual minority groups, such as efforts to curb gay marriage, increase this type of bullying.

So what does all of this mean as kids head back to school? In fact, the encouraging news is that there is a lot that we know that makes a difference for creating safe and supportive schools for LGBTQ students — and all students.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently released a new report about it. The role of the National Academies is to solve complex problems and inform public policy related to science, technology and medicine. They convened a group of experts to consider the science of adolescents’ brains, social lives and behaviors, to advise the nation on policy to support teens and their development. That report pointed out that LGBTQ students can be at risk at school, and it identified several strong strategies.

Specifically, it makes a difference to have clear, inclusive policies against discriminatory behavior and bullying. Teachers and other school personnel benefit from training to help them intervene in bullying and support student safety. Establishing student-led clubs that support inclusion, like gay-straight alliances, also is linked to positive outcomes. Finally, schools can be a source of inclusive resources, support and curriculum.

Many schools and school districts are already doing these strategies — but too many currently are not. That’s why several Texas-based organizations came together to create the Stories and Numbers project, a website with resources designed to help teachers, parents and even students understand what the research says and how people can use this information to create better school climates across Texas. 

Although there are new possibilities that we could not have imagined 50 years ago, it is worth remembering that even now, things are not always easy for LGBTQ youths. The good news is we have learned a lot in the past decades about what makes a difference to help all youths feel safe and do well at school.

Stephen Russell is the chair of the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin and the Priscilla Pond Flawn Regents Professor of Child Development.