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Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network

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Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network

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GLSEN is a national network of educators, students, and local chapters that works to ensure every student has the right to a safe, supportive, and LGBTQ+ inclusive education. GLSEN has an excellent array of resources for students and educators, including lesson plans, educator guides, and student action resources. The website also provides a number of opportunities for students to get involved in activism.

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In this statement, GLSEN's National Student Council condemns police brutality and calls for greater support for Black lives

Read the Statement

Get involved and join your community, local, or state GLSEN chapter

GLSEN Chapters create LGBTQ-inclusive schools. Community-led chapters offer teacher trainings, student support, community outreach, and more.

Recent Research

Research, Reports, and Briefs

Research, Reports, and Briefs

Research, Reports, and Briefs

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In this statement, GLSEN's National Student Council condemns police brutality and calls for greater support for Black lives Read the Statement GLSEN Chapters create LGBTQ-inclusive schools. Community-led chapters offer teacher trainings, student support, community outreach, and more. Research, Reports, and Briefs Research, Reports, and Briefs Research, Reports, and Briefs

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Learning for Justice provides free resources to educators to help them create inclusive school communities where all children are respected and valued. Librarians can highlight many of the lesson plans and professional development opportunities featured on the Learning for Justice website to the school community. Empowering educators to incorporate inclusive lessons into their practice will create a better school environment where LGBTQ students are understood and supported.

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Learning for Justice is a community education program of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) that centers civic and political action education for everyone.

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It Gets Better Project is a nonprofit organization with a mission to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ youth. This website is a great resource to refer to students who may be struggling with depression, bullying, or non-supportive families. There are several videos they can watch of actual LGBTQ individuals sharing their own stories and how they managed to love and celebrate themselves.

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The It Gets Better Project exists to uplift, empower, and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe.

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ACLU's LGBTQ Youth & Schools Resource Library

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ACLU's LGBTQ Youth & Schools Resource Library

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The ACLU has curated a list of many resources that apply to a variety of topics such as the legal rights of LGBTQ+ youths, how to start a Gay-Straight alliance, and how to manage bullying/harassment. Librarians and educators can refer students to this list of resources if they are having a specific problem or simply view the resources themselves to learn more about LGBTQ+ issues.

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There's a lot of information about schools issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth both on the ACLU's website and elsewhere on the web, but sometimes it can be difficult to find your way to the resources you need online. We've gathered some of the best information we have plus great stuff from other organizations and websites on this page to help you find things that can help you learn more about your rights and what you can do to make your school a safer, more welcoming place.

General Resources
Equal Access Act/Gay-Straight Alliances Harassment

Open Letter to Schools About Addressing Anti-LGBTQ Bullying: An open letter to school administrators about why they are legally obligated to protect students from anti-LGBTQ bullying. You can print this out and give a copy to your school.

The Cost of Harassment: A Fact Sheet for LGBTQ High School Students: An overview of the nearly four million dollars' worth of successful harassment lawsuits brought by LGBTQ students against the schools that did nothing to help them. A printable PDF version is available here.

Tips: What You Can Do To Make Schools Safer: A few ideas about things schools, students, and parents can do to reduce harassment.

2017 GLSEN National School Climate Survey: The most recent national survey from GLSEN about attitudes towards LGBTQ students in our nation's schools, the prevalence of harassment and bullying towards LGBTQ students, and school safety.

U.S. Department of Education "Dear Colleague Letter" on bullying and harassment: An open letter from the federal government that makes it clear that schools have a legal obligation to address anti-gay harassment. The letter includes studies and case law to demonstrate schools' responsibility to equally protect all members of their student body.

Safe Schools Coalition: A coalition of organizations based in Washington state that serves schools, students, and parents throughout the U.S., with extra focus on Washington. Their site features training materials, information, and an extensive links section.

Free Speech/Free Expression/Prom

Speaking Out with Your T-Shirt: T-shirts are a common way for students to express their views, and schools often try to censor this form of speech, especially when it's about LGBTQ people. If you're thinking about wearing an LGBTQ-positive t-shirt to school and you expect trouble, here's what you should know and what to expect. A printable PDF version is available here.

Open Letter to Schools About LGBTQ Censorship: A letter to principals and educators explaining the legal requirement that schools allow students to wear clothing or accessories with slogans or symbols that express support for LGBTQ people. You can print this out and give a copy to your school.

Open Letter to Schools About Gendered Dress Codes: Having a dress code for boys that is different than it is for girls is illegal, whether that's the everyday dress code or the requirements for prom, graduation, or other special event. This explains why to school officials.

Open Letter to Schools About Disciplining LGBTQ Students for Displays of Affection: This letter explains to schools why they shouldn't punish LGBTQ students who hold hands or display affection in other ways any more harshly than they do straight students for the same behavior.

Open Letter to Schools about Day of Silence: A letter to principals and educators explaining Day of Silence, ways to support students who are participating, and obligations schools have to protect students' safety and freedom of speech.

Open Letter to Schools about Ally Week: A letter to principals and educators explaining Ally Week, ways to support students who are participating, and obligations schools have to protect students' safety and freedom of speech.

Open Letter to Schools about LGBTQ Students' Dates for School Events: Every year, the ACLU receives calls from students whose schools have told them that they cannot bring a same-sex date to prom or homecoming, or that they can bring their date of choice but can't participate in all the same ways that their heterosexual and cisgender classmates can. This letter explains to schools that this is illegal.

Know Your Prom Night Rights! A Quick Guide for LGBTQ High School Students: There are laws protecting your right to be yourself at the prom, and this handout can help you learn about them so that you too can be safe and have fun on the big night!

Wikipedia's entry on the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Summarizes the details of the amendment and includes the full text of the amendment.

Privacy Transgender/Nonbinary/Gender Nonconforming Student Resources

Know Your Rights: A Guide for Trans and Gender Nonconforming Students: This guide from the ACLU and our colleagues at GLSEN provides information for trans and gender nonconforming students about their rights at school regarding harassment, dress code, dates for prom and other formal dances, and more.

Schools in Transition: A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools: This guide from the ACLU, NCLR, Gender Spectrum, and HRC guide is written for administrators, teachers, parents, and other adults who work with youth. It covers topics ranging from basic concepts of gender and the importance of affirming gender identity, to best practices for restroom access and working with unsupportive parents.

Open Letter to Schools About Gendered Dress Codes: Having a dress code for boys that is different than it is for girls is illegal, whether that's the everyday dress code or the requirements for prom, graduation, or other special event. This letter explains why to school officials.

Gender Spectrum: An organization that provides education, resources and training to help schools, health care providers, and family service agencies create a more gender sensitive and supportive environment for all children including gender variant and transgender youth.

Gender Odyssey: An organization that hosts conferences and other means of support for transgender children and their families.

Mermaids: A UK support group for transgender children and teenagers which offers a variety of information.

TransYouth Family Advocates: A coalition of parents, friends and caring adults dedicated to educating and raising public awareness about the medical and cultural challenges faced by children with gender variant and gender questioning identities and the families who love them.

Gender Diversity: This organization provides family support, works with schools, and provides community-building services to improve the well-being for people of all gender identities and expressions.

Help for Youth Considering Suicide Elsewhere on the Web

The Trevor Project: A national suicide and crisis prevention resource for LGBTQ youth, including a 24-hour hotline (866-4-U-TREVOR/866-488-7386), as well as a Q&A forum, a live chat, blog, and many other resources for youth, educators, and parents.

Suicide.org: A non-profit suicide prevention informational and educational resource whose website offers support and links to articles pertaining to LGBTQ youth suicide. The site's homepage also has links to multiple suicide prevention hotlines (with both talk and text options) and resources for suicide survivors and the family and friends of suicidal individuals.

Hetrick-Martin Institute: HMI, the home of the Harvey Milk High School, provides multiple resources pages with links to guidance on dealing with bullying and other LGBTQ youth specific issues.

It Gets Better Project: The It Gets Better Project was created to show young LGBTQ people the levels of happiness, potential, and positivity their lives will reach - if they can just get through their teen years. The It Gets Better Project wants to remind teenagers in the LGBTQ community that they are not alone.

ACLU Staffers' "It Gets Better" Videos: We made our own videos to contribute to the It Gets Better Project, featuring several LGBTQ staffers from the national ACLU's New York and Washington, D.C. offices.

Web Filtering at Your School

Don't Filter Me: Web Content Filtering in Schools: Our campaign to end viewpoint-discriminatory web filtering that blocks access to LGBTQ-positive web content in public schools.

Letter to School Officials Regarding Web Filtering: This letter explains to public schools that using web filtering software the blocks students' access to pro-LGBTQ websites is illegal and unconstitutional. You can print this out and give a copy to your school.

M86 filtering fact sheet: If your public school district uses the M86 web filter and is blocking positive LGBTQ websites, this fact sheet tells you how to get your school to fix it.

Websense filtering fact sheet: If your public school district uses the Websense web filter and is blocking positive LGBTQ websites, this fact sheet tells you how to get your school to fix it.

Info for LGBTQ College Students

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There's a lot of information about schools issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth both on the ACLU's website and elsewhere on the web, but sometimes it can be difficult to find your way to the resources you need online.

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MyPronouns.org is a resource dedicated to the empowering and inclusive use of personal pronouns. Using a student's correct pronouns is a small but impactful way to showcase your support for LGBTQ+ youth. This website provides many practical tips for librarians, staff, and students to utilize if they have questions about why pronouns matter and how to manage any mistakes that may be made.

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Pronouns.org Resources on Personal Pronouns

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Pronouns.org Resources on Personal Pronouns

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The Stonewall Book Award is awarded to books that display exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience. It is critical that LGBTQ+ students are able to find experiences that reflect their own in the books they read. Librarians can refer to the Stonewall Book Awards list to ensure that their libraries include outstanding books that LGBTQ+ students can see themselves in.

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The Trevor Project is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people. The website features an informational resource center for students to learn more about sensitive topics such as mental health and gender identity. There are also several helpful articles about how to best support LGBTQ+ individuals that staff members can read and learn from.

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The Trevor Project | For Young LGBTQ Lives

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The Trevor Project provides 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ young people. Text, chat, or call anytime to reach a trained counselor. Free and confidential.