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A group of therapists who are also members of the LGBTQIA+ community group is here to provide expert, affirming mental care.

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Embrace queer joy and flourish with help from a dedicated team who are experts in mental health care, including therapy and medication management, so you can keep your mind as healthy as your body.

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Watch Heartstopper | Netflix Official Site

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Teens Charlie and Nick discover their unlikely friendship might be something more as they navigate school and young love in this coming-of-age series. Watch trailers & learn more.

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In 1943, Carson Shaw travels to Chicago to try out for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. There, she meets other women who also dream of playing pro baseball and makes connections that open up her world. Rockford local Max Chapman also comes to the tryouts but is turned away. With the support of her best friend Clance, she must forge a new path to pursue her dream.

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In 1943, Carson Shaw travels to Chicago to try out for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. There, she meets other women who also dream of playing pro baseball and makes connections that open up her world. Rockford local Max Chapman also comes to the tryouts but is turned away.

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Stand-up comic Mae Martin navigates a passionate, messy new relationship with her girlfriend, George, while dealing with the challenges of sobriety. Watch trailers & learn more.

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Watch Sex Education | Netflix Official Site

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Insecure Otis has all the answers when it comes to sex advice, thanks to his therapist mother. So rebel Maeve proposes a school sex-therapy clinic.

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What to Say During Difficult Conversations

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What to Say During Difficult Conversations

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What to Say During Difficult Conversations

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Get advice for how to handle challenging conversations during the holidays as an LGBTQIA+ person.

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Tales of the City | Netflix Official Site

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Returning to San Francisco after a long absence, Mary Ann Singleton reunites with the community of characters at 28 Barbary Lane.

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About the Show

Pose is a drama spotlighting the legends, icons and ferocious house mothers of New York's underground ball culture, a movement that first gained notice in the late 1980s. Making television history, Pose features the largest cast of transgender actors in series regular roles, including Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore and Hailie Sahar, who co-star alongside Tony Award ® winner and Golden Globe ® nominee Billy Porter, Angel Bismark Curiel, Dyllón Burnside, Sandra Bernhard and Jason Rodriguez. The Golden Globe-nominated drama also features the largest recurring cast of LGBTQ actors ever for a scripted series.

Upon receiving an HIV positive diagnosis, "Blanca Rodriguez" (Mj Rodriguez) is forced to confront her mortality and dedicates herself to leaving a legacy. With the encouragement of her friend "Pray Tell" (Billy Porter), the fierce patriarch and emcee of the house balls, Blanca breaks from "Elektra" (Dominique Jackson), mother of the House of Abundance, and starts her very own "house," a self-selected family that provides support to LGBTQ youth rejected by their birth families. Blanca's newly formed House of Evangelista becomes a haven for anyone searching for a home, and Blanca's new family soon includes streetwalker "Angel" (Indya Moore), aspiring dancer "Damon" (Ryan Jamaal Swain) and his boyfriend "Ricky" (Dyllón Burnside), and street-wise "Lil Papi" (Angel Bismark Curiel). After a rocky launch, the upstart House of Evangelista soon overshadows all, becoming a premier force in the ballroom, with Blanca receiving the community's ultimate honor when she is crowned "Mother of the Year."

In the final season of Pose, it's now 1994 and ballroom feels like a distant memory for Blanca who struggles to balance being a mother with being a present partner to her new love, and her latest role as a nurse's aide. Meanwhile, as AIDS becomes the leading cause of death for Americans ages 25 to 44, Pray Tell contends with unexpected health burdens. Elsewhere, the emergence of a vicious new upstart house forces the House of Evangelista members to contend with their legacy.

Pose was co-created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals, who executive produce alongside Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, Alexis Martin Woodall, Sherry Marsh and Janet Mock. Our Lady J is co-executive producer. Tanase Popa is supervising producer. Lou Eyrich, Jeff Dickerson and Kip Myers also serve as producers. The seven-episode third season is produced by 20 th Television, part of Disney Television Studios, and FX Productions.

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Pose is a drama spotlighting the legends, icons and ferocious house mothers of New York's underground ball culture, a movement that first gained notice in the late 1980s.

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The Last of Us | Official Website for the HBO Series | HBO.com

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The official website for The Last of Us on HBO. Watch the trailer, learn about the cast, find behind the scenes exclusives, and more.

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Youth Resource is a group of LGBTQ+ youth of color between the ages of 13-24 that are actively involved with a youth-serving community-based organization, a student group or any other organized group. YouthResource leaders are responsible for providing their communities, and communities around the country, with information, resources, and education to address LGBTQ+ health and rights.

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Youth Activists fight for

LGBTQ young people should be safe and supported in our homes, schools, and communities.

Young people support LGBTQ rights more than any other generation.

We're horrified by anti-trans bathroom bills, policies that allow business to refuse service just because someone is LGBT, and bullying of LGBTQ young people in their schools and communities, and by politicians who don't work to stop these outrages.

Over three decades of activism

Advocates for Youth has worked with LGBTQ young people for over three decades, including founding the first online space for LGBTQ youth to help and support one another. Now, we work with schools and youth serving professionals around the country to ensure LGBTQ youth are safe in schools; included in sex education lessons; and above all, celebrated for who they are.

"Knowing that there are voices that are silenced and need a platform keeps me motivated to continue the work."

- Rikki, YouthResource

My Story Out Loud

#MyStoryOUTLoud is a digital storytelling campaign dedicated to uplifting the narratives of LGBTQ+ youth of color across the nation by capturing OUR stories, our experiences, our truths.

Go to website

Through YouthResource, Advocates recruits, trains and supports a cohort of young people passionate about LGBTQ health and rights.

YouthResource is a group of LGBTQ+ youth of color between the ages of 13-24 that are actively involved with a youth-serving community-based organization, a student group or any other organized group. YouthResource leaders are responsible for providing their communities, and communities around the country, with information, resources, and education to address LGBTQ+ health and rights.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth of color (YOC) generally receive poor quality of care, disingenuous support, and hostile educational environments due to stigma, lack of youth-serving professionals' competence, and societal insensitivity. For over 10 years, the Queer and Gender Equity Project (QGEP) has provided support to youth-serving organizations seeking to enhance their support for LGBTQ youth, especially young people of color, via education, policy, research, professional training, and technical assistance. As a result of Advocates' partnership, many of these organizations created youth leadership councils; adopted LGBTQ-enumerated anti-bullying policies; installed gender-neutral restrooms; normalized pronoun usage; implemented sexual health frameworks; and created safe and supportive environments.

The All Students Count Coalition (ASCC) is a network of national, state, and community organizations led by Advocates for Youth. The ASCC encourages state and local education and health agencies to include sexual orientation, gender identity and expression-related questions on their Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS).

Join the movement of young people working to protect our health and lives

Get Started

We'll give you the tools you need to organize in your community.

Learn More

Donate Now

Support youth activists working for reproductive and sexual health and rights.

Donate

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Get text and email updates

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LGBTQ Health and Rights - Advocates for Youth

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Advocates for Youth has worked with LGBTQ young people for over three decades, including founding the first online space for LGBTQ youth to help and support one another. Now, we work with schools and youth serving professionals around the country to ensure LGBTQ youth are safe in schools; included in sex education lessons; and above all, celebrated for who they are.

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Guides built for and with LGBTQ+ teens to help you explore your identity and support your mental health.

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By texting this number, you're agreeing to receive automated text messages from imi including messages promoting imi; up to three texts per day, every other day, for 28 days. Consenting to sign up for text messages is not a condition for participation in imi. Check our and Privacy Policy for more details. Reply STOP to end, or HELP for support. Message and data rates may apply.

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Free guides built for and with LGBTQ+ teens to help you explore your identity and support your mental health.

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We're glad you're here

Find and give support, have fun, connect around shared interests, and get good information. Chat with like-minded peers in live chats designed for you & by you, facilitated by folks who care. Learn more.

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Q Chat Space is a digital LGBTQ + center where you can join live chat, professionally facilitated, discussion groups.

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The Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention nonprofit organization for LGBTQ+ young people. We provide information & support to LGBTQ+ young people 24/7, all year round.

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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.

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Love is more complicated than “boy meets boy” in bestselling author Adib Khorram’s sharply funny new romantic comedy, set in the sordid world of high school theater

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The Breakup Lists by Adib Khorram: 9780593616390 | Brightly Shop

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Love is more complicated than “boy meets boy” in bestselling author Adib Khorram’s sharply funny new romantic comedy, set in the sordid world of high school theater Jackson Ghasnavi…

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Best friendship blossoms into something more in this gorgeously written queer literary romance.

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Just Another Epic Love Poem by Parisa Akhbari: 9780593530498 | Brightly Shop

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Best friendship blossoms into something more in this gorgeously written queer literary romance. “The heartache and longing of witnessing a beloved character pine hopelessly over her best friend has never…

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Nate needs a date to his cousin’s wedding. Jai is Nate’s best friend and secret crush. Could Jai be Nate’s plus-one—and only?

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Nate Plus One by Kevin van Whye: 9780593376423 | Brightly Shop

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Boy plus boy. Two weeks in Johannesburg. A summer of music, adventure, self-discovery . . . and definitely not love. What could go wrong? Nate needs a date to his cousin’s wedding. Jai is…

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Hannah's a witch, but not the kind you're thinking of. She's the real deal, an Elemental with the power to control fire, earth, water, and air. But even though she lives in Salem, Massachusetts, her magic is a secret she has to keep to herself. If she's ever caught using it in front of a Reg (non-witch), she could lose it. For good. So, Hannah spends most of her time avoiding her ex-girlfriend (and fellow Elemental Witch) Veronica, hanging out with her best friend, and working at the Fly by Night Cauldron selling candles and crystals to tourists, goths, and local Wiccans.

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These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling: 9780451480347 | Brightly Shop

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“Sterling’s rich, magical world dazzles readers with its fantastic intricacies.” —Richelle Mead, #1 international bestselling author of Vampire Academy and The Glittering Court series Hannah’s…

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Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by Booklist * Kirkus Reviews

Celebrate all the ways love makes us who we are with the romance that Entertainment Weekly calls "wise, wildly unique"--from the bestselling co-author of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist--about a teen who wakes up every morning in a different body, living a different life. Now a major motion picture!

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There's never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.
It's all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with-day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan, bestselling co-author of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A's world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

"A story that is always alluring, oftentimes humorous and much like love itself- splendorous." -Los Angeles Times

School Library Journal Best of Children's Books 2012

Kirkus Reviews Best of Teen's Books 2012

Booklist Best of Children's Books 2012

"Fresh, unique, funny, and achingly honest, Levithan brilliantly explores the adolescent conundrum of not feeling like oneself, and not knowing where one belongs. I didn't just read this book - I inhaled it." - Jodi Picoult, NYT bestselling author of Lone Wolf and Between the Lines

Entertainment Weekly, August 22, 2012:
"Rich in wisdom and wit...Levithan keeps the pages turning not only with ingenious twists on his central conceit but with A's hard-earned pieces of wisdom about identity, isolation, and love. Every Day has the power to teach a bully empathy by answering an essential question: What's it like to be you and not me - even if it's just for one day?"

New York Times Book Review, August 26, 2012:
"It demonstrates Levithan's talent for empathy, which is paired in the best parts of the book with a persuasive optimism about the odds for happiness and for true love."

Los Angeles Times, September 2, 2012:
"It's the rare book that challenges gender presumptions in a way that's as entertaining as it is unexpected and, perhaps most important, that's relatable to teens who may not think they need sensitivity training when it comes to sexual orientation and the nature of true love. 'Every Day' is precisely such a book...A story that is always alluring, oftentimes humorous and much like love itself - splendorous."

MTV Hollywood Crush, September 28, 2012:
"Thoughtful and fascinating...A study in the most real and human of concerns: the importance of empathy, the value of friends and family, and the beauty of permanence that we have the luxury of taking for granted."

Boston Globe, September 15, 2012:
"Ambitious and provocative...we're not ready to let A go."

OUT Magazine, December 2012:
"One of the most inventive young adult novels of the year."

Romantic Times, October 2012:
"Levithan is a literary genius. His style of writing is brilliant - practically flawless... Reading A's journey to make love last, in a world that is always changing, is an experience I hope everyone gets to share."

Starred Review, School Library Journal, September 2012:
"Every step of the narrative feels real and will elicit a strong emotional response from readers and offer them plenty of fodder for speculation, especially regarding the nature of love."

Starred Review, Booklist, July 1, 2012:
"Levithan has created an irresistible premise that is sure to captivate readers....
[ Every Day] is a study in style, an exercise in imagination, and an opportunity for readers themselves to occupy another life: that of A, himself."

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2012:
"An awe-inspiring, thought-provoking reminder that love reaches beyond physical appearances or gender."

Starred Review, Shelf Awareness, September 7, 2012:
"Levithan's unusual love story will make teens think about how the core of the soul never changes. A speaks of faith, love, dreams and death with a wisdom derived from thousands of lives visited over 16 years and firsthand proof of how much humans share rather than what sets them apart."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 2012:
"This unconventional romance considers some fascinating and unexpected questions about the nature of identity, consciousness, love, and gender...Readers will identify with A's profound longing for connection, but they'll also be intrigued by the butterfly effect A's presence may have on numerous other teens who make brief but memorable appearances."

The Horn Book, November 2012:
"Brilliantly conceived...[Levithan] shapes the narrative into a profound exploration of what it means to love someone."

Letter Blocks, the BN Parents & Educators blog, August 23, 2012:
"A definite crowd-pleaser."

The L Magazine, August 29, 2012:
"The premise allows for stimulating parallels: A's experience is both like the writer's, who inhabits the consciousnesses of random characters, and the adolescent's, who tries on myriad identities."

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Every Day by David Levithan: 9780307931894 | Brightly Shop

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by Booklist * Kirkus Reviews Celebrate all the ways love makes us who we are with the romance that Entertainment Weekly calls...

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Encouraging the next generation of queer youth from across the world to stand up for what's right. Host Anthony Giorgio speaks with queer youth in small groups and special guests to find out what it means to be a queer teen today.

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Showcasing and encouraging the next generation of queer youth from across the world to stand up for what’s right.

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Proper Full-On Gay Podcast is an LGBTQIA+ podcast 

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Proper Full-On Gay Podcast is an LGBTQIA+ podcast 

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The podcast explore the challenges that queer youth overcome and talk about what works with their partner organisations do to support young people across the UK & Ireland.

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The Real Hoodwives of Chicago" is a podcast for artists of color to talk love, romance, and ratchetry.

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The Real Hoodwives of Chicago • A podcast on Spotify for Creators

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E’mon Lauren, a queer Scorpio, is the first Youth Poet Laureate of Chicago, from the Souf and Wes Side.
“The Real Hoodwives of Chicago” is a podcast for artists of color to talk love, sex, romance, and ratchetry. So often do we hear folks of color’s stories second-hand. Scripted. Edited. Given a “Sex and the City” makeover. Well not here. Here are our raw, unedited, unmasked stories. Learn about our romantic desires, our conquests, our fluidity and strengths. Tune in to hear us discuss our body and bodies of work. A real show. With hot sauce stories.

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A podcast where Bren, a queer teenager, and Michelle, a not queer teenager, explore the world surrounding gender and sexuality, and outreaches to other intersecting communities. Focused on political commentary and personal experience with some lighthearted humor.

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Gen(der) Z • A podcast on Spotify for Creators

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A podcast where Bren, a queer teenager, and Michelle, a not queer teenager, explore the world surrounding gender and sexuality, and outreaches to other intersecting communities. Focused on political commentary and personal experience with some lighthearted humor, we hope you take some time to listen to our thoughts.

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The podcast empowers Queer teens and their allies with the real-world information that would have changed their lives

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Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill: The Podcast • A podcast on Spotify for Creators

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Welcome to QUEER AS A FIVE-DOLLAR BILL: THE PODCAST with author and host Lee Wind. Join me each Thursday in June as I share my award-winning novel, Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill, chapter by chapter, in its entirety, to empower Queer teens and their allies with the real-world information that would have changed my life – because stories – especially our Queer stories and history – should be available for all.

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Pride Month 2024: How to be an effective ally for the LGBTQ+ community

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Pride Month 2024: How to be an effective ally for the LGBTQ+ community

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A recent four-year project by the Harvard Business Review found that three components are commonly cited by LGBTQ+ people for effective allyship: being accepting, having humility and taking action.

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How to be an Ally: LGBTQ+ Resources | Southern Poverty Law Center

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Three components are commonly cited by LGBTQ+ people for effective allyship: being accepting, having humility and taking action.

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Four transgender high school activists courageously share their stories and explain how educators and allies can help them amid the hostile attacks on their human rights.

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"I came out as trans when I was 11," says Dayley. "Even since kindergarten, I kind of knew I was a girl."

Ajia* explains her realization over time while living outwardly as a boy: "I don't think this is who I am supposed to be." At 13, her self-understanding included her identity as a transgender girl.

Dayley and Ajia are not unusual. Research shows that gender awareness is generally established by age 5 or 6, meaning that most people will have a sense of their gender by that age. And gender identity is usually stable. This is true for both transgender individuals-those whose gender self-understanding is at odds with the gender assigned to them at birth-and cisgender individuals, for whom identity is congruent with gender assigned at birth. Helping young children understand their own experiences of gender can normalize their journey of identity formation and prevent the anguish of feeling they are somehow "wrong."

"It wasn't until I understood that being trans was an option for me that I came out and started social transition in fifth grade," says Dayley. Being able to transition was a huge relief to her. This experience, too, is not unusual. Medical experts warn that withholding gender-affirming care (such as social transitioning) from minors who need it causes grave harm. Studies also confirm that receiving appropriate gender-affirming care significantly reduces trans youths' mental health risks.

And yet every day, state politicians are restricting appropriate and necessary care for transgender youth. Literally hundreds of anti-trans bills were introduced in the past year at the state level, and dozens have passed. These attacks on trans youth are part of a broader assault on democracy and human rights to ban the teaching of accurate history, censor discussions of racism and force LGBTQ+ people back into the closet. LGBTQ+ people and students of color are in the crosshairs, and for youth of color who are queer, compounded discrimination is particularly intense.

Educators, civil rights advocates and above all young trans people themselves are fighting back. "Queer and trans people around me are so strong and so resilient," says ishani, who identifies as nonbinary. "LGBTQ people of my generation are coming together to fight these anti-trans and anti-queer legislations." They are also defining their identities for themselves and creating safe spaces with and for one another, often in hostile environments.

Educators have an important role in ensuring the safety and well-being of trans and LGBTQ+ young people. Trace Roth, a New York City teacher who also identifies as trans, remembers a teacher who helped them survive. "That's who I want to be for my students," they say. Roth finds hope in "knowing the kids will be that for other people, too."

Defining Themselves

While LGBTQ+ people and allies have descended on state capitals to protest, young trans people are often confronting their own local anti-trans environments. "I'm from a small town [in the Deep South] where everyone knows everyone," says Ajia. "It's pretty hard, honestly; people like me are not accepted." She stopped going to church because it was a hostile space. School is "a mixed bag," with some teachers respecting her pronouns and others bringing their religious judgments into the classroom. Home can also be a challenging place. "One day it's cool, and the next day it's rocky," Ajia says.

Difficult situations are even harder for Ajia because of a lack of resources and role models in rural areas, especially those with high rates of poverty. So Ajia set out to change that. She started a community-based GSA (Gender and Sexuality Alliance) that created a safe space and "a place to be our authentic selves." About a dozen young people are part of the group, which has taken field trips to cities to participate in a Pride march and attend a drag show. It's life-giving "to see there's more people out there that are like us," Ajia says.

Ollie lives in southern Florida and has access to the kind of resources Ajia's small town lacks. They have been active in the regional GLSEN chapter, helping organize the annual youth conference, as well as with the Naples Pride Center, which holds regular youth events. Dayley, too, lives in a place with more support. "I'm in New Jersey, and I definitely think I'm in a lucky position," she says. "I want to use that privilege to do something good."

Dayley, like Ollie, is involved in local LGBTQ+ activism. They both also serve, along with ishani, on the National Student Council of GLSEN, an intergenerational LGBTQ+ organization working to make schools safer for queer and trans students. Ajia, Ollie, Dayley and ishani all understand that they have agency in the world and are using that agency to create better lives for themselves and for other youth.

This generation of LGBTQ+ young people also have a strong sense of agency to define who they are for themselves. Even if external circumstances make it difficult, they know they are the authorities on their lives. One wonderful result is that many young queer people don't let themselves be forced into fixed identity boxes, and they understand that trans and queer are terms that encompass many lived self-understandings. "I identify as nonbinary, transgender, genderqueer, transmasculine," says Ollie. Dayley and Ajia both identify as transgender girls.

As ishani, who lives in Orange County, California, explains, "The way I understand myself, I don't identify with a specific type of gender. I like to see my gender as very fluid." For young people of ishani's generation, the concept of intersectionality comes naturally. "As an Indian person, I've been going on this journey within myself to find out how my culture intersects with my gender identity, how it intersects with my queerness," ishani says.

How Can Educators Support Trans Students?

Young people experiencing forms of marginalization and discrimination need support. "They need spaces to be themselves," says Roth, the New York City teacher, "and adults they can trust, not only to talk to but to be role models and show them that it's possible to exist and give them resources."

"When you see something happening, say something. Don't be a bystander. Don't sit patiently and watch the news and say, 'Oh, I hope things get better.' Actually be part of it."
-Dayley

Like Roth, Natalie Popadich is a teacher who is also trans, and she, too, has been paying it forward in providing safe space for young people. Both teachers emphasize the need for inclusive curriculum. "There's so much research about making sure students can see themselves in curriculum," Roth explains.

"We need to know that we have a history as queer people," Popadich says, recommending that teachers start with "big names" in their subject areas-like Walt Whitman, James Baldwin, Bessie Smith, Frida Kahlo or Alan Turing. More broadly, Popadich says that it's part of her district and school diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to make sure that "there's representation of queer people, Black people, Brown people, people with disabilities, things like that."

When ishani's face lights up as they recount learning about hijra people in India-a broad category in South Asia that includes transgender and intersex people-the importance of such inclusive efforts is clear. "It's affirming to find different ways my culture has historically or culturally had queerness be a part of it for a long time," they say.

All four of these young people stressed the importance of educators doing "the small things," as ishani puts it. These include asking students for their pronouns and displaying safe space stickers or Pride flags. Popadich starts the school year by asking what names and pronouns students use in school and at home. "We don't want to out anyone," she says, because "it may not be safe" to be out at home. She also recommends leaving notes for substitute teachers so students whose names and pronouns may differ from the school roster don't have to correct the substitute. To this list of "subtle but external support," Dayley adds having topical classroom discussions and "bringing up current events."

"Make explicit you as a teacher don't tolerate discrimination from day one," Ollie says, and recommends letting students know if they ever have an issue "that you are a safe space."

Ajia puts it even more simply: It's about "supporting a child and respecting them for who they are." She also reminds educators that "you never know what someone is going through at home," so teachers should help students "feel as comfortable as possible, let them know they're loved, be understanding, don't be judgmental."

"Especially now in our current climate, it's really hard for people to just listen," says ishani, but sometimes that is exactly what young people need. "There's times when all you need to do is just take a step back and listen to what we're saying, because at the end of the day, queer and trans youth know what we're talking about because we're living through it."

Legal Rights and State Repression

Educators can support LGBTQ+ students by understanding that public school students have certain constitutional rights that school officials cannot violate and state laws cannot override.

"This is the really difficult moment that we're in, so we're really calling for our school district leaders and school districts to just be bold in how they plan to ensure that every child who steps into a classroom is going to feel safe and affirmed-because that's what's needed to be able to learn."
-Ian Siljestrom

"The Supreme Court says students don't shed their rights when they enter the schoolhouse gate, and that goes to all the constitutional protections, including rights to speech and expression," says Paul Castillo, senior counsel and students' rights strategist at Lambda Lega l. Those rights include gender expression-so, for instance, while schools can have dress codes, they can't design them in ways that target students' identities.

Title IX of the federal Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex, and sex discrimination includes discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. This gives LGBTQ+ students "the right, and this is particularly important now, to be free from discrimination and harassment at schools," says Castillo.

The reality on the ground too often doesn't match these rights on paper. In a survey by GLSEN, 59% of students reported that their schools have discriminatory policies or practices. And hostile state legislatures across the country are busy passing laws denying transgender students access to appropriate restrooms, among other things-and civil rights organizations are busy challenging them in court. This discrepancy underscores the truth that laws are only ever as effective as their enforcement; educators can be important advocates for the enforcement of these basic rights.

At the state level, it's important for educators to get as much clarity as possible about what is and isn't in the various laws and policies restricting students' rights and limiting what teachers can teach. These laws are "intentionally vague, so that way nobody can discern what conduct is prohibited," says Castillo. The result is that educators self-censor, curtailing curricula, modifying anti-harassment policies and even shifting their responses to bullying. The First Amendment and Title IX rights of students aren't altered by laws like Florida's "Don't Say Gay" act, but the chilling effect they have on teachers and others negatively affects LGBTQ+ youths' learning environment, safety and mental health. Therefore, it is crucial that educators be informed about these laws and know, as much as is actually possible, what their own rights are. Armed with that information, they can better protect both their students and themselves.

"This is the really difficult moment that we're in," says Ian Siljestrom, director of Equality Florida's Safe & Healthy Schools Project, "so we're really calling for our school district leaders and school districts to just be bold in how they plan to ensure that every child who steps into a classroom is going to feel safe and affirmed-because that's what's needed to be able to learn."

Changing the World

Teachers who in the past were passively supportive of queer and trans students "have been coming to our GSA and basically saying, 'What can I do to help?'" says Ollie. "There have been multiple teachers who have told us they will do anything for us even if it means risking and losing their jobs." That people "who don't have skin in the game" have decided "that this is the time to stand up ... that's what gives me hope," Ollie explains.

Dayley's message to educators is that LGBTQ+ young people need allies. "When you see something happening, say something," she urges. "Don't be a bystander. Don't sit patiently and watch the news and say, 'Oh, I hope things get better.' Actually be part of it."

These young people are definitely being "part of it." They are exploring and defining their own identities, building support networks where none existed, actively organizing for change, and using what privilege they have to fight for others as well as themselves.

"Everyone is equal, and I feel like we deserve better than we're getting," says Ajia. But even in her own very difficult environment, she asserts, "the world is capable of being changed."

These kids are joining a long lineage of queer and trans people who have fought for a better world. As Roth reminds us all: "There's always a history not only of struggle but of perseverance, joy and revolution."

And as Ajia encourages us: "No matter what the world throws at you, don't let anyone tell you you can't be that girl."
*For safety reasons, Ajia's name has been changed.

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Four transgender high school activists courageously share their stories and explain how educators and allies can help them amid the hostile attacks on their human rights.

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Five Ways to Support Your LGBTQ+ Students

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Five Ways to Support Your LGBTQ+ Students

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As anti-LGBTQ+ legislation skyrockets across the country, so do suicide attempts and other mental-health concerns among LGBTQ+ students.

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1. Understand the Law

"I have educator friends across the country [who] are trying to toe the line between what they can say and what they can't say without literally losing their jobs," says Ingram.

In order to protect themselves and their jobs, while still uplifting students, educators should familiarize themselves with state laws.

Tami Staas is a third-grade International Baccalaureate teacher and the executive director of the Arizona Trans Youth and Parent Organization. She explains that amidst all of the new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being introduced, it is important for educators to know how they can legally advocate for their students.

"In the wake of all this anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, we're seeing a lot of those laws weaponized against us and I'm hearing a lot of mistruths," says Staas.

At a recent webinar for the Arizona Education Association, a participant approached Staas with a simple, yet alarming question: Is it legal to hang a rainbow flag in an Arizona classroom? The participant's superintendent had told them it was against the law.

"I said, 'No, it's perfectly legal. There's no law against that,'" Staas says. "Knowing what's legal and knowing what's not is really important...There's a lot of ambiguity in [anti-LGBTQ+ laws] and a lot of confusion around them."

Keep in mind that school districts may have policies prohibiting certain types of classroom displays, and K-12 educators should always seek clarification from their administration and their local or state association. Many of these laws are intentionally vague and meant to create a climate of fear and self-censorship, even about signs of support that are not prohibited. Knowledge of rights is crucial.

In an alarmingly anti-LGBTQ+ environment, reading legislation can be helpful in knowing what rights educators have in their classroom. It is also important to use available resources and ask questions. Organizations like the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and your local and state NEA affiliates are there to help.

2. Use Inclusive Language

The key to making students feel included in the conversation is language and intent, says Staas.

"Look at any school mission statement and it says 'all kids, everyone' and when we talk about everyone, we have to include the LGBTQ+ kids," says Staas. "By using inclusive language, we kind of set that environment where they're able to feel more comfortable."

Staas suggests avoiding binary-restricting directions and language. For example, educators should not divide the class into "boy" and "girl" groups or lines. Instead, divide by shirt color, randomly generate groups, or even let students choose.

Similarly, Ingram is making strides to normalize inclusive language and pronouns. For instance, she uses "they" and "them" to refer to individuals when she may not know their preferred pronouns. Ingram also displays her pronouns in all spaces-an easy way to make students more comfortable sharing their own.

3. Address Harmful Comments

Regardless of political or religious beliefs, classrooms should be a safe space for all students. That is why Ingram suggests addressing harmful language and comments in an open and honest conversation.

"Just kind of attack it head on-not from a place of calling a student out, but just kind of examining why they said that or where it's coming from-so I know my students who are queer feel safe in that space," says Ingram.

Staas was once approached by a fifth-grade teacher asking for advice on a student who had begun transitioning, using a different name and pronouns within her classroom.

"[The fifth grade teacher] said some of the kids were basically saying, 'I don't get it. I'm not going to do that,'" says Staas. "So I counseled her to have a classroom discussion."

Staas suggested her colleague tell students that they don't have to understand, but they should try their best to display respect and kindness.

"What we're asking you to do is be kind," says Staas. "Empathy doesn't mean endorsement."

4. Amplify Voices

Rather than arguing about student experiences and autonomy, educators and legislators alike must take a step back and listen to the voices of student's being impacted.

"Give them a platform," Staas suggests. "Give them the microphone. Make them feel comfortable speaking their truth. If you're setting up that classroom where it's a safe space, and they know it's a safe space, they're going to use their voices. That's going to help and that's going to go a long way."

Sam Long, a Colorado high school teacher, is an advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in curriculum and standards. He explains that educator representation and voice also plays an important role in student's comfortability.

"Every child deserves to have teachers who share their experiences and identities because these adults provide hope and proof that a fulfilling life is possible," writes Long. "For our growing number of trans and nonbinary and questioning students, I get to be that proof."

One additional suggestion? " Look for moments of joy," says Staas. "Look for the celebrations, because there's so much that is so negative. Looking for those moments of happiness and joy, tends to break up that negativity."

5. Use the NEA Toolkit!

Our LGBTQ+ students need us to ensure our schools are places where all students are protected and empowered. The new NEA toolkit includes resources on what educators should know about federal protections for educators and students; how to create an inclusive space; and more.

Find out about available educator trainings, check out NEA's LGBTQ+ book list, and download welcoming art for your classroom. You also can read NEA's pronoun guide, email your congressional representatives to ask them to support the Equality Act, and sign the NEA pledge to stand against hate and bias.

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Five Ways to Support Your LGBTQ+ Students | NEA

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As anti-LGBTQ+ legislation skyrockets across the country, so do suicide attempts and other mental-health concerns among LGBTQ+ students. You can help. Find out how to support and protect these students.

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Seeing a parent show up, stand up, and actively being an ally to the whole LGBTQIA+ community can do wonders for self-esteem, resilience, and all-round good vibes! There are so many ways to support and celebrate a child, no matter their age or your level of knowledge.

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How to support and celebrate your LGBTQIA+ child

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There are so many ways to support and celebrate your child, no matter their age or your level of knowledge. Believe us, it makes a huge difference!

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Supporting Positive Development for LGBTQ Youth

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Supporting Positive Development for LGBTQ Youth

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The Trevor Project’s 2021 Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, found that 75 percent of LGBTQ young people have experienced discrimination based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. This is on top of the racial discrimination faced by LGBTQ youth of color.

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Adolescence is a time of intense learning and adaptation when we forge our sense of who we are and who we want to be. Throughout this remarkable period of development, we begin to explore the world and create new relationships with our peers and communities.

Young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) are often tackling these developmental tasks with the added challenges of discrimination and victimization from their communities, schools, peers, and even families. The Trevor Project's 2021 Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, found that 75 percent of LGBTQ young people have experienced discrimination based on their gender identity and sexual orientation. This is on top of the racial discrimination faced by LGBTQ youth of color.

These challenges contribute to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and thoughts of suicide among LGBTQ youth compared to their straight, cisgender (those whose gender conforms to their birth sex) peers.

The adolescent years are an opportunity to build resilience and shape positive trajectories, and research is clear about how we can support LGBTQ youth to help them thrive. Access to spaces that affirm their sexual orientation and gender identity, having their pronouns respected by those around them, and avenues to change their names and/or gender identity on legal documents like driver's licenses all improve the emotional well-being of LGBT young people.

Resources

We suggest the following additional resources for LGBTQ+ young people and those who support them:

Sources

For more information and sources:

"National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health 2021," The Trevor Project. 2021

Russell & Fish, "Sexual Minority Youth, Social Change, and Health: A Developmental Collision", Research in Human Development. 2019

Caitlin Ryan, PhD, ACSW, Stephen R. Russell, PhD, MPH, Rafael Diaz, PhD, MSW, and Jorge Sanchez, BA. "Family Acceptance in Adolescence and the Health of LGBT Young Adults". Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing. 2010

Mallory AB, Russell ST, "Intersections of Racial Discrimination and LGB Victimization for Mental Health: A Prospective Study of Sexual Minority Youth of Color". J Youth Adolesc. 2021

Stephen T. Russell, PhD, Jessica N. Fish, PhD, "Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Youth". Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. 2016

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Supporting Positive Development for LGBTQ Youth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Adolescence is a time of intense learning and adaptation when we forge our sense of who we are and who we want to be. Throughout this remarkable period of development, we begin to explore the world and create new relationships with our peers and communities.