# data[].attributes.body
A lot has surprised me throughout this reading. When the 18-year old lesbian girl from Alabama got outed out on her lacrosse team and was made fun of because she was lesbian and her coach never said anything to stop it. I feel like it dosen't matter what your gender identity is, everyone should still be treated the same and not different. Also, teachers and School counselors should get involved and help these students that's getting bullied because of their identity.

# data[].attributes.body
I really don't remember my High School not supporting the LGBT or acting any more towards them. But I do remember there was a lot of support for anyone gay. The teachers were good teachers and didn't act a different way towards anyone that were gay or anything else. I remember my high school being strict on bullying and for every student to teach each other the same with respect.

# data[].attributes.body
I honestly believe there should be more representation and acknowledgement towards LGBTQ+ students. I think there should better and supportive staff and funding towards clubs like the LGBTQ+ clubs. I also believe that if schools were to openly talk about representation from a young age and have there be a most understanding and open school culture/enviornment, students would grow up and learn outside of their communities and their households and be more accepting. Also take bullying seriously..

# data[].attributes.body
My chapters hit home for me. In my junior and senior year I was the 'president' of GSA in my school. A club that was really underrepresented, but I believe had a bit more support than many other schools I hear about. The advisor was the middle school guidance counselor (straight woman) and we had meetings in her office around lunch periods for high school students ( middle school had class during this time and this was the only time available that the school gave her). A lot of what I did was advertise for our club (Outside of attending our meetings) and I planned out shirts and different events we could go to (this is also because our guidance counselor didn't have time to make these arrangements, she was more counseling and keeping us in a room for 45 minutes to an hour) but the schools didn't approve and turned it all down. Then when we asked if we could get the shirts ourselves and if we were able to wear them (the uniforms) they said no because it wasn't through the school and therefore was not uniform/approved. Going to the club was frowned upon and most of the times you couldn't talk about  it without getting bad looks or being laughed at. I honestly feel a lot of the students that came to this club were coming for a safe space and a place where they wouldn't be bullied or alone...

# data[].attributes.body
As an all inclusive school, I believe my school supported students in the Lgbtq community. In our advisories we had lessons that taught students about the different identities. All students were treated the same by the faculty. We had posters around our school about public figures who were in the community and over all everyone was treated the same.

# data[].attributes.body
What surprised me within the reading was how places like Utah had done everything in its power to restrict a LGBTQ club, making it GSA and having parents being a big role within school clubs. What is most concerning to me is that fact that they needed parental approval for a club that was in school. How are parents even apart of the in school activities and why should they have a say? One major reason these clubs are so important is because students are closeted from their parents and/or do not feel safe or like they can be themselves at home..

# data[].attributes.body
There was a huge amount of LGBTQ advocacy at my high school. There were two clubs, and multiple Gay teachers that acted as guides as students came out and grappled with their identity. There was still areas where that openness hadn't reached. For example, I was a member of the soccer team and many of their jokes were highly homophobic and it was a very heterosexually dominated area, not just demographically but culturally.

# data[].attributes.body
I found it deeply troubling and shocking that there were still so many societal barriers preventing LGBTQ teachers from helping LGBTQ youth through adolescence for fear of losing their job, and how hard it was for Gay Advocacy clubs to be created. I thought that LGBTQ students felt isolated because of distasteful jokes and individual bullies, but never realized that the school system itself imposes that isolation on said students.

# data[].attributes.body
I think to help change and make it easier for everyone to have a safe space in school is have statewide and federal laws that allow students to learn how to start a club especially LGBT+Club. They should not be censored when giving a proposal to the principles also have protection for teachers to be open and out within their places of work so that students can be encouraged to make a club and do so they have a safe space if they cant have it at home also let them learn about LGBT history in the club and promote it any way to the majority of the schools they are apart of. For middle school have the teachers provided the club so that when your younger you have an open conversation because its not something to hide but to celebrate and have fun/be real with yourself and others around you.

# data[].attributes.body
What surprised me was that all of the power was in the hands of the parents. It's like the school was scared of the parents and had to run everything by them for approval, because if they didn't agree with what’s happening they could either take their kids out of the program or even make the school shut the program down. When students asked the teachers to help sponsor their GSA program they would decline because they fear they might lose their job because the parents would email the school board and complain. They would stall for as long as they could, either until the students gave up on the proposal of the group or when they graduated. The students, on the other hand, were ignored by staff members, bullied by students, and disowned by parents, they were also excluded from school activities. Parents rather make their children unhappy and miserable by showing them no support and disowning them instead of making them live their life and their truth.

# data[].attributes.body
I can’t say I’m surprised because I’ll never be surprised with how discriminatory and prejudice people can be to people who are different than them. What i will say though is that i did not know how difficult it was to form a GSA or an LGBT club, because I hadn’t put much thought into it. I figured (naively) that creating a club would be the same process for everyone. I should’ve known that people make it so hard for others when they dont agree with what they’re doing. I’m also surprised by how many gay faculty are afraid to speak up because they’re in fear for their jobs and livelihood, i guess its another thing i just haven’t fully thought about.

# data[].attributes.body
In my high school, there were LGBTQ students but there were no groups for them. They did encounter name-calling from the other students. All the students were treated the same by teachers.

# data[].attributes.body
My high school was very different when I had got there we had a LGBTQ+ Club, I saw flyers around school and I saw a lot of support. When you got to the club it was smaller and I think a lot of people took it more as a joke, which made me sad so as I became more involved in the school I got my friends to come and I ended up becoming President to keep it serious and alive. The only representation I wish we got while I was there is gender neutral bathrooms because I am gender non-conforming and I wanted other trans students to feel like they had a voice. But unfortunately when I graduated the club kind of died I hope a younger person brings it back when covid is done.

# data[].attributes.body
To protect LGBTQ students I think that schools should educate both the staff and students on the subject so that they get a better understanding. If the support isn't given at home the school should at least step up to show some compassion and support for the students.

# data[].attributes.body
What had surprised me was the idea of Utah being one of the hardest school systems for LGBT students to start a GSA. This was surprising because out of all the states there always is one and as time changes i hope they are much better now.

# data[].attributes.body
The topic of the LGBT community needs to stop being so taboo in the institutions. There needs to be open Conversation where people can ask their non-offensive questions and receive the answers that they get from the members of the community. These old, tired rules and regulations as to how a person should live regarding their sexuality and gender need to be completely demolished from Society. Institutions, groups, places of employment that discriminate against people based on their gender or sexuality need to be held accountable because their moral decisions aren’t in the right hands.

# data[].attributes.body
I feel like first and foremost the policies protecting members of the LGBT community need to be openly discussed, possibly in a yearly assembly. The school needs to make known that any type of bullying or discrimination will not be tolerated. I also think that LGBT groups should be discussed in health class, as I remember the lessons only being directed to hetero couples. We are truly harming the LGBT community at a young age by not teaching them how to embrace their sexuality and practice safe sex habits.

# data[].attributes.body
From my perspective,  there weren’t many resources for the LGBT community in my high school. What I will say is that many of the faculty allowed students to express themselves and their preferences without making them feel isolated or feel Bad about their decisions. From what I know, all students were allowed in all clubs and committees as long is they fulfilled the academic requirements.

# data[].attributes.body
The part that surprised me in the reading was really the lack of support and understanding that these trained professionals have in the school setting. Also regarding the laws in Utah Alabama in Texas where they tell the students that a “LGBT lifestyle isn’t acceptable to the public”. With everything else that happens in the world why is it that certain people in higher places just have this focus on a lifestyle that doesn’t harm anybody?

# data[].attributes.body
In my high school being a member of the LGBT community, at least openly was scarce and hardly talked about. It was definitely not talked about in school and when my friend came out as gay, it was a huge deal. Not so much to his friends but definitely to his family. I was not aware of any bullying happening in high school, but I do remember in middle school being bullied because others thought I was a lesbian. I was excluded and many girls did not want to hang out with me for fear that I would ‘harass them’. It was because I was the ‘quiet, weird girl’ that I was labeled this way. I believe I was saved from the harshest part of the bullying because my sexuality was genuinely unknown, but to those who were open about theirs were met with lots of push back; especially from the girls. Needless to say if there were lots of LGBT members in my high school a majority kept their sexuality hidden for fear of isolation.

# data[].attributes.body
What surprised me most about the reading was the commonality of members of the LGBT community experiencing rape comments and culture. One comment in particular that stood out to me was when an 18-year-old named Tracey said, ‘I’ve experienced a lot of verbal sexual harassment. I didn’t really accept the label lesbian, and I had one guy tell me he was going to rape me and change me’.  I was one, shocked that someone felt so free and privileged as to make a remark that obscene and two even more surprised that comments like that aren’t punished but instead seemingly pushed under the rug. It shows a real flaw in the system and the individual that comments of that magnitude can just roll of the tongue so flippantly.

# data[].attributes.body
To protect the LGBTQ+ students in our schools, I feel like their surroundings need to be targeted first. We need to build a secure foundation and support system for LGBTQ+ students. A way we can do this is by educating our youth from a young age. I feel like the clubs and organizations now are a good start at supporting LGBTQ+ students specifically. However, that does not change the outside stressors of their lives, which is why we have to start from there.

# data[].attributes.body
I think a series of laws to protect LGBT youths will be formulated and a group of representative consultants will be cultivated. Strictly monitor the teaching of LGBT youth by teachers and counselors and cannot be ignored. Once you find that they are being bullied, you must immediately stop and teach them. In addition, a compulsory course can be set up to teach and adapt. You can also set up an organization to help LGBT people.

# data[].attributes.body
I'm sorry I didn't read when I was in high school. But a few of my friends are lesbians, they are normal and not very sweet together in school. Their academic performance is very good, and they are also very beautiful. My classmates did not discriminate against them. On the contrary, they would show their affection on Facebook, and friends would comment below and wish them a long time together.

# data[].attributes.body
In my high school, there were barely any clubs in general, let alone one for the LGBTQ+ students. I feel like my school did not go out of their way to accommodate LGBTQ+ students by creating clubs of their own. However, you could find support in others. Most of my teachers were approachable if you wanted to talk about any struggles in your life. So many students found comfort in them. From what I can remember there was a third party organization who came to our school and would often meet with all students and talk about our emotions and social issues in a fun enlightening way. They had a room in the school you could go to if you ever needed to talk. I am glad to say that I know a lot of our LGBTQ+ students took the opportunity. Unfortunately, the organization left our school in my senior year.

# data[].attributes.body
What surprised me in this article was that LGBT youths were abused on campus. Because they are lesbian, gay, and bisexual, they are bullied on campus, causing serious physical and mental health to the bully. The article also said that bisexuals are twice as often abused by school as gays and lesbians. Although there are laws on campus bullying, most teachers and counselors are indifferent. One sentence in the article says ‘It’s just because you’re so open about it.’. Is this what a counselor should say? How desperate the student who confided was at the time, and the person calling for help could not help him. I personally feel that I am very open-minded, although I am not a lesbians, I agree with gays and bisexuals. I will not discriminate against them.

# data[].attributes.body
To protect the LGBTQ+ students, I think that there should be classes to educate others about the LGBTQ+ community. There should be a no-bullying rule and it should be enforced strictly (students who bully and harass others should be given punishments such as detention, suspension, telling their future schools, etc.). Principals, Teachers, and Counselors should properly protect their students from the harassment they receive and learn how to give out proper punishments instead of laughing at the harassment.

# data[].attributes.body
I think my high school was very accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. The GSA was a very popular club and had these monthly karaoke days to raise money for charities. Our school library had a whole section just for books about the LGBTQ+ community and made sure they did not have books created by transphobic and homophobic authors (in my senior year there were absolutely no Harry Potter books on the shelves).

# data[].attributes.body
What surprised me the most about this reading is that some children got away with bullying and harassing other children. I was also surprised with the number of states that are against the LGBTQ+ community and how these states do not have laws against the harassment the LGBTQ+ community receives. It is shocking to see how these states ignore the blatant discrimination they are showing.

# data[].attributes.body
In order to protect LGBT students, one thing that can be done is creating unisex/gender-neutral bathrooms. My previous college had single occupancy, gender-neutral bathrooms and I always thought it was amazing not only because of convenience but because I realized there were probably students who felt uncomfortable in the male or female bathrooms so the unisex bathrooms would allow students and teachers to feel more comfortable in the schools. They also wouldn’t have to face any scrutiny if they used the bathroom, especially if they were something like gender non-conforming or transgender.

Another thing that can be done to protect LGBT students and teachers is by fighting to have laws enforced that protect teachers from being fired for their sexual orientation or what they choose to identify as. When teachers no longer fear losing their jobs over their gender identity or sexual orientation, they will be able to stand up for and protect their LGBT students more.

Schools should also make stricter rules against bullying and harassment because of a person’s gender identity or orientation. When people feel like they will get in serious trouble for bullying or harassing students, they will be less likely to do it.

# data[].attributes.body
I didn’t really see any aspects of the reading in my school. I don’t remember my school having a GSA and if they did have one, I wouldn’t really be surprised. My school seemed pretty accepting at least from my point of view. I don’t remember the people in my school ever discriminating against anyone in the LGBT community. I had a few gay students in my class who were “out” and I never remember them being picked on or treated differently because of that. I don’t remember there being any Transgender students or students who identified as gender non-conforming or non-binary, but then again I stuck with my very small group of friends throughout my 4 years of high school so if there was someone like that and if they were ever picked on, I wouldn’t know. The school also had a few teachers who were in the LGBT community and they were very well-liked by the other teachers and students.

# data[].attributes.body
What surprised me about the reading was the amount of hardships people have to face when trying to form a GSA. I always thought since it was like a club, it wouldn’t be that hard to make as long as you had students willing to join but I completely forgot to think about the backlash the club might face from the administration, parents, and the school board.

Another thing that I was surprised to read was the bullying that teachers who were part of the LGBT community had to face from other teachers and staff. For example, one thing chapter 5 discussed was a transgender teacher named Authur C who was called morally bankrupt by one assistant principal and a ‘shim’ (derogatory contraction of she/him). Arthur also said that the coach in the cafeteria would say different things to him every day like “ ‘Hey, got a faggot I can borrow,’ or ‘You need to wear a skirt.’, which is so terrible to hear. You would think that people who are educators and are supposed to be good role models for their students wouldn’t treat other human beings like they were different just because of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that there should be classes that are mandatory that educate all students on the LGBT community. There should be workshops for teachers that teach them how to make LGBT students comfortable in the classroom, whether it is the pronouns being used, or etc. There should be consequences for harassment of sexual orientation/ gender identity.

# data[].attributes.body
My high school was very welcoming of the LGBT community, there were staff members and teachers that were open about their sexual orientation and it allowed some students to be more open with their sexual identity.

# data[].attributes.body
I am surprised at how LGBT school personnel also encounter adverse treatment because of their sexual orientation and gender identity, not only from students, but also from other faculty and staff members. The students may not know any better, but being a grown adult and still saying derogatory things to a peer is unacceptable.

# data[].attributes.body
In my opinion, by a getting the majority support from the school, teacher, parents and other students, will be one of the way to protect LGBT students. Once you have the majority support, the bullies will not try to harm the LGBT student since most of the people around them support it.
Beside this, it is important to educate teachers and students about LGBT. They should begin educating students about it since the beginning of elementary school to show the equality we have together and the behavioral we should not have just because of their sexuality.

# data[].attributes.body
My high school already have a LGBT Community even before I join. I don't see much aspects of the reading connecting to my high school. Whenever, there is an activity, like buying rainbow ribbons or signing heart-paper to decorate the main hall to show the supports to LGBTs, everyone was cooperating well. Almost all of the teacher I see will have the rainbow ribbons. In opinion, the students who support the LGBT club, feel proud since they pin the ribbon on the most visible place. Beside that, there are many places they can turn to for emotional support, for example, advisory office, peer-mentoring, the college office, etc.

# data[].attributes.body
I am surprised how the school board add requirements to the formations of GSA; top on of, not supporting it along with the strong backing from the administrators and the parents. The requirements sets by the school add on to the difficulty of forming the club. Paolo V, a transgender man in Texas say that, the teachers would say " 'I don't think,' or 'I don't want to risk it.," when asking for help to sponsor the club. As he said, "You could tell that they were a little bit afraid," about the teachers who the students turn toward.

# data[].attributes.body
Starting from the inside out would be the best way to attack this. The fact that these kids can't look to their administrators to help them build a foundation for thier groups is sad. Teachers should feel just as comfortable as the students to idenfity with whatever they want and be into who ever they want. I think laws should be put in place (they might already be in place), law that state, that banning the union of kids and teachers with LGBT tendencies is illegal and discriminative. This will make teachers feel more safe when it comes to helping out students.

# data[].attributes.body
To start, I think that we should make schools a safe space for LBT students. I believe that schools should offer classes to educate us on the LGBT community.  For example, taking a sexual harassment training which offers a course that explains how the community works, what not to say, and how it would affect a person. This way you become more aware and educated.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe that my High School was very open to making the LGBT community feel welcomed and just with everyone. We had clubs, gatherings, silent days where we would support the LGBT community, there were teachers who talked about it openly and they made a gender neutral bathroom. “In Murrow, we care about our students” and for the most part, I agree with their slogan, Murrow does indeed care.

# data[].attributes.body
I think my school was pretty open to the LGBT community. I can't remember a specific instance in which members of that community were publicly made to feel unwelcome. There was a good representation of gay teachers in my school and they seemed to be comfortable practicing thier gayness publicly. At my old school there was a GSA club that held events in order to advocate for the LGBT community.

# data[].attributes.body
While reading the article what surprised me the most is that there are states that are still against teaching students about homosexuality. For instance, Alabama states that “homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense under the laws of the state” as well as Texas states that “homosexual conduct is not an acceptable lifestyle and is a criminal offense under Section 21.06, Penal Code.” With society constantly putting pressure on matters they don’t want to understand is shocking that they don’t want to change.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Offer counseling and social works on school property
2. offer more educational outlets to student who both do and don't identify with/as LGBT
3. Hire more openly LGBT staff to encourage, motivate, and support students
4. offer gender-neutral locker/bath rooms
5. prohibit bullying/harrassment because of sexual orientation/gender identity and do not allow those who hurt members of the LGBT community to slip through the cracks without paying up

# data[].attributes.body
I think that my school was very accommodating to persons of the LGBT community, we had a few openly out teachers in the building, and some of them were in charge of clubs and organizations to support and help students of the LGBT community. We had the GSA clubs and everything else in support of the LGBT community and its members.

# data[].attributes.body
I found it surprising that there are still states, the five mentioned, that still don't have state wide laws to prevent bullying on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity on school groups, as well as Montana not having a state-wide law prohibiting bullying until 2015, 12 years after Georgia initially passed thee first bill in regards to bullying.

# data[].attributes.body
The article touched on a lot of sensitive topics. Such topics that I didn't necessarily think were that prevalent or even troublesome for a certain group of people. Being a heterosexual cisgendered girl, problems like the ones these kids faced were't a big thing in my life. I. have to say that one of the biggest things that shocked me was that the heads of these GSA clubs were all straight cisgendered "normal" people. This was because LGBT + administrators didn't want to besmirch their images or reputations by heading these groups. People would think they were trying to take advantage of the groups. It doesn't really make sense to me. I think that for such a club the right leader would have to be someone who can relate to these kids in a way that straight normal people couldn't.

# data[].attributes.body
The thing that surprised me in the reading was the law stated by Nora F.  for Utah. I didn’t know they were not allowed to advocate for sex outside of marriage. Also I was surprised when it stated that this impacted history teachers and how they would be hesitant to teach LGBT rights. I believe all rights should be taught and the student should have the choice to choose which one they believe in. This allows for a more comfortable and matured environment which can allow for students to become more accepting of transgenders.

# data[].attributes.body
Chapter two talked about bullying. Many scenarios that were presented, I have witnessed them in high school . Many kids get bullied in locker rooms because they are either girls or boys... there is no locker room for transgender kids. Kids are often bullied because of their voice or physical appearance. There are very few kids who open up to let others know they are trans. In high school I have seen many kids fear their gender and teachers sometimes open up about their relationship to make them feel comfortable.

# data[].attributes.body
The most important part is for everyone to be more educated on LGBT. Many people don’t even know what it stands for and others have a hard time believing it’s true. I think the school staff and facilities should try creating more gender neutral activities instead of categorizing them into boy and girl... or other. The “other” which stands for transgender kids is rarely an option available unless it’s a school form or survey. Students should also be educated that not everyone classifies themselves as a girl or boy. They should be taught to be more confident about who they are. In addition they should be treated just like any other child and teachers should work on developing trust with them and help them develop trust with other students so they don’t feel left out, and are comfortable when opening up.

# data[].attributes.body
In the reading it was talking about how GSA students cannot have public events and have get to gather, it stated “[W]e wanted to do more public events this year, and we were told we can’t do that, or have a get together with all the other GSAs in Sioux Falls, because they’d be liable. But if they had all the football teams get together… that would be fine.” (67-68) In my high school we wanted to do a Navruz show but they said we can’t because there is no funding, teachers/staff need to stay late and need to pay them, we needed to fill paperwork a year ahead. Navruz is a cultural holiday celebrated by Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Iranians, Tajiks and maybe because it is not celebrated by everyone, we didn’t get funding.

# data[].attributes.body
The most surprising thing was how teachers would not be a faculty sponsor for GSA because they were afraid that they would lose their jobs. It stated, “...six teachers who had initially said “yes,” then changed their minds and said they could not act as faculty sponsors. “They were all afraid of their tenure, losing their jobs, religious affiliations, etc.” (60). Opening a club GSA is very difficult but it is very necessary. The fact that students needed to get permission from their parents to join clubs was surprising, and it should be student's choice.

# data[].attributes.body
It is important that the staff and faculty in schools be properly educated on what LGBT+ students are experiencing. Many schools have the mission to provide all students with a safe and comfortable environment, but unfortunately, this is not being met. Teachers and staff should not be ignoring slurs being said by students who aim at the LGBT+ students. The article states, “In some instances, teachers and administrators’ willingness to effectively respond to slurs was compromised by laws or policies restricting the discussion of LGBT issues in schools” (27). All states should recognize that the Supreme Court has ruled homosexuality not to be a crime. Laws, where teachers feel like they cant intervene, should not exist. The states that still don’t recognize this need to recognize it so that the faculty can take action when bullying is happening. There needs to be conversations, clubs, and even the school curriculum should include representation of these students.

# data[].attributes.body
The reading stated, “according to a study by the Williams Institute, a research institute at the UCLA School of Law, a disproportionate 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBT, due in large part to families rejecting their sexual orientation or gender identity (24). This, unfortunately, was something many kids in my high school experienced. One of my closest friends was kicked out of his home when he came out as gay. There was a club in school where many LGBT+ students would attend and talk about their stories. A lot of them who were over the age of eighteen unfortunately experienced homelessness due to parents not accepting them. Some said that their parents demanded them to leave the house once they turned eighteen. The faculty who supervised the club always had resources to help students.

# data[].attributes.body
I believe that we need to continue educating teachers, you slurs, and make certain courses that involve understanding a good depth of the topic within the LGBT community. Security officers, nurses everybody should have to take a course, just like we do on sexual harassment having to educate themselves and open their mind to the students they deal with everyday. Also, open conversation, clubs and just like in the city when we celebrate pride, we should allow that in schools. It does not have to be mandatory, but promoting inclusivity and actually showing that it is accepted through actions will help a lot more than just saying it.

# data[].attributes.body
Although a majority of my school was supportive of the LGBTQ+ community there were some educators and students that made it evident that they did not support it. Certain faculty members had even noticed a transgender student being told rude comments and left it alone. It was something I think about often because schools can say they advocate for all students but will they really do it?

# data[].attributes.body
Something that really surprised me in the readings was that teachers (even though it was unsuccessful) fought against gay-straight alliances for the students. I don't understand how it could be inappropriate to have a voluntary club and give students an option as a safe space to be themselves. Also, the fact that states thought it was okay to try and create laws and deem homosexuality an offense. It surprises me that it bothers people this much, but for states to try and go against the government and not keeping Americans apart of the LGBT community safe is even more shocking and very sad.

# data[].attributes.body
Staff within schools should be educated on methods to help protect and connect with LGBT students so that these students feel comfortable coming to them if they are facing any problems. In addition to this I feel like LGBT staff members should do more in order to make sure that students like them feel safe and comfortable because they can better relate to them and their feelings than any other staff members.

# data[].attributes.body
I was surprised upon reading that teachers witnessed LGBT students being bullied and did nothing about it. What was even more surprising to me was that it seemed that not even the LGBT staff within the schools did anything to stand up for students that they knew were being bullied despite the fact that they could have been in their same shoes. This demonstrated to me that in alot of schools the LGBT community is more passive and I feel that if students and teachers alike would be more vocal about what is not tolerable than better boundaries would be established and there would be less bullying.

# data[].attributes.body
Within the reading it discussed GSAs which helped LGBT students feel safe and included in activities, and these were also present within my high school. While the school did not have a whole lot of LGBT students and staff members it had a decent amount and because of this I noticed that the LGBT community within the school was strong and close knit. Due to this strong community there was not really any blatant bigotry or discrimination within the school and everybody just respected everyone else despite whatever lifestyle they may have lived.

# data[].attributes.body
Something that surprised me was reading about the numerous experiences LGBT students have being verbally and physically bullied while a teacher is there and or is made aware of it but then the teachers refuse to confront the situation. I would have assumed that the teachers would have the bullies take accountability for their actions, but instead, they dismiss it completely. For example, the “53-year-old mother of a transgender student in Utah said: ‘I’ve talked to teachers who are like, ‘I’d like to stop it, but I don’t know what to say, and particularly in light of Utah’s laws where I can’t promote homosexuality” (27). It is also surprising that some states have looked past that supreme court ruling of homosexuality not being considered a crime. I was also surprised to read that in some instances, teachers respond to slurs in ways that affirmatively encourage verbal harassment. It is extremely unsettling to hear about these experiences.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Teachers in all grades need to be trained and supported on how to support LGBT students in the classroom when they are discriminated against. If they are properly trained to handle such situations, it would take away the fear that some teachers feel that they might get fired or demoted if they say something.

2. There needs to be more conversation about sex education that includes LGBTQ students, and for younger students, there need to be more workshops that talk about the acceptance of who you are.

3. States need to get rid of outdated stigmatizing laws that prevent the discussion of LGBT issues in school and enforce more laws that protect both students and staff.

4. Schools need to ensure that they include LGBT in the curricula so that students see themselves in their learning, as well as teachers seeing themselves in their teaching.

5. There needs to be more support in schools and resources for LGBT students and staff. Having clubs, support groups, guidance counselors for people to go to and get the support that meets their needs.

# data[].attributes.body
One aspect from the reading that I saw in the high school I attended, was how freely students would use the slurs “gay, fag, dyke, and “that’s so gay” towards people who were in the LGBT community or not. They would say it jokingly with their friends. For the most part, my school was very supportive of LGBT students. They had a club that met 1x a week and there would be posters around the school to bring it to people's attention. Although it was supported, there were no real discussions about it in the classroom and it was not included in our curricula.

# data[].attributes.body
Chapters 1-3 were all very surprising to me. I was not aware of how much struggle the LGBT community faces in school. Students who are a part of the LGBT community are 2x more likely than non-LGBT students to be verbally and physically abused, and excluded by their peers. What also surprised me was the fact that even in recent years, not all states have passed laws that protect the LGBT community from discrimination and bullying, and the states that do, do not implement them effectively. Another thing that really surprised me was the fact that in a lot of the student interviews, they reported that even when they were discriminated against, marginalized, and bullied, the teachers did not do anything to help them which makes the behavior seem acceptable. Some teachers even laughed with the students when they called them names or singled them out.

# data[].attributes.body
While teachers are educators I do believe they should continue to be educated as well. A study showed that the primary concern for LGBT youth is the lack of family acceptance. Many students feel as if their home life consists of judgement and disappointment, school should not have the same effect. Teachers need to be educated on how to help struggling students and implement LGBT issues within the classroom. Almost every teacher I have had used the term "safe space" and I believe the classroom needs to not just be safe, but be inclusive as well. Teachers influence our understanding of the world, we listen to what they have to say. So including issues and discussion of the LGBT community will help these students feel less judged and more supported. Having resources for safe sex no matter sexual orientation and promoting inclusivity through signs in a hallway or celebrating LGBT individuals throughout history makes for a stronger alliance.

# data[].attributes.body
One thing the reading discussed was the roles of counselors in making students feel safe and secure. Similar to the reading example, my school divided the counselors based alphabetically. The reading proposed the possibility that students may be places with a counselor that is less skilled on particular area such as LGBT. I wonder if allowing counselor choice would help students feel more comfortable. Additionally, I was taught by my gym teacher about health and we often talked about male-female relationships and the only time we discussed male-male or female-female was in a discussion of HIV. That's mentally harmful as individuals are not given information of how to practice safe sex but are associated with the disease. A student did bring this up in one of my classes and I think it was a very necessary conversation all schools should have. Especially because a large percentage of students are too anxious to ask questions- provide enough information so that students are more informed.

# data[].attributes.body
One thing that surprised and confused me was the ability to just ignore supreme court rulings. Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas considered homosexuality as a crime despite the supreme court saying otherwise. It concerns me that the government may put laws into action but not regulate them. It is not fair to the community that is said to be protected but in reality they are still disrespected. I was also surprised that counselors thought they had to tell parents if their child brought up their sexuality or identification.