LGBTQ

Education news, analysis, and opinion about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer students or teachers and their experiences in school.

See also: Transgender Students

Banned books are visible at the Central Library, a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library system, in New York City on Thursday, July 7, 2022. The books are banned in several public schools and libraries in the U.S., but young people can read digital versions from anywhere through the library. The Brooklyn Public Library offers free membership to anyone in the U.S. aged 13 to 21 who wants to check out and read books digitally in response to the nationwide wave of book censorship and restrictions.
Banned books are on diplay at the Central Library, a branch of the Brooklyn Public Library system, in New York City on Thursday, July 7, 2022. Some of these books are among those banned by school districts in Texas.
Ted Shaffrey/AP
School & District Management ACLU Texas Files OCR Complaint Over a District's Anti-Trans Book Ban
The group claims the Keller school district's new policy to remove books about gender fluidity from library shelves violates federal law.
Eesha Pendharkar, November 30, 2022
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4 min read
Elijah Newcomb of Colorado Springs lays flowers near a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022 where a shooting occurred late Saturday night.
Elijah Newcomb of Colorado Springs lays flowers near a gay nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo., the morning after a mass shooting there that killed five people.
Geneva Heffernan/AP
Equity & Diversity How to Talk to LGBTQ Students About the Colorado Nightclub Shooting
The tragedy is a difficult moment for a group of students already under strain.
Alyson Klein & Arianna Prothero, November 21, 2022
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4 min read
Demonstrators gather on the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in front of the Florida State Capitol on March 7, 2022, in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida House Republicans advanced a bill, dubbed by opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, to forbid discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools, rejecting criticism from Democrats who said the proposal demonizes LGBTQ people.
Demonstrators gather on the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol Museum in Tallahassee on March 7, 2022. Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law was a model for a federal bill introduced last month.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
Federal What the Federal 'Don't Say Gay' Bill Actually Says
The bill would restrict federal funds for lessons on LGBTQ identities. The outcome of this week's election could revive its prospects.
Eesha Pendharkar, November 9, 2022
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4 min read
An Alameda High School student poses for photos wearing ripped jeans on the school's campus in Alameda, Calif., Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018. The relaxed new dress code at public schools in the small city of Alameda, across the bay from San Francisco, is intentionally specific: Midriff-baring shirts are acceptable attire, so are tank tops with spaghetti straps and other once-banned items like micro-mini skirts and short shorts.
An Alameda High School student wears ripped jeans on the school's campus in Alameda, Calif.. The school system recently relaxed its dress codes to lessen their impact on some students.
Jeff Chiu/AP
Equity & Diversity Districts Need Guidance on Designing Dress Codes That Are Fair to All. It Might Be On the Way
The Education Department has said it will develop resources, but experts say school districts also need to examine their own policies.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 28, 2022
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6 min read
Marchers wave flags as they walk at the St. Pete Pier during a rally and march to protest against a bill dubbed by opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" bill Saturday, March 12, 2022, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Florida lawmakers have passed the bill, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. It now moves to the desk of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it into law.
Marchers wave flags as they walk at the St. Pete Pier in March during a rally to protest against a bill forbidding instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in K-3 classrooms. That bill has since become law.
Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP
Teaching Profession With Their Licenses in Jeopardy, Florida Teachers Unsure How the 'Don't Say Gay' Law Will Be Applied
A new rule could strip teachers of their licenses if they run afoul of the law. Teachers want to know what that entails.
Ileana Najarro, October 27, 2022
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4 min read
Image of a student with rainbow straps on their backpack.
iSTock/Getty
School Climate & Safety What School Is Like for LGBTQ Students, By the Numbers
Here are survey statistics on harassment, support, and fears experienced by LGBTQ students during pandemic-era schooling.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 25, 2022
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4 min read
Image of happy and not happy face symbols.
ThitareeSarmkasat/iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Students Say Depression, Anxiety Are Holding Them Back. But They Can’t Find Help at School
Less than half of middle and high school students say they have an adult at their school they can talk to when they feel upset.
Arianna Prothero, October 24, 2022
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3 min read
Close up of couple holding hands wearing rainbow flag wristband
iStock/Getty Images Plus
School Climate & Safety Some Breaks From Bullying, But Fewer Supports: How LGBTQ Students Fared in the Pandemic
A survey finds that LGBTQ students missed out on in-school supports in 2020-21, and a trend of declining harassment leveled off.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 18, 2022
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3 min read
Marchers wave U.S. and rainbow flags and signs as they walk at the St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday, March 12, 2022 during a rally and march to protest the controversial "Don't say gay" bill passed by Florida's Republican-led legislature and now on its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk.
Marchers wave U.S. and rainbow flags as they walk at the St. Pete Pier in St. Petersburg, Fla., in March. They were protesting a controversial bill passed by the Florida legislature restricting discussion of LGBTQ issues in the elementary grades.
Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP
Teaching Profession Florida Teachers Could Lose Their Licenses Under New Rule Tied to 'Don't Say Gay' Law
A proposed rule could strip teachers' licenses if they teach about gender identity or sexuality to K-3 students.
Ileana Najarro, October 14, 2022
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2 min read
101422 mindy lily freeman photo 02 BS
Lily Freeman and her mother, Mindy Freeman, have actively campaigned against efforts to restrict LGBQT books in the Central Bucks school district and elsewhere.
Courtesy of Mindy Freeman
Equity & Diversity Why a Trans Student and Her Mom Are Fighting Their District's Anti-LGBTQ Policies
Lily Freeman and her mother, Mindy Freeman, are working to stem a slew of anti-LGBTQ policies and directives issued in Central Bucks County, Pa.
Eesha Pendharkar, October 14, 2022
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6 min read
Two overlapping speech bubbles with splatters where the two meet. Symbolic of controversy and debate in dialect.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Curriculum Republicans and Democrats Agree: High Schools Should Teach 'Controversial' Issues
While Republicans and Democrats agree on some topics, there are sharp political divides on others, especially LGBTQ issues.
Sarah Schwartz, October 12, 2022
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7 min read
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin wants districts to adopt a model policy that restricts how schools and teachers deal with transgender students.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks with reporters after touring a Loudoun County elections facility at the County Office of Elections, in Leesburg, Va., Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Youngkin inspected ballot scanning machines undergoing logic and accuracy testing.
Cliff Owen/AP
Equity & Diversity What One State's Transgender Student Policy Could Mean for Students
Experts fear Virginia's model policy could endanger the mental health and safety of trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming students.
Eesha Pendharkar, September 21, 2022
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6 min read
Image of books piled in a locked cell.
erhui1979/DigitalVision Vectors
Equity & Diversity Who's Behind the Escalating Push to Ban Books? A New Report Has Answers
Right-wing activist organizations and Republican lawmakers are pushing to get books about LGBTQ people and racism removed, says PEN America.
Eesha Pendharkar, September 19, 2022
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5 min read
Icons showing expressions with a hand choosing the smiley face.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Equity & Diversity Proposed Federal Rules on Title IX Draw Flood of Public Comments
The Education Department received more than 200,000 comments on proposed changes to Title IX sex discrimination regulations.
Libby Stanford, September 13, 2022
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5 min read
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