During the past ten years, attention on bullying has intensified among educators, parents, journalists, and educational researchers in the wake of high-profile incidents of bullying in some Canadian schools. Safe schools policies and programs have proliferated as a result. However, the issue of homophobia-a pervasive form of bullying-tends to be…

In 1999, the American College Health Association (ACHA) Executive Committee issued a position statement for the Association that addresses acts of violence, bias, and other violations of human rights that have been occurring all too often within or adjacent to college communities. The statement called for all campus health professionals to become…

Gay youth enter high school with the knowledge that they are different and with the belief that heterosexuality is normal and that homosexuality is not normal. Also, gay youth enter high school with the belief that honesty and integrity are important personal values. Additionally, the gay youth enter high school without family knowledge of their…

In the two places where children should feel safe and supported (home and school), gay and lesbian youth are routinely reviled. Educators have a clear professional mandate to address sexual-minority students' needs. Stratford (Connecticut) Public Schools are addressing five important issues concerning professional development, support staff and…

In this article, the authors talk about race and racism and racial harassment and discuss how to end homophobia in schools. The authors know what they don't want people to say in the name of ending homophobia: "If these were racial slurs, teachers would be stopping them." They find this approach so offensive because it's a lie. At least…

The authors review research on (a) gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) families and the nature of discrimination against them; (b) school factors that hinder and facilitate equity for GLBT families; (c) instituting change through organizational consultation or large group-level strategies; and (d) instituting change through traditional…

Due to the transitory nature of students at community colleges, it is often difficult for student affairs professionals to connect with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and even more difficult for them to provide services for this invisible population.

As leaders and community builders, senior student affairs officers face the challenge to end the hostility, oppression, and invisibility that often characterize the experiences of LGBT students on college campuses.

While some colleges and universities acknowledge the presence of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)--or sexual minority--students on their campuses, few institutions gather and maintain data on the numbers or needs of sexual minority students. As a result, many sexual minority students in higher education tend to be invisible; therefore, their…

Educational systems are falling short of addressing the needs of sexual minority students. Not only are gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students left off the list of diversities needing services, but they are also at times targeted by students and educators as deserving of attack. The damages done by the educational system, either through…

This article discusses practical guidance on schools' legal rights and responsibilities with respect to students, programs, and curriculum. Like all other individuals, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students are guaranteed equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution and free speech and association under the…

Inclusive education seeks to provide a welcoming environment for all students, not by ignoring gender, race, disability, or sexual identities, but by recognizing and validating difference. It is precisely this validation that alarms those who are attempting to rein in schools that have initiated anti-heterosexist programs. But no one is satisfied…

Several decades of research tell us that sexual minority youth are among those most at risk for the negative outcomes of frequent concern in the lives of young people: academic failure, emotional distress, compromised relationships, risk behavior, and suicidality. We know much less about resilience, the characteristics and factors that explain or…

The "Skool's Out" initiative was aimed at encouraging effective responses to homophobic harassment and violence in and around schools, both public and private, in New South Wales, Australia. The focus was on safety and security in the school environment for all students, teachers, parents and community members. It was held as part of the…

Sexual minority adolescents--those self-identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) or with same-sex desires or sexual experiences--report higher rates of victimization and suicidality than their heterosexual peers, yet little empirical research has examined school factors associated with these risks. This study used data from the Massachusetts…