Background: The role of safe spaces on university campuses for gay and lesbian students remains a contested issue. This is attributed to the fact that the visibility of these students on university campuses presents a duality: On the one hand, the creation of such spaces provides a sense of communal belonging, safety and visibility for these…

Black men who have sex with men (MSM) on Historically Black College/University (HBCU) campuses face a unique set of challenges. In addition to being disproportionately affected by HIV, Black MSM are impacted by risk behavior, stigma, and environmental policies and practices that adversely influence their experiences. The purpose of this study was…

For over 25 years, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has worked to promote safe and affirming schools for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. A significant part of this work has been to document the experiences of students, as well as to examine teacher beliefs and…

For over 25 years, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has worked to promote safe and affirming schools for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. A significant part of this work has been to document the experiences of students, as well as to examine teacher beliefs and…

The [Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network] GLSEN National School Climate Survey is our flagship report on the school experiences of [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer] LGBTQ youth in schools, including the extent of the challenges that they face at school and the school-based resources that support LGBTQ students' well-being.…

The "National School Climate Survey" is the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) flagship report on the school experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth in schools, including the extent of the challenges that they face at school and the school-based resources that support LGBTQ students'…

Students' school education consists of not only what they are explicitly taught in the classroom, but also what they implicitly learn through the language, attitudes and actions of other students and teachers. When these attitudes, remarks and actions are unsupportive or hostile, they create a school climate that can negatively impact students'…

Objective: The investigators examined the health and well-being correlates of hearing the popular phrase "that's so gay" among gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) emerging adults. Participants: Participants were 114 self-identified GLB students aged 18 to 25 years. Methods: An online survey was distributed to students at a large public university in…

Changing a school's culture with regard to how it treats lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students can seem impossible, the author says. Educators must take the temperature of a school climate, map a route, establish rules, and hand out safety gear. Mostly, changing that climate will require educators to listen closely to students and hear…

This multisite case study examined how institutional and university counselor policies effectively respond to cyber violent acts. Stake's (2006) multisite case study methodology was used to identify seven themes from current literature. Two sites with four participants were selected. The participants included two counseling directors and the…

Safe school policies in many urban schools in Ontario have featured security guards, electronic surveillance, student identification tags, discipline, and zero tolerance. In 2000, the Ontario Ministry of Education passed the Safe Schools Act, which set out a list of offences that could trigger expulsion, suspension, and other disciplinary…

Schools contribute heavily to the feelings of isolation and stigmatization that many gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth experience. Research demonstrates that the climate of US middle and high schools are generally unsupportive and unsafe for many of these youth who are often susceptible to harassment, discrimination, and other negative events,…

In this study, we investigated the relationships between school context and heterosexual adolescents' social reasoning regarding same-sex sexuality and sexual prejudice. One thousand seventy-six adolescents (Female, n=648; Male, n=428) attending two high schools that differed in the degree to which they implemented practices to increase the safety…

This qualitative study investigated the barriers and facilitators that advisors of gay-straight alliances encounter when advocating for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) youth within schools. Twenty-two advisors were interviewed, and data revealed that multiple ecological systems (e.g., sociocultural, school, and individual…

This study examined relationships between perceived heterosexism in high school policies and programs, social environments, and victimization rates among lesbian, gay, bisexual and questioning (LGBQ) students. Secondary analyses of Internet survey data from a large cohort of LGBQ students (N = 2037; 76% male, 82% White; mean age = 16.07; 56% gay…