Media Guide: Documenting the Problem

MEDIA GUIDE

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Given the limited attention paid by federal, state and local policy makers to LGBT youth and because GLSEN’s work to make all schools safe for LGBT students is an on-going one, it is important for us to keep informed about the experiences of LGBT students in their schools. For this reason, GLSEN regularly examines LGBT issues in America’s educational system. GLSEN’s research serves three major programmatic goals: to document the problem of bullying, harassment and violence in America’s schools, to frame our organizational issues and messages, and to evaluate the products and services GLSEN provides in an effort to ensure safe schools for all.

The National School Climate Survey, which has been released biennially since 1999, serves to document the experiences of LGBT students in school. Some of the key findings from the most recent National School Climate Survey have been instrumental in articulating the need for safe schools legislation at the state level. Unfortunately, today violence, bias, and harassment of actual and perceived LGBT students is the rule—not the exception –in today’s schools.

Homophobic Remarks/ Verbal Harassment:

• 84% of LGBT students report being verbally harassed (name calling, threats, etc.) because of their sexual orientation.
• 92% of LGBT students report hearing homophobic remarks, such as “faggot,” “dyke” or the expression “that’s so gay” frequently or often.
• 45% of LGBT youth of color report being verbally harassed because of both their sexual orientation and race/ ethnicity.
• 62% of LGBT students report being verbally harassed based on their gender expression.

Within this vulnerable population, transgender students are even more at risk. Students that identify as transgender are 30% more likely to report physical harassment (being shoved, pushed, etc.) than lesbian, gay and bisexual students.

GLSEN also issued a report that takes a closer look at the educational experiences of LGBT youth of color – “School-Related Experiences of LGBT Youth of Color: Findings from the 2003 National School Climate Survey.” Results from this report highlight the importance of understanding the diversity in experiences of LGBT youth given the largest number of whom reported being harassed or assaulted in school because of both their sexual orientation and their race/ethnicity.

Our research paints a stark picture of the experience of LGBT students and LGBT students of color in America’s schools. And our results indicate that this hostile climate impedes LGBT students’ access to a quality education. Nearly 1 out of 3 students reported skipping a day of school in the last month simply because they were too afraid to go.

We also found that supportive educators, the presence of student clubs, commonly known as gay-straight alliances and protective policies make a difference. When LGBT students were aware of a policy that protected them, they were less likely skip classes, miss days, or drop out of school. The results of the National School Climate Survey inform our efforts to ensure safe schools for all students regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/ expression by advocating at the local and national level for policies that protect students on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity/ expression.

There is some good news! From the 2001 National School Climate Survey to the 2003 NSCS, there were small decreases in harassment and slightly larger gains in resources. While the condition for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students is improving slightly, GLSEN is prepared for the continued challenge ahead.

To view the entire National School Climate Survey or the School-Related Experiences of LGBT Youth of Color, please visit www.glsen.org.

MEDIA GUIDE

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NEXT>> Working With Educators