All children deserve to learn and grow in an environment that welcomes and affirms who they are and what their families look like. But, in recent years, we’ve witnessed a growing number of legislation that prohibits the mere mention of LGBTQ+ topics or characters in classrooms and libraries, prevents transgender youth from playing on teams that reflect their gender identity, and more. These pieces of legislation reflect a larger issue in schools. Together with GLSEN and COLAGE, our recent study of the experiences of youth with LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers in schools shows that an overwhelming majority of student participants reported feeling excluded from a school or classroom activity because of having an LGBTQ+ parent or caregiver. A large majority — over two thirds of student participants — reported being verbally harassed at school because of having an LGBTQ+ parent.
With LGBTQ+ youth and families being targeted in schools, Family Equality is focusing on advancing policies that promote inclusion and prevent discrimination while pushing back against policies that erase LGBTQ+ individuals and their contributions in the classroom and on the field.
