High school is a challengg time for most teens. It n be even more so for lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr stunts. Judy Chiasson of the Los Angel Unified School District and Eliza Byard, executive director of the Gay, Lbian and Straight Edutn Network talk about beg openly LGBT school.
Contents:
WHAT'S LIFE LIKE FOR GAY KIDS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS?
* gay experiences in school *
Lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, and qutng (LGBTQ) stunts have historilly been visible, unrserved, or misunrstood — or all three, says Jenny Betz, a School Climate Specialist at WtEd.
This is the story of my first time and, as many first tim on anythg, didn't´t go well bee of my experience. Many say they knew they were gay their whole liv, not my se. I had no ia. If somebody would tell me I was gay before that day, I would have given them a middle fger. But I * gay experiences in school *
Transgenr, gay or lbian, and bisexual stunts were ls likely than their non-transgenr and straight peers to report the prence of key school supports, to be engaged school, or to report a high gra pot average.
Fewer than half of transgenr, gay or lbian, and bisexual stunts reported feelg safe at school. Transgenr, gay or lbian, and bisexual stunts were twice or more as likely to report that they had experienced bullyg or harassment and were fear of physil vlence. Whether someone directly teas or tnts them, or they simply hear a nstant barrage of negative ments — “that’s so gay” or “don’t be a fag” — the stunts often receive the msage that somethg is wrong wh them, says Betz, and may beg to feel that they are danger.
In fact, the study found that if transgenr, gay or lbian, and bisexual stunts experienced siar levels of support and safety as other stunts, dispari their mental health, amic motivatn, and amic performance school would shrk by half. For transgenr stunts, dispari school nnectedns would disappear pletely and for lbian, gay, and bisexual stunts, dispari school nnectedns would lsen by 90 to 100 percent.