Add LGBTQ Education to all Public Schools' Health Classes!

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) students continue to be subjected to discrimination, including harassment, bullying, intimidation, and violence.  Numerous social science studies demonstrate that discrimination at school contributes to high rates of absenteeism, dropout, adverse health consequences, and academic underachievement among LGBTQ youth. Despite the growing number of incidents against LGBTQ students, many schools have not implemented clear guidelines and procedures on how to handle such situations.  The inclusion of LGBTQ education allows schools to be consistent and proactive in ensuring students physical safety, privacy, and freedom of speech as part of the learning environment

LGBTQ education allows schools to be proactive in protecting students against harassment. Knowledge about the state and federal requirements are not well known and commonly come into light as a reaction to a threatening incident.  Under the U.S. Constitution, public schools have to address any harassment against LGBTQ students the same way they would address harassment against any other student. And a federal education law called Title IX  prevents public schools from ignoring harassment based on gender stereotyping.  The inclusion of LGBTQ education in school will fill in the information gap and allow public schools to be more proactive and consistent in how to handle the protection of students against harassment. 

LGBTQ education allows schools to be proactive in ensuring student privacy.   Despite the growing number of LGBTQ students, few schools are aware that LGBTQ students cannot be outed by someone else, including school officials, even if that student is out to other people.  In 1997, when school police officers in Pennsylvania were going to tell a students family he was gay, the student committed suicide rather than face what he feared would be rejection from his family. His mother sued, and a federal appeals court held that threatening to disclose private information violated the teenagers Constitutional right to privacy. LGBTQ education would allow the school to be more proactive in ensuring students privacy rights while also being consistent in how they address the violation of privacy rights.  

LGBTQ education allows schools to be proactive in ensuring freedom of speech at school.  Despite freedom of speech being a common topic, many schools remain unsure how to address such a broad topic.   However, more than 40 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech at the schoolhouse gate." The only time a school can legally restrict a students speech is when it causes significant disruption in the classroom. For example, yelling, "I am gay!" in the middle of English class is considered disruptive but talking about being gay with other students between classes or at lunch is not.  In addition, speech cannot be considered disruptive just because someone else might not like it. Freedom of speech also includes speech written on clothing.  Sometimes schools do not allow LGBTQ students to wear LGBTQ themed t-shirts, despite allowing other students to wear t-shirts that express personal views on other political or cultural issues. If a schools dress code allows other students to wear t-shirts about their beliefs, then it is illegal for schools to ask LGBTQ students to take off their t-shirt because it has a rainbow or says something about gay pride. LGBTQ education allows schools to not only be proactive about ensuring students freedom of speech but also allows them to be consistent in its applications.

The climate of a school has a direct impact on both how well students learn and how well they interact with their peers. Teachers and administrators work hard to make their classrooms welcoming places where all students have the best chance to succeed.  Despite these efforts, LGBTQ students continue to face harsh realities that prevent them from learning.  The creation and inclusion of LGBTQ education in schools allow schools to be proactive in ensuring students physical safety, privacy, and freedom of speech.  Such education enables teachers and administrators to consistently address issues that prevent students from learning.  

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