2025 LGBTQ Youth Report
According to LGBTQ Youth, Supportive Schools are Integral to Well-Being
This blog post is co-authored with GLSEN.
It’s no surprise that most youth spend the majority of their time in school. What this means, however, is that educational environments can significantly impact students’ overall health, including their sense of belonging and mental well-being. This matters for all young people — and especially for LGBTQ youth.
In a new report from the Movement Advancement Project — released in partnership with Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE), Advocates for Youth, Equality Federation, GLSEN, PFLAG National, and The Trevor Project — LGBTQ youth speak out in their own words about their school experiences.
The following snapshot offers important youth perspectives and a glimpse at the outsized, positive impact of a supportive, LGBTQ-affirming educational setting. This report summary also points to the diverging landscape of school policies in the United States: while some states actively foster inclusive school environments, a growing number of states have enacted harmful policies that specifically target LGBTQ youth.
For Some LGBTQ Youth, School Can Be a Sanctuary
“When I was socially transitioning, all of my teachers were really supportive… That was integral not just for my mental health, but for my education. I would not have been able to learn if I hadn’t been accepted.”
– Zelda, a LGBTQ student in Louisiana
Feeling affirmed and supported at school matters for all young people. MAP’s report highlights research that supports this: from higher grades and academic motivation to reduced emotional discomfort, risk-taking behaviors, and incidents of school conflict, the correlation between a positive learning environment and overall well-being is clear.
All students — including LGBTQ youth — have a greater opportunity to thrive when they feel safe and affirmed in their school environments. This is significant for LGBTQ youth because life at home can be different than the classroom: according to data from The Trevor Project, over half of LGBTQ youth (52%) report that their schools are affirming, while only 40% said their homes were affirming.
State and Federal Policies Can Shape — or Limit — School Support for LGBTQ Students
There are over 16,000 school districts in the United States, and while schools and districts are free to set their own policies, state and federal laws and agency rules greatly influence the school environment. These laws and rules can set the basic standards that schools must meet, as well as the limits on the types of support schools are allowed to offer.
Some laws might support LGBTQ-friendly policies in schools, like nondiscrimination policies, anti-bullying rules, cultural competency training for educators, inclusive curricula, and mental health supports — including suicide prevention policies.
However, other existing policies can hurt LGBTQ students. For example, there is a growing landscape of laws that require school personnel to disclose transgender students’ identities to their parents regardless of the students’ wishes or the risk of family rejection. Also, to date, 12 states have explicit “Don’t Say LGBTQ” laws, which ban teachers from discussing LGBTQ people or topics — making it harder for students to see themselves as whole beings and reap the academic, health, and other benefits that are associated with access to such inclusive curricula.
But when LGBTQ youth specifically are supported at school — by policies protecting them from physical harm and discrimination, inclusive curricula and resources in their classrooms and libraries, supportive school staff, and affirming student clubs like GSAs — the effects can be transformative.
“My school’s GSA saved my life. It gave me community. It gave me camaraderie. It made me feel like I could authentically be myself.”
– Esme, a student in Oregon
“Sometimes it can be really hard as a queer student to know what teachers to trust, so being able to have teachers who are very vocal is important.”
– Maggie, a student in Illinois
According to GLSEN’s 2021 National School Climate Survey:
- Students who experienced these core supports were less likely to experience bullying and harassment based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, were less likely to hear anti-LGBTQ remarks at school or from classmates online, and were less likely to experience discrimination.
- These students were also more likely to report a greater sense of school belonging and psychological well-being.
Yet, data also show that far too few LGBTQ students are able to benefit from these kinds of supports. In the same 2021 report from GLSEN:
- 68% of students in their survey sample felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, or a combination of these identities.
Schools shouldn’t be a difficult place for students. However, youth experiences in school vary greatly — particularly for LGBTQ young people — depending on where students live and the key state and federal policies that are currently in place. Drawn from MAP’s report, the first-person perspectives included here speak to the benefit of educational environments that are safe and inclusive, which all students deserve.
To learn more about how schools — as well as home, community, and health care — inform the overall well-being of LGBTQ youth, read MAP’s new partner report.
