LGBTQIA+
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
-Dalai Lama
The well-being and safety of all military children are of utmost importance, including LGBTQIA+ students. LGBTQIA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual. The American Psychological Association, Human Rights Campaign, and PFLAG now include LGBTQIA+ in their glossary of terms (American Psychological Association, 2022; Human Rights Campaign, 2022; PFLAG, 2021). Depending on environmental attitudes and stigmas, LGBTQIA+ military children may go through positive or negative experiences.
Regardless of beliefs or values, parents, caregivers, educators, and professionals can affirm the individual worth of their LGBTQIA+ military youth by creating healthy, supportive, caring, and safe environments for their children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Higa et. al. (2014) states that providing protective factors such as fostering positive youth development and supportive LGBTQIA+ peer and community networks will positively impact communication between students and parents regarding identity development of LGBTQIA+ youth.
Protecting the Mental Health of LGBTQIA+ Students:
In a 2022 national survey by The Trevor Project, research shows that thoughts of suicide or self-harm from LGBTQIA+ youth have increased. Included below are a couple of the key findings from their research:
60% of LGBTQ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.
45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.
The Trevor Project, 2022
In addition to increased suicidal thoughts, the Human Rights Campaign (2018) research shows that LGBTQIA+ students experience higher rates of bullying than their peers. This includes the discrediting and social devaluation of LGBTQIA+ youth through labeling, discrimination, stereotyping, separation, and status loss. According to the Trevor Project National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People (2023), over half of LGBTQIA+ students enrolled in middle or high school reported being bullied in person or virtually. Research also shows that LGBTQIA+ military students are associated with an increased odds of nonphysical victimization, physical violence, and weapon carrying (Pedro et al., 2020).
Healthy Environments for LGBTQIA+ Students:
Consider the LGBTQIA+ stigma that extends beyond interpersonal levels such as bullying or family relationships. Discrimination is also manifested at a structural level through laws, policies, and regulations. Parents and caregivers can partner with educators, school leaders, and other professionals to ensure that the rights of their LGBTQIA+ military children are protected, and positive peer and community relationships are fostered (Exec. Order No. 13988, 2021). The CDC provides key learning objectives and core competencies for schools and districts to incorporate into their professional development (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Also included in this toolkit below are a variety of resources to help guide healthy conversations for parents, providers, and schools.
2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People
The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey amplifies the experiences of more than 28,000 LGBTQ young people ages 13 to…A Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth
The first step to becoming an ally to transgender and nonbinary people is to learn more.Coming Out to Your Parents
This journey can be challenging to navigate. Strong Family Alliance can help.Connection Starts with Knowledge
Browse the Trevor Project’s Resource Center or check out what’s trending.You’re Still You
Daniel sings, “No matter what you wear or how you change your hair, you’re still you.”We Are Different and That’s Okay
Help kids learn to identify and appreciate the differences and similarities among themselves and their friends with Daniel Tiger.What Makes You Unique?
In this video from Let’s Learn, Lunisol Tavarez and a young helper talk about how we are both alike and…I Like Myself
In this video from Let’s Learn, teacher Yael Leopold reads the picture book I Like Myself, by Karen Beaumont.Cultivating Self-Acceptance
In order to explore and experience self-acceptance, students use the performing arts to express who they are and to develop…Creating Safer Spaces in Schools for LGBTQ Young People
For LGBTQ young people, school can be a tricky place to explore who they are and how they identify, especially…Student Gender Identity Guide for Schools
A collection of tools and resources to support conversations surrounding gender identity in the classroom.Integrating Equitable Principles
Today we have a tremendous opportunity to reimagine our education system by using what we know from the science of…Building Trusting Relationships with LGBTQ Students
In this podcast, SFC Kristina Manookin shares how families and educators can build trusting relationships with LGBTQ+ students as they…Develop Supportive Educators
Supportive educators save students’ lives. Just one visibly supportive educator in a school can help LGBTQ students feel safer and…References:
American Psychological Association (2022). Div. 44: Society for the psychology of sexual orientation and gender diversity. https://www.apadivisions.org/division44/index?_ga=2.128723596.1649867963.1654107905-1126760067.1651455867&_gac=1.50030354.1654107906.EAIaIQobChMI6frRv_WAAIVlbrICh0qqQxLEAAYAiAAEgKXzfD_BwE
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, October 26). Creating safe schools for LGBTQ+ youth. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/safesupportive-environments/PD-LGBTQ.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, April 9). Safe and supportive environments. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/safesupportiveenvironments/index.htm
Chan A. (2021). Book review: The educator’s guide to LGBT+ inclusion: A practical resource for K-12 teachers, administrators, and school support staff. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 692343. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.692343
Earnshaw, V. A., Reisner, S. L., Juvonen, J., Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Perrotti, J., & Schuster, M. A. (2017). LGBTQ bullying: translating research to action in pediatrics. Pediatrics, 140(4), e20170432. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-0432
Exec. Order No. 13988, 86 Fed. Reg. 7023 (Jan 20, 2021). https://www.federalregister.gov/executive-order/13988
Higa D., Hoppe, M.J., Lindhorst, T., Mincer, S., Beadnell, B., Morrison, D.M., Wells, E.A., Todd, A., Mountz, S. (2014). Negative and positive factors associated with the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Youth & Society, 46(5), 663- 687. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X12449630
Human Rights Foundation (2018). 2018 LGBTQ Youth Report – Human Rights Campaign – HRC. https://www.hrc.org/resources/2018-lgbtq-youth- LGBTQIA+ report Human Rights Campaign. (n.d.) Glossary of terms. https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms
Pedro, K. T., & Esqueda, M. C. (2020). Exploring school victimization and weapon carrying among military-connected lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in California schools. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 35(23-24), 5414–5424. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517719537
PFLAG (2021, January 21). National Glossary of terms. https://pflag.org/glossary
The Trevor Project (2021). The Trevor Project national survey on LGBTQ youth mental health. Retrieved by https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey2021/?section=Introduction
The Trevor Project (2023). Trevor Project National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People. Retrieved by https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/
The Trevor Project (2022). 2022 National survey on LGBTQ youth mental health. Retrieved by https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/#suicide-by-sexual orientation
U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. (2021, June). Confronting anti-LGBTQI+ harassment in schools a resource for students and families. https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/ocr-factsheet-tix-202106.pdf
Disclosure Statement: These tools are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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