A new report documents the persistence of hostile and unsafe school environments that can result in lower educational outcomes and higher rates of depression and suicide for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students.
"The mistreatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students is worse today than many might realize, and far too often involves school personnel that ignore the problem and in some cases make the situation even worse," says Stuart Biegel, co-author of the report, "Safe at School: Addressing the School Environment and LGBT Safety through Policy and Legislation."
The report offers policy recommendations to ensure schools are welcoming and safe for LGBT students. The recommendations include issues such as school climate, curriculum, and the role of school sports in defining a school's culture.
The report was released by the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado, the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at UCLA, and the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice.
The report is available at http://www.law.ucla.edu/WilliamsInstitute/home.html.
