Schools across the United States have taken up the task of 'protecting' lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth, but their reliance on identity-based antidiscrimination policies may reinscribe power inequities. While previous scholarship critiques and cautions against such protectionist approaches, this paper explores why such…

Research indicates lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are a vulnerable population--a status that can be attributed to a hostile social climate at school. Intervention strategies, such as educational policies, programs, and a supportive environment, improve the social climate for LGBT students in secondary schools and…

Sexual minority youth commonly face struggles in adapting to unwelcoming or threatening school climates. In one Midwestern city, several schools receive services from Out For Equity (OFE), a flagship program supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and allied (LGBTQA) youth. Participating schools indicated consistent…