The vulnerability of gender nonconforming young people is all too well documented. Arguably, "trans issues" in schools are not restricted to transphobic comments, and need to be analyzed intersectionally. Guided by Lugones' discussion of the politics of purity read together with the analysis of cisnormativity, this article draws on…

In this time, when social climate is particularly divisive with decreasing support for trans people in the U.S., we explore the general population's attitudes regarding protections for trans children. A survey of a nationally-representative sample of 765 U.S. adults yielded perspectives regarding policies and practices impacting trans children in…

In less than 2 years, nine young people within one Minnesota school district committed suicide. As such, the bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth in the Anoka-Hennepin School District continues to be an example of how embedded ideologies of some individuals can substantially impact the treatment of marginalized…

This study focused on the association between 3 school-level supports for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and teachers' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward LGBT youth. Framed within social support theory, the study used survey method with a sample of 98 teachers in Grades 6-12. The purpose was to examine the relation…

This article reviews Canadian administrative law regarding homophobic bullying and school board decision making. Depending on the provincial legislation, school boards either have a mandatory or a discretionary duty to provide queer students with a safe learning environment. However, Canadian case law has arguably limited that discretion. Recent…

This article outlines how gay-straight alliances (GSAs) work to connect youth with community resources, and outlines the political and social context of GSAs in Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Fifteen individuals (youth, teachers, and a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ] youth service provider) participated in interviews…

This essay provides a review of a resource guide written by Kristopher Wells, Gayle Roberts, and Carol Allan (2012) titled "Supporting Transgender and Transsexual Students in K-12 Schools: A Guide for Educators". The guide is an invaluable resource for educators in schools and teacher education programs.

This study examines the availability and effectiveness of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)-related school resources for a national sample of transgender youth (N = 409), as compared to a national sample of LGB cisgender (non-transgender) youth (N = 6,444). All four examined resources--gay-straight alliances (GSAs), supportive…

This qualitative study investigated the barriers and facilitators that advisors of gay-straight alliances encounter when advocating for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer) youth within schools. Twenty-two advisors were interviewed, and data revealed that multiple ecological systems (e.g., sociocultural, school, and individual…

This qualitative study used five focus groups of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth attending public high schools to examine their experiences with school violence. Core themes focused on lack of community and empowerment leading to youth being without a sense of human agency in school. Negative attention themes were indicative…