A strong body of research evidence has emerged in the last decade identifying school policies and practices that improve school experiences and school climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and all students. These research results have in some cases informed the development of school policies and practices that are inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Yet there remains no SOGI-inclusive federal safe schools legislation, and there is significant variability in the degree to which SOGI issues are included in policies and practices across states, school districts, and schools. In fact, Texas is a state that has been legislatively unsupportive of SOGI issues, but where local, administrative, or informal forms of policy and practice are promising.
In order to bring this compelling body of research into the policy formation process for Texas lawmakers, SOGI researchers and community leaders at Equality Texas and OutYouth created a policy brief entitled, “Promoting School Safety for LGBTQ and All Students in Texas.” This policy brief reviews the research on the experiences of LGBTQ youth in school, as well as strategies to improve school climate for LGBTQ and all students.
The Stories & Numbers Project is the culmination of this work, a tool designed to help students, parents, and school personnel access resources related to the safety and well-being of LGBTQ youth in Texas schools, combining new research with firsthand stories about using these strategies in schools.
To learn more, visit StoriesandNumbers.org.