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In This Issue:
- Community Corner
- Resources for Families
- Practical Tools
- Webinars
- Announcements
- Articles/Research
- Policy News
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For the August issue, we wanted to pack the newsletter full of our favorite tools, research, and policy updates to get you ready for the school year. From LGBTQ+ inclusive books and words of affirmation to guides for standing up to harassment, these resources will help you and the LGBTQ+ youth in your life be ready to start the school year off on the right foot. | Words of Affirmation for LGBTQ+ Youth as They Head Back to School | |
As we enter Back-to-School season, Lambda Legal stands firmly with LGBTQ+ young people, and they are in the courts fighting fiercely on their behalf. They recently spoke to parents, teachers, coaches, social workers, and other student allies from all over the U.S., and they have created a list of powerful affirmations that center and celebrate LGBTQ+ youth. These words are meant to help heal, comfort, and empower LGBTQ+ students everywhere. Read them here
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How to Signal You're an Ally in a Hostile Environment | Allies provide important support for LGBTQ young people, especially in the face of increased marginalization. In 2023 alone, over 600 anti-LGBTQ bills have been passed, in some cases making it harder for allies to signal their support in schools and workplaces. Unfortunately, this is now a reality in over 15 states, and it’s not always easy to show your support if your school hostile to LGBTQ+ folks. But that’s why it’s so important to do it anyway. Read more | |
Opening Books for LGBTQ+ Young People | Open Books, an organization founded by Morgan Walsh and Keiko Feldman, is working to address the lack of representation in available literature by donating LGBTQ-affirming books to public school libraries. Libraries are sanctuaries, but they often don’t have the resources they need to serve all children equally. Open Books was started to help provide school libraries with LGBTQ+ affirming literature. Their supporters make this possible by helping to curate, purchase, and distribute books at no cost to those they serve. Learn more | |
Community Corner is a place where you can share news about the work you are doing with young people with diverse SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression). To submit information about your program to be highlighted in this newsletter, please email [email protected]. [email protected]. | Selma High School Receives Grant to Fund LGBTQ+ Literature | |
Selma High School recently received a grant that includes funding for LGBTQ+ literature and a field trip to a "queer heritage site." The It Gets Better Project, a national non-profit that seeks to "uplift, empower and connect LGBTQ+ youth around the globe," recently announced grantees for its "50 States. 50 Grants. 5000 Voices" project. The program, which is now in its second year and has expanded to include Canada, will provide grants of up to $10,000 to 71 U.S. and Canadian public or charter schools for a total of $645,000 in grants. The project will fund a book club in Selma focusing on LGBTQ+ literature. The proposal includes guest speakers and will culminate in a field trip to a queer heritage site. Learn more
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Top Questions to Ask Your School Administrator | |
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A child’s disclosure of their gender identity can feel sudden or unexpected at first. While a caregiver is navigating this crucial time, they must also consider the place where their child spends the most time outside of the home – their school. Children may not consider advance preparations their school might need to do, nor should they. It is not their responsibility and they are often unaware of what could or should be done in order to optimize their schooling experience. However, a caregiver who takes time in advance to learn more about the school climate will find themselves better prepared for these next steps with the school. This list of questions from Gender Diversity can serve as a starting place for a parent/administrator conversation. Learn more
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Confronting Anti-LGBTQ+ Harassment in Schools: A Resource for Students & Families | |
LGBTQ+ students need to feel safe and need to know what to do if they experience discrimination. Public elementary and secondary schools have a responsibility to investigate and address sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, against students because of their perceived or actual sexual orientation or gender identity. When schools fail to respond appropriately, the Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division (CRT) at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Education can help by enforcing federal laws that protect students from discrimination. Learn more
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Leading With Love: The 2023 PFLAG National Convention
October 19-22 | Washington, D.C.
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Through workshops, panels, and presentations from community leaders, we’ll provide insight, expertise, training, strategies, and best practices so that PFLAG friends, families, members, supporters, and leaders can work together to fulfill our organizational mission to create a caring, just, and affirming world for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. Whether you’re a longtime PFLAGer or new to the PFLAG family, join us for what promises to be an incredible four days! Register now
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Video: How to Support LGBTQ+ Young People & Prevent Bullying | |
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The cost of bullying can be devastating for LGBTQ+ young people. It’s up to all of us to show up for them. In this episode of TrevorTalks, three LGBTQ+ young people share their experiences with bullying and offer suggestions for how we can all be better allies, inside and outside of school. Providing safe spaces and allyship whenever possible promotes inclusion and acceptance, and school is one of the most important safe spaces in a young person’s life. Watch now
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Cultivating Respect: Top 10 Ways to Make Schools Safer for All Students | |
For parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators, making classrooms—and all school facilities and programs—fair and safe for LGBTQ+ students can seem like a daunting task. But you are not alone on this journey! Please take a moment to review these ten simple and powerful steps to help make your local school community safer. As adults and leaders in our communities, we must work for classrooms and schools where students can learn free from fear, and are protected from discrimination, harassment, and bullying. Learn more
| Minority Stress & Coping for LGBTQ+ Adolescent Health | |
LGBTQ+ adolescents are at heightened risk for many behavioral health outcomes, including misuse of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). Decades of research suggest that these experiences are tied to discrimination, known as “minority stress.” Recent research has identified a number of key life experiences that drive ATOD use among LGBTQ+ youth. This resource provides a variety of common stressors, as well as conversation starters that can open the door to an evidence-based approach to intervention. Download now
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Proud & Empowered: A School-Based Intervention for LGBTQ+ Coping
Thursday, September 7, 1:00pm - 2:00p.m. ET
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After 10 years of research, Proud & Empowered has shown efficacy to support its use in school and community settings. The 10-week small group intervention uses a mix of didactic learning strategies to support LGBTQ+ youth as they navigate their family, peer, school and other community environments. This presentation will offer an overview of the intervention, and allow for Q&A. This webinar is hosted by the Innovations Institute's Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity in partnership with the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network Coordinating Office. Register now
| New Online Training: Supporting the Mental Health Crisis Workforce | |
Designed to improve mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ people, this new self-paced online training was created in partnership with Vibrant Emotional Health —administrators of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Titled Introduction to LGBTQ+ Populations with Special Considerations for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, the training addresses disparities, introduces accurate and respectful terminology, mental health considerations, the coming out process; and outlines the ways that 988 crisis counselors can support LGBTQ+ people over call, chat, and text. The course takes 60 minutes to complete and provides 1.0 CECs or a certificate of attendance. Read the press release here
| NEW! e-Learning: Serving LGBTQ+ Youth & Families in Child Welfare | |
The National SOGIE Center and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation have partnered to launch a new interactive e-learning module on serving LGBTQ+ youth and families in child welfare settings. This training is modeled after HRC’s All Children, All Families training, which was evaluated through the National Quality Improvement Center on LGBTQ2S Children and Youth in Foster Care grant and has shown promising evidence of its impact. The training covers foundational knowledge on serving the population, how to create affirming environments, best practices, and terminology. This training is offered for free when participants enroll through the Center’s Learning Management System.
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Supporting the Mental Well-Being of LGBTQ+ Youth in Schools
Fridays, Sept 8, Sept 22, Oct 6, & Oct 20, 12:00-1:00pm ET
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Webinar topics include foundational backgrounds on gender development, as well as individual sessions diving into the best practices of serving LGBTQ+ youth in each tier of the multi-tiered system of support. The series will wrap with a panel discussion on context paralysis and legislation. This webinar series is sponsored by the Mid-America Mental Health Technology Transfer Center in partnership with the Innovations Institute's Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity. Register now
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Safe & Effective LGBTQ+ Data Collection Learning Community:
Let's Talk to Families About SOGIE
Tuesday, September 19, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET
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Talking to families about SOGIE is something that many practitioners have questions about. How should you approach the topic? What if families are angry that you are asking about SOGIE? How do you work with families that address concerns about their LGBTQ+ youth? The presenters in this session will bring best practices learned across several types of clinical programs for families. Addressing these concepts with culture and family backgrounds will also be addressed. This Learning Community from the National SOGIE Center provides learners the opportunity to hear from experts in the field on collecting sexual orientation and gender identity data in safe and effective ways. Check out our promotional clip to learn more, and you can register for the series here!
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Fall Webinar Series: Working With Rural LGBTQ+ Clients
Weds, Oct 11, Tues, Oct 24, & Tues, Nov 14, 2:30pm ET
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This three-part series will provide clinicians an opportunity to learn more about the strengths and needs of rural LGBTQ+ clients, their families, and their communities. Resources for practice and further learning will be provided in each session, and participants will have a chance to hear from clinicians and LGBTQ+ people living or working in rural areas. As a learning community, there will be time in each session allotted for discussion and collaboration as we continue to improve quality mental health care for LGBTQ+ clients and their families from rural areas. Participants are welcome to attend any one session, or all three. This series is hosted by the Innovations Institute's Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity in partnership with the University of Utah. Register now
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ACF Announcement on Secretary Retirement Includes Host of Resources for LGBTQ+ Populations | |
Assistant Secretary Contreras recently published a blog post reflecting on the steps that the Administration for Children & Families has taken toward supporting LGBTQ+ youth and families over the past few years. The post highlighted the Child Information Gateway page on Working with LGBTQ+ Youth and Families, which has a spotlight on several resources from the National SOGIE Center, including our podcast series: Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, & Expression. Read more
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AFFIRM Youth Training
Mon, Oct 16, Tue, Oct 17, & Thurs, Oct 19, 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. ET
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AFFIRM Youth is an evidence-based, eight module, manualized coping skills training intervention focused on reducing mental health issues and behavioral risks experienced by LGBTQ+ populations. Developed specifically for LGBTQ+ youth, AFFIRM Youth has been found to be efficacious with this vulnerable population across a range of settings (e.g., schools, health care centers, behavioral health clinics) and recently with young and middle-age adult populations. Behavioral healthcare providers trained in AFFIRM Youth learn to:
- Affirm sexual & gender minority identities
- Engage in case conceptualization and formulation that attends to the specific needs of LGBTQ+ clients
- Enhance client ability to cope with discrimination
- Implement strategies aimed at helping clients modify unhelpful thoughts, create support networks, & engage in healthy and affirming behaviors
Register now for the October training!
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Advancing Excellence in Trans Health: Course for the Whole Care Team
October 27-29 | Boston, MA
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Advancing Excellence in Transgender Health is proposed as a national CME course developed in response to the high volume of queries from clinicians and health care staff seeking to learn about providing high-quality care for adults, adolescents, and children who are transgender or gender diverse (TGD). This conference is designed to train the whole health care team in providing competent and confident gender-affirming health care, grounded in research evidence and best clinical practices. Sessions are led by expert faculty specialized in transgender health-focused research and patient care. The conference is appropriate for all members of health care teams, including physicians, behavioral health care providers, physician assistants, nurses, and other staff. Discounted pricing through August 31. Register now
| upEND Movement: Afrofuturist Art, Call for Submissions | |
upEND Movement invites you to submit Afrofuturist-inspired visual art, poetry, and short works of fiction to our first creative publication, Dream, Create, Liberate: A Future Without Family Policing. As is often mentioned, part of the work of abolition is to imagine a world that can exist outside of the damaging, punitive systems that overwhelmingly harm the people most marginalized in society. Our hope is to join artists and activists together, in community, to dream of this new world. Learn more
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School Protective Factors for LGBTQ+ Middle & High School Students | |
Young people between the ages of 13 and 18 spend a significant portion of their waking hours at schools, making it imperative to examine how schools can create affirming environments for LGBTQ students in
middle or high school. Building on previous work showing that LGBTQ students who
learn about suicide prevention or LGBTQ issues in school have lower rates of attempting suicide in the past year, this current study uses data from The Trevor Project's 2023 National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People to explore the protectiveness associated with five school-related factors among LGBTQ middle and high school students. Read more
| Queer Punishments: School Safety & Youth of Color in the US | |
Although educational research and policymaking in the United States has generally framed LGBTQ+ youth and youth of color as mutually exclusive groups, LGBTQ+ youth of color are increasingly included in discourses surrounding school safety. These discourses tend to position youth as vulnerable, at-risk subjects who are passive victims of interpersonal homophobia. This study analyzed GLSEN’s 2019 National School Climate Survey report, breakout reports on LGBTQ youth of color, and related advocacy efforts. Researchers offer queer of color critique as a strategy for researchers and policymakers to get unstuck on school safety. Read more
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Reducing Behavioral Health Symptoms by Addressing Minority Stressors in LGBTQ+ Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Proud & Empowered | |
This study aimed to determine whether participation in a novel intervention, Proud & Empowered, improved behavioral health for LGBTQ+ adolescents. With a four-school randomized approach, this study examined impacts of the intervention on adolescents who either participated in the intervention, or were in a control condition. Measures assessed the intervention’s impact on mental health symptoms. Compared to the control, participants in the treatment condition reported signifcant diferences in minority stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Learn more about the Proud & Empowered intervention during the Center of Excellence's September 7th webinar (listed above). Learn more
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New Study Finds That Almost No One Regrets Getting Top Surgery | |
Top surgeries are coming out on top when it comes to patient satisfaction. A new study found that when it comes to this particular procedure, people’s long term satisfaction was “overwhelmingly positive compared to other medical and nonmedical decisions.” A study published online in the journal JAMA Surgery on August 9 surveyed 139 participants, all of whom had gender-affirming mastectomies between 1990 and 2020. The overwhelming majority of respondents were highly satisfied and regret was vanishingly rare. The study’s authors stated, “These results suggest sustained intent and consistency in decision-making.” Read more
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Women's, Healthcare & Human Rights Organizations Urge 6th Circuit To Reinstate Blocking Of Health Bans For Transgender People In TN, KY | |
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders, the National Women’s Law Center, Campaign for Southern Equality, and eleven other organizations filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Sixth Circuit urging reinstatement of the court order preventing enforcement of transgender healthcare bans for adolescents in Tennessee and Kentucky while the legal challenges to those bans continue. The brief argues that Tennessee and Kentucky state laws prohibiting doctors from providing healthcare to transgender adolescents discriminate on the basis of sex, and are therefore subject to heightened scrutiny. These bans target transgender adolescents to deny them care, even when they, their doctors, and their parents agree it is essential for their health. Read more
| August Roundup: Updates & Actions to Take For Local & National LGBTQ+ Rights | |
While most state legislative sessions have adjourned for the summer and for the remainder of 2023, the work continues among LGBTQ+ advocates and allies to curtail attempts by anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers at the state and local level to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ and especially transgender people. There have been a number of efforts at the administrative and executive level as well as court rulings these past few weeks that showcase the need to keep driving a path towards dignity and respect for LGBTQ+ people. This overview from GLAAD shares the latest updates, as well as calls to action. Read more
| State by State Snapshot: LGBTQ+ Curricular Laws | |
LGBTQ+ related curricular laws are important for LGBTQ+ students’ health, wellbeing, and academic success. This map from Movement Advancement Project shows three distinct policies related to LGBTQ+ inclusion in—or exclusion from—school curricula or standards:
- LGBTQ+ inclusive curricular laws require the state’s curricular standards to include LGBTQ+ people and history
- Harmful, exclusionary laws include parental opt-out laws
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“Don’t Say Gay or Trans” policies censor teachers and staff from even talking about LGBTQ+ people or issues. Learn more
| For more information on gender-affirming care, best practices, and federal guidance, please visit the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity's Resource Page on Supporting Trans Youth. | | | | |
