The Importance Of LGBTQ Youth

As shown in the story above, not only do irresponsible and unethical actions have a serious impact on the education of LGBT+ youth, but also have an immense emotional and mental impact as well. Queer youth who reported high levels of victimization during adolescence were 2.6 times more likely to have clinical depression and 5.6 times more likely to report having attempted suicide (Frances McClelland Institute 2). This shows that the harassment and mistreatment queer youth face have serious and sometimes deadly

Part of my training in becoming a counselor, I have developed and continue to develop skill to advocate for all youths. Through mindfulness training, I want be an advocate for LGBTQ youths by empowering them and providing useful skills that promote independent living. Every youth, gender conforming or non-gender conforming, deserves the right to live a success, content and fulfill life.

From above paragraphs we have seen that lesbian, gay, bisexual youth face discrimination and marginalization fostered by the social systems that serve them.

Across generations, we contend that education needs to be queered and queried in ways that disrupt normative presumptions regarding sexuality and that questions

Experimentation with or realization/recognition of homosexual tendencies seems to surface during the early teen or Middle School ages. I have questioned whether these students actually have gender identity issues, or homosexual tendencies, or if they are using this behavior for sensationalism in an attempt to gain attention. At times, this behavior results in discipline issues, and creates a distraction for these students and others around them. Teachers often find themselves in a quandary due to social standards, which sometimes cause the subject of sexual orientation and sexuality to be off limits. I want to be equipped to help, while being mindful of student privacy, school rules, community standards, and my own personal beliefs. I

G.|Greytak, Joseph, et al. “The 2015 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth in Our Nation's Schools.”Center for Civic Innovation, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Tel: 212-599-7000; Fax: 212-599-3494; Web Site: Http://Www.manhattan-Institute.org, 30 Nov. 2015, eric.ed.gov/?id=ED574780.

Within this paper, the umbrella term “queer” will be used to encompass many different sexual identities mentioned. While once used as a derogatory term, it has been rebranded and revitalized as a term of unification for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. In order to prevent erasure of the narrative of subsets of members within the larger queer community, their identities will be included. When discussing the larger implications of the development of sexual minority identification, queer will be employed.

However, because heteronormativity has been “neutralized” in society, it is difficult to change the views of many. (176). By breaking down heteronormativity, acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQ individuals may create a smooth transition. For example, the authors propose to educate students, teachers and parents on LGBTQ and heteronormativity. By creating a well rounded educational experience, children will learn to become more accepting at home and at school. Altogether, society must restructure its political views to create an inclusive and open minded set for the people living in

This paper will cover the topic of how commonly and in what form discrimination takes place against LGBTQ+ youths, and how that discrimination affects LGBTQ+ youths lives. The research question that will be answered in this paper is, how does discrimination affect LGBTQ+ youth? To be a part of the LGBTQ+ community, means that a person identifies or defines their gender and/or their sexuality as to be outside of the straight cisgender norms of society. The LGBTQ+ community is defined by the vast array of identities that fall within the umbrella of its acronym. There is no clear definition for any one facet of the LGBTQ+ community as most people see gender and sexual identity as fluid and self-determined. It is up to the person

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer student population has continued to face harsh challenges and circumstances throughout their educational years. Statistics show that 84.9% of LGBTQ students experience verbal harassment which has ultimately lead to 63.5% of students feeling unsafe in their current school. (McCormick 72). The high rates of harassment, bullying, and discrimination has lead to an increase of depression, suicide, and the use of drugs. Not only are students being treated unjustly, but they also do not have the support from their own teachers or counselors. So we ask ourselves, what can be done about the violence that these students face? Should school

For most heterosexuals, when they see a person, they see them as heterosexual unless the observed person displays some “homosexual” characteristic, such as being flamboyant for males. Despite the progressions society has made in accepting the LGBTQ+ community, there is still a long way to go to de-genderize sexuality, or to unlink sexuality, gender identity, and gender roles. As seen in various studies including “The Complex Negotiations of Gender Roles, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation” by Nagoshi et. al, “Does Nature Rule? A Sex Reassignment Tragedy” by Lindsey, and “‘I Always Felt I Had to Prove My Manhood’: Homosexuality, Masculinity, Gender Role Strain, and HIV Risk Among Young Black Men Who Have Sex With Men” by Fields, sexuality is often strongly associated to gender identity, which is in turn influenced by behavioral gender roles due to gender socialization. From the gendering of sexuality comes various other social issues, including the discrimination against people in the LGBTQ+ community and an increased chance of HIV in homosexual men.

Along with verbal abuse, LGBTQ youth also experience physical violence in schools across the country everyday. Back in the 1980’s and 1990’s sociologists such as Joyce Hunter thought that much of the physical abuse happening towards the LGBTQ population stemmed from the stigma and fear that came from the AIDS epidemic that was spreading rapidly among the gay community in that time. In a study as recent as 2003, 60% of LGBTQ youth had reported being assaulted physically due to their sexual orientation (Chesir-Taran, 2003) These physical actions towards the gay and lesbian youth has caused many to fear going to school. In fact, many LGBTQ students avoid school in order to escape the physical harassment. This drop in attendance has detrimental effects on the student’s academics (American Educational Research Association).

It is essential for social institutions like the media, religion, work, and school to address and support various sexuality preferences. Not only address it in a positive meaningful way, but to create a space and accept various sexuality preferences. Essentially creating room for the intersex, a safe heaven for the individuals that are not fitting the American Binary gender model which currently only includes males and females. In the United States, individuals spend the majority of their time within these institutions, more than they do with their own families. Their lives depend on the already mentioned institutions for success. And because individuals rely on these institutions for success, it is essential to continue discussing, addressing and arbitrarily opposing institutions and places where there is no space for intersex.

There are many misconceptions about the gay and lesbian community, which occur for the most part because society doesn’t take the time to

We live in a society that compels us to behave and appear a certain way. From a young age, our parents instruct us on how to socialize, who to socialize with, and how to dress and act. It is all in the name of normalcy, a life where we abide by the norms that have been socially constructed for us. One of the most harmful and widespread social norms is that of heterosexuality. Throughout a child’s developmental period, parents, teachers, and society as a whole press the gender binary and heterosexual relations upon them in a practice known as heteronormativity. Heteronormativity is present in our society and plays a key role in suppressing the sexuality and gender identities of LGBTQIA+ youths, causing them emotional distress.