LGBT Youth in America's Schools

by Sean Cahill, Jason Cianciotto

Overview

Jason Cianciotto and Sean Cahill, experts on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender public policy advocacy, combine an accessible review of social science research with analyses of school practices and local, state, and federal laws that affect LGBT students. In addition, portraits of LGBT youth and their experiences with discrimination at school bring human faces to the issues the authors discuss.

This is an essential guide for teachers, school administrators, guidance counselors, and social workers interacting with students on a daily basis; school board members and officials determining school policy; nonprofit advocates and providers of social services to youth; and academic scholars, graduate students, and researchers training the next generation of school administrators and informing future policy and practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780472118229
Publisher:	University of Michigan Press
Publication date:	04/19/2012
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jason Cianciotto is Director of Public Policy at GMHC.
 
Sean Cahill is Director of Health Policy Research at the Fenway Institute in Boston and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Administration at New York University.

Table of Contents

Section 1 A Comprehensive Review of Social Science Research on LGBT Youth and Their Experiences in School

Introduction 3

"Outed" by His Guidance Counselor and Forced to Read Aloud from the Bible at School: A Profile of Thomas McLaughlin 4

1 Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth: A Critical Population 9

From Isolation to Activism: A Profile of Louie Garay 11

Judge Rules That School Must Allow Transgender Youth to Express Her Gender Identity While Attending School: A Profile of "Pat Doe" 17

2 A Grave Picture of Harassment and Violence in Schools 36

"You're So Gay": A Profile of Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover 41

Gay Student Sues School and Wins $900K Settlement: A Profile of Jamie Nabozny 42

Section 2 A Comprehensive Review of School-Based Practices and Federal, State, and Local Laws and Policies That Affect LGBT Students

3 Federal, State, and Local Policy Interventions 59

School Held Liable for Failing to Protect Students from Harassment: A Profile of Alarm Flores 61

4 School-Based Programs and Practices 83

GSA in Utah Fights for Its Right to Meet at School: A Profile of Kelli Peterson 103

From Group Home to Harvey Milk High: A Profile of Luis A. 105

5 The No Child Left Behind Act and LGBT Students 109

Lesbian Youth Takes Control of Her Life with the Help of the Harvey Milk High School: A Profile of Tenaja Jordan 112

6 Sex Education, Abstinence-Only Programs, and HIV Prevention 133

Lesbian Youth Killed in Newark: A Profile of Sakia Gunn 136

Section 3 A Research Agenda to Guide and Inform Future Policy

7 Political and Methodological Issues Affecting Research/on LGBT Youth 145

Murdered in the Classroom: A Profile of Lawrence King 147

8 The Need for Research on Understudied LGBT Populations 155

A Cry for Help on Deaf Ears: A Profile of Jayron Martin 162

More than Just the Gay Football Team Captain: A Profile of Corey Johnson 169

9 Conclusion and Policy Recommendations: Making It Better for LGBT Students 173

Notes 181

Bibliography 203

Further Reading 227

Case Law Citations 229

Index 231

Editorial Reviews

"The authors do an exceptional job of providing a research-based background to contextualize the book around the need to support victims of homophobia in schools."
—H.M. Miller, Mercy College, Choice - Highly Recommended

Choice - H. M. Miller

"For some of us, the days of high school may seem far removed, but LGBT Youth is truly a must-read for any educator and/or parent."
—Instinct

Instinct

"While topics such as marriage equality, anti-LGBT hate crimes, and adoption by same-sex couples continue to grab news headlines, Jason Cianciotto and Sean Cahill remind readers to remember the youth affected by these human rights struggles in schools across the country. The educational foundation we offer these students today will impact the success of their, and our, tomorrow."
—Gay Calgary Magazine

Gay Calgary - William Carpentiere

American Library Association 2013 Over the Rainbow List of LGBT Books for Adult Readers from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table of the American Library Association

American Library Association

"This book makes a pivotal and substantial contribution to the field that extends beyond the contributions of many other existing resources. ... [W]e recommend this book highly to researchers, school violence professionals, youth workers, educators, and policy makers in hopes that it will serve as a catalyst in our collective efforts to promote the overall health and well-being of LGBT youth."
—Journal of School Violence

Journal of School Violence - Renee M. Johnson and V. Paul Poteat

Winner: American Library Association (ALA) Choice Outstanding Academic Title

ALA Choice Outstanding Academic Title

"Timely, comprehensive, and highly readable, this study warrants inclusion in any library serving school administrators, teachers, and other adults who work with and care for children and teens."
 —-School Library Journal


"For some of us, the days of high school may seem far removed, but LGBT Youth is truly a must-read for any educator and/or parent."
—-Instinct

From the Publisher

Named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title

American Library Association (ALA) Choice Outstanding Academic Title

Named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title

Choice Outstanding Academic Title

American Library Association 2013 Over the Rainbow List of LGBT Books for Adult Readers from the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table of the American Library Association

American Library Association

In this sobering look at the many issues confronting young LGBT students, Cianciotto and Cahill use statistics and real-life anecdotes to show the pervasiveness of gender- and sexual orientation-based harassment in American schools, and argue for institutional reform and policy changes. Recent research shows that relative to studies conducted in the 70s and 80s, the age at which individuals self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender has dropped significantly. This means that more and more young people are coming out (or being outted) while still technically a minor, and thus subject to the rules of their educational institutions, and increasingly the abuse of their peers, teachers, and school administrators. "he majority of states have laws or regulations that prohibit discrimination," but the authors point out that those laws often do not include "specific enumeration of sexual orientation" and gender identification, which classifications would be "critical" in protecting LGBT students. Organized into three sections (research, current policies, and an agenda for looking forward), Cianciotto and Cahill's treatise is an informative and compelling basis for continuing the discussion (especially as regards LGBT students of color) of how best to protect the rights of a vulnerable and largely disenfranchised group. While their approach is accessible enough for the concerned lay reader, policymakers and educational professionals will likely get the most out of this study. (June)

Publishers Weekly