School is considered a safe place for students, but it may not be for some simply because of the pronouns they choose to use or what gender(s) they feel attracted to. Students who identify as LGBT risk experiencing physical and psychological bullying. Although schools have improved over the past fifteen years, progress is uneven. In some schools that take measures to protect LGBTQ+ students, the rules aren't always enforced. And in some schools, these rules are non-existent. Without putting rules in place, it may affect students learning. In 2018, Roddy Biggs, an openly Gay student, was pinned to a locker as a student beat him up, giving him a black eye. One of the worst parts of this assault is that a lot of teachers simply walked by. How can a student feel safe coming to school if they don’t even know if the teachers are on their side? Although not all attacks are violent, they still happen. At one school, students put up hand drawn posters advertising the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) club. Not three days later, all the posters had been torn down by students. In a lot of schools, teachers are forbidden to teach LBGT+ history, because people believe that is is “Not appropriate” for school. But a student who identifies as LGBT+ learning about their history might make them feel so much more comfortable in school.

https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/12/08/walking-through-hailstorm/discrimination-against-lgbt-youth-us-schools

-Evangeline Hendrix, Writer for HDN