I’m wearing my best purple flannel and hoodie today in honor of Spirit Day, GLAAD’s annual event to speak out against anti-LGBTQ bullying and stand with LGBTQ youth. Bullying can come from peers, teachers, coaches, or even, awfully, parents—but the virulent anti-LGBTQ legislation, book bans, and curriculum restrictions around the country are also a form of bullying. That means this Spirit Day is more important than ever.
Let’s recap a few findings from the brand-new National School Climate Survey, just out this week from GLSEN. In the survey’s study of a representative sample of 22,298 students between the ages of 13 and 21 across the country:
- 82 percent reported feeling unsafe in school because of at least one of their actual or perceived personal characteristics. For 68 percent of them, these were SOGIE (sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression) characteristics, though many were also harassed because of their race/ethnicity, religion, or disability.
- 76 percent of those in in-person or hybrid learning environments experienced in-person verbal harassment based on their SOGIE characteristics; 31 percent were physically harassed (e.g., pushed or shoved), and 13 percent were physically assaulted (e.g., punched, kicked, injured with a weapon).
- About a third of those who attended school online for all or part of the year experienced verbal harassment based on their SOGIE characteristics.
Among those who were harassed or assaulted in school, 62 percent did not report the incident to school staff, most commonly because they did not think school staff would do anything about the harassment even if they did report it.
Meanwhile, LGBTQ-inclusive books and others with marginalized characters continue to be among the most frequently banned or challenged. Anti-LGBTQ legislation continues to be introduced—most notably this week, a federal bill introduced by Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), with more than 30 Republican co-sponsors, that would cut federal funding from schools, libraries, and other entities for “hosting or promoting any program, event, or literature involving sexually-oriented material,” defined as (my bold): “any depiction, description, or simulation of sexual activity, any lewd or lascivious depiction or description of human genitals, or any topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related subjects.” Parents could sue under the law if their children under 10 years old were “exposed” to such materials.
Yes, there is certainly sexually explicit material out there that is inappropriate for kids. But the bill as phrased would also cut off, among other things, important, age-appropriate information on health, wellness, and their own bodies; on their own gender identity and expression or that of family and friends; and about their own families or those of their classmates. It would mean that every one of the hundreds of kids’ books in my database could be banned from schools and libraries. It could mean that teachers with same-sex partners/spouses couldn’t mention or display photos of their families, or that trans ones couldn’t transition (which might mean explaining to kids why their name and appearance were changing)—if LGBTQ people were even hired in the first place. It would, in effect, tell millions of children that they (and/or their families and friends) aren’t appropriate to even be discussed and deserve no representation. That’s bullying of the first order.
As parents, it is up to us to support our own children if we see them bullied, to raise children so that they don’t bully others, and to speak out (and vote!) against both specific acts of bullying and environments that nurture bullying attitudes. May we support each other and all our children in this endeavor, today and every day.
If you haven’t yet made plans to get to the polls on November 8 (or submit a ballot by mail, if possible where you live), do so now.
For some anti-bullying resources and ways of creating more inclusive and welcoming school climates, see my latest LGBTQ Back-to-School Resources List.