Year One Evaluation of the New York City Department of Education Respect for All Training Program

The GLSEN Research Department conducted an evaluation of the New York City Department of Education's (NYC DOE) Respect for All training program for secondary school educators. The two-day training program, which was one component of the NYC DOE's Respect for All initiative, was implemented so that every secondary school in the district had at least one staff member who could support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) students and combat all forms of bias-based bullying and harassment, particularly bias based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.In order to evaluate Year One of the training program, GLSEN surveyed 813 educators who participated in the training at three times -- before the training, six weeks after, and six months after. Training participants were also compared to educators who had not yet completed the training. Focus groups were conducted in order to gain a greater, in-depth understanding of participants' experiences in the training. Key findings are listed below.Compared to before the training, after the training educators demonstrated increased:Knowledge of appropriate terms;Access to LGBTQ-related resources;Awareness of how their own practices might have been harmful to LGBTQ students;Empathy for LGBTQ students;Belief in the importance of intervening in anti-LGBTQ remarks;Communication with students and staff about LGBTQ issues;Engagement in activities to create safer schools for LGBTQ students (i.e., supporting Gay-Straight Alliances, including LGBTQ content in curriculum); andFrequency of intervention in anti-LGBTQ name-calling, bullying, and harassment.In addition, compared to educators who had not yet participated in the training, those who had participated in the training indicated higher levels of:Communication with students and staff about LGBTQ issues; andEngagement in activities to create safer schools for LGBTQ students.Findings from the Year One evaluation demonstrate that this training program is an effective means for developing the competency of educators to address bias-based bullying and harassment, and to create safer school environments for LGBTQ students. The findings suggest that providing such training to all school staff, including administrators, would result in an even stronger effect on the school environment. Furthermore, ensuring sufficient opportunities for developing educators' skills in intervening in anti-LGBTQ behaviors could enhance the effectiveness of trainings. To maintain the benefits of training, staff should receive continued and advanced professional development opportunities related to supporting LGBTQ students and combating bias-based bullying and harassment

More Color More Pride: Addressing Structural Barriers to Interracial LGBTQ Loving

Through an examination of State-supported racial structures, this Essay illustrates that even after the legalization of interracial and same-sex marriages, the State’s control over housing, education, and employment prospects impedes the formation of interracial LGBTQ relationships. This Essay suggests that reducing residential segregation can be a first step in dismantling structural barriers to interracial LGBTQ loving, as truly integrated housing would increase cross-racial contact, lead to better educational and employment outcomes, and give LGBTQ people of color a chance to improve their social capital. This, together with altering how issues of race are framed within the LGBTQ community, will help dispel negative racial stereotypes and facilitate the formation of interracial LGBTQ relationships

Policy Essay: Fostering the acceptance and inclusion of LGBTQ youth in the child welfare system: Considerations for advancing trauma informed responses for LGBTQ youth in care

LGBTQ youth are vulnerable to nearly all forms of childhood maltreatment and trauma and are disproportionately overrepresented in the child welfare system. Many LGBTQ youth in the child welfare system encounter a number of obstacles related to discrimination, rejection, placement instability, and further maltreatment. Despite recent insights and advances in the field of trauma informed care the trauma experiences of LGBTQ youth have largely gone unaddressed in major works and frameworks related to trauma informed care. The following article explores the unique trauma and maltreatment experiences of LGBTQ youth and provides considerations for enhancing and improving practice with LGBTQ youth through the implementation of recent insights in the field of trauma informed care

2013 Tracking Report: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations

The 2013 Tracking Report (2014) explores the scope and character of foundation funding for LGBTQ issues in the calendar year 2013. The report analyzes 4,146 grants from 331 foundations, making it the most comprehensiveness assessment of LGBTQ funding available. In 2013, funding for LGBTQ issues reached a record high of $129.1 million

LGBTQ Youth Harmed by Homelessness

Severe family conflict, abuse, neglect, and abandonment all contribute to the social crisis of family displacement and homelessness for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth in America. A growing body of research points to the conclusion that each year, hundreds of thousands lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth will experience homelessness. LGBTQ youth are not only over-represented in homeless youth populations, but studies indicate that this population experiences greater physical and sexual exploitation while homeless than their heterosexual peers. Unfortunately, most American communities lack an adequate capacity of programs and resources to offer support to prevent and end homelessness for LGBTQ homeless youth. Once homeless, LGBTQ youth experience instability, abuse, and exploitation during a critical human development stage. Without residential stability, nurturance, and opportunities for positive youth development, LGBTQ homeless youth are set up for further challenges as adults

Moving from Inaction to Action: Challenging Homo- and Transphobia in Middle School English Language Arts

What happens when teachers have opportunities to engage in LGBTQ-affirming practices but choose not to? In the following paper, the authors present a vignette from a middle school context and consider ways to challenge silences to support LGBTQ students in middle school English classrooms. The authors provide discussion and resources to help teachers engage in LGBTQ affirming practices with middle school students

2014 Tracking Report: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Grantmaking by U.S. Foundations

The 2014 Tracking Report (2016) explores the scope and character of foundation funding for LGBTQ issues in the calendar year 2014. The report analyzes 4,552 grants from 313 foundations, making it the most comprehensiveness assessment of LGBTQ funding available.In 2013, funding for LGBTQ issues reached a record high of $153.2 million. In particular, there were significant increases in HIV/AIDS funding, support for the U.S. South, and grantmaking benefiting trans communities.However, there are an unfortunate number of sobering statistics behind the promising headlines. Despite our most sophisticated survey of philanthropic entities to date, the report finds that not since 2009 have so few funders supported LGBTQ issues.For the first time, the 2014 Tracking Report features an in-depth analysis of funding by 100 of the largest foundations in the United States. The report finds that more than 6 in 10 made no LGBTQ-specific grants in 2014

Modeling Possibilities: Q&A with RWU’s Coordinator for LGBTQ Programs Gabriella Porcaro

RWU’s first-ever coordinator for LGBTQ programs discusses her role and vision for LGBTQ life on campus

Towards a More Responsive Philanthropy: Grantmaking for Racial Equity and LGBTQ Justice

In 2007, Funders for LGBTQ Issues (Funders) launched its LGBTQ Racial Equity Campaign, a multi-year initiative to increase grantmaking to and strengthen lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people of color (POC) organizations and communities. This effort was a natural next step for us after updating our mission the previous year to include advancing racial, economic, and gender justice as integral to achieving LGBTQ equality and rights. Our intent was to forge a conversation among funders about the critical intersection of racial equity and LGBTQ justice and how institutional structures and grantmaking practices impact the resources available to diverse communities.This report marks another step in our continuing effort to advance work at the intersection of racial equity and LGBTQ justice by offering the stories of five foundations that have made an intentional commitment to do this work with their grantees. We present their innovative efforts hoping that they'll encourage others who are engaging in or considering similar efforts. This work is not always easy. It requires time, diligence, dialogue, and resources. Yet, as these stories reveal, it can yield tremendous impact -- on organizations, individuals, and the various communities of which they are a part

The Success of Gay–Straight Alliances in Waterloo Region, Ontario: A Confluence of Political and Social Factors

This article outlines how gay–straight alliances (GSAs) work to connect youth with community resources, and outlines the political and social context of GSAs in Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada. Fifteen individuals (youth, teachers, and a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer [LGBTQ] youth service provider) participated in interviews about the role of GSAs in creating supportive school environments for LGBTQ youth and their allies. Analyses of the interview data found that, apart from providing direct support to LGBTQ students, GSAs in Waterloo Region decrease isolation by connecting youth with other LGBTQ community members, events, and resources. This article discusses how the confluence of government and school board policy and community agency support facilitates the implementation, maintenance, and success of GSAs