Examining the Recent Rise of State Legislation Restricting Rights of LGBTQ+ Students

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session Eighteen
  In Roundtable Session: Law and Society: Evaluating the Impact of Education Law (Table 10)

Abstract

Beginning in 2021, there has been a wave of increased anti-transgender legislation across the country and this wave is having a particularly negative impact on transgender youth in the nation’s public K-12 schools. When students are told they are explicitly protected by their state and schools’ anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies, their academic achievement often improves as well as their risk for negative outcomes, including suicide or dropping out significantly decreases. Despite this research, over half of the state legislatures are advancing policies to deny lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning students (LGBTQ+) a variety of protections, including access to the school curricula as well as many activities that affirm their identities and promote their ability to succeed in school.

Authors

• Kevin P. Brady, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
  Presenting Author

• Klaudia Fay Neufeld, University of Denver
  Presenting Author