Statewide LGBTQ Equality and the School Experiences of Sexual Minority Youth

• In Event: 2169 - School Context

Abstract

Structural stigma, or the cultural norms and institutional policies that shape the experiences of stigmatized groups, is key to understanding disparities by sexual orientation. Structural stigma can work at multiple levels, including within the school, the surrounding community, or the state. While existing research suggests that rates of harassment and victimization for sexual minority students varies by school and community context, less is known about variation in these experiences at the state-level. In this paper, we use representative data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey to compare the school experiences of sexual minority youth to their heterosexual peers across states with varying levels of LGBTQ equality and legal protections. We consider three aspects of state-level policy – the overall level of support for LGBTQ equality, the presence of anti-bullying laws that provide specific protection based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and the presence of laws prohibiting discrimination in education based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Preliminary findings suggest that while on average, sexual minority students are more likely than heterosexual students to report being threatened in school, in a physical fight at school, and bullied at school, these disparities are smaller in states with higher levels of LGBTQ equality, non-discrimination laws, and anti-bullying laws that provide specific protections based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Authors

• Jennifer Pearson, Wichita State University

• Lindsey Wilkinson, Portland State University