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Emily Schipano
Mrs. DeBock
English 4
3 March 2016
Why Schools Should Support LGBT Teens
LGBT teens are teenagers who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. High
school is hard enough; with being LGBT on top of that makes them often a target for bullying
and harassment. Schools should implement programs that help LGBT students feel welcomed
and safer on campus.
For the majority of the time, LGBT students are outcasted. They do not have much
representation in the media unless the news is reporting that yet another gay high school student
has taken their own life due to the constant harassment and lack of support that they have
suffered through. Nearly four in 10 LGBT students have been physically harassed and one in 10
were physically assaulted. (LGBT Students Report Hostile School Environment in National
Survey 3). Eliza Byard talks about the need for all members of a school community to feel the
right to stand up to people who undermine the efforts of making LGBT teens feel safe and like
they have a right to be a part of the school. Outreach manager, Tim Michael says, transgender
youths are more likely than others identifying as LGBT to experience physical harassment,
(LGBT Students Report Hostile School Environment in National Survey; Education 11)
Hosting events and having support groups has helped many communities to come
together in support for the local LGBT students. Crescenta Valley High School High School
hosted an Ally Week which included a Chain of Kindness in 2015. According to the article,
many students supported the event, saying, Its important because a lot of people dont get

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support at home, so they could come here and get support here (Corrigan 12). Schools need
support groups available to LGBT students because of this exact reason. This is just one example
of a support event that has helped high school students feel included and celebrated for who they
are.
Support groups do not just help the teens; they also help the parents with giving their
child help and feeling good about their childs safety. The article quotes an Olympia mother
stating, it wasnt that he was gay, it was that I was afraid for him, (Olympia Mom Starts
LGBT Support Group for Military Families 4). Many parents fear for their children when they
come out as LGBT because of all of the harassment that happens to most LGBT teens. Pat
Schneider says, ...a national survey reports a majority of LGBT students are victims of
harassment, (LGBT Students Report Hostile School Environment in National Survey;
Education 1).
Schools should implement programs that help LGBT students feel welcomed and safer on
campus. Although some support groups are scattered across the country, a vast amount of areas
have no support groups within an hours drive. LGBT teens do not get enough support in their
communities.

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Works Cited
Corrigan, Kelly. "Crescenta Valley High Students host 'Chain of Kindness' as Part of Effort to
Support LGBT Youth." Glendale news-Press (CA) 05 Nov. 2015: Points of View
Reference Center. Web. 10 Feb. 2016.
"LGBT Students Report Hostile School Environment in National Survey; Education." Capital
Times (WI) 19 Nov. 2014: 14. Points of View Reference Center. Web. 9 Feb. 2016.
"Olympia Mom Starts LGBT Support Group for Military Families." Olympian, The (Olympia,
WA) 07 Jan. 2016: Points of View Reference Center. Web. 14 Mar. 2016.