LGBTQ Youth: An Educator’s Guide

Students in high school and middle school often struggle to fit in. For students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered (LGBT), or questioning  (LGBTQ), fitting in can be especially difficult, and school is all too often an unwelcoming and unsafe place.  Discrimination, harassment, and even violent bullying are common experiences for LGBT/LGBTQ students.  Schools have a responsibility to ensure the safety of all students, and more and more state legislatures are requiring schools to enact and enforce anti-bullying policies that include explicit protection of LGBT students.

The laminated guide LGBTQ Youth: An Educator’s Guide is a valuable and practical resource for educators, many of whom receive little or no formal training on the issue of LGBTQ youth. Features include:

• “LGBTQ 101”- Statistics, terminology, applicable legislation, and guidelines devised by professional educational organizations, including the National Education Association (NEA), the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
• Detailed recommendations of what schools and individual educators can do to welcome and support LGBTQ youth.
• Information on nationally recognized organizations that offer extensive free resources, including materials targeted at educators/staff, the entire student body, LGBTQ students, and parents.

LGBTQ Youth is written by Vincent Pompei, who was recently named a “Classroom Superhero” by the National Education Association (NEA) for his advocacy on behalf of LGBTQ students. Pompei, a former middle school teacher and school counselor, is a “visible ally” to LGBTQ students. He connects with students and writes this guide from a place of experience and true understanding, as a childhood victim of LGBTQ bullying. Pompei has generously chosen to donate a portion of his proceeds from this guide to The Trevor Project, www.thetrevorproject.org and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), www.glsen.org.