1. LGBTQ Youth Mental Health
Liz Cannon, Ph.D.
Amney Harper, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

2. Introduction Who is in the room? Why is this topic important?
How do you support youth in today’s climate?
Liz and Amney

3. Sex, Gender, and Sexuality
Assigned Sex
Gender
Gender Role
Gender Identity
Sexual/
Affectional Orientation
Sexuality
Male
Masculine
Man
Cisgender
Heterosexual
Allosexual
Female
Feminine
Woman
Transgender
Lesbian/Gay
Asexual
Intersex
Androgynous
Third Gender/
Androgyne
Non-binary/
Genderqueer
Bisexual/
Pansexual/ Polysexual
Demisexual/
Gray(a)sexual
Amney
LGBTTTQQIAAPP+

4. Pronouns: preferred vs. mandatory
Most common pronouns used by trans and genderqueer people are He, him, his; she, hers, hers; they, them; theirs (singular); ze, hir, hirs; ze, zir, zirs, and xe, xem, xyr, xyrs
Best practice: Use what the person tells you not what you think their pronouns should be.
Liz

5. Coming out Not a one-time event
Up to the person (can put student in danger by disclosing)
Honor name, pronouns, and label
Heterosexist and Cissexist- assumptions
Being a safe person to come out to
Intersecting Identities and Differences in Support Network can shift the experience
Potential Barriers
Grief and Loss with family, peer support, membership in dominant culture
Isolation, membership in minority, and experiences of invisibility
Liz

6. Development Models for Development
Understanding of self
Coming out
Environment (stressors and support)
Community identity and/or integration
Developmental tasks of identity formation often supersede other developmental tasks
Development can be stalled or delayed when identity development pieces take the forefront
LGBTQ people have the capacity for resilience and developing fully functioning, mentally healthy lives
Amney

7. Experiences of Oppression
Homophobia/Homoprejudice
Biphobia/Biprejudice
Transphobia/Transprejudice
Acephobia/Aceprejudice
Heterosexism/Cissexism
Minority Stress Model (Meyer, 2003)
Microaggressions and Macroaggressions
Everyday Oppression
Impact on Mental Health
Specific populations that are more impacted: bi/pan/poly, trans/nonbinary, intersecting oppressions (e.g. QPOC)
Amney

8. The 2013 National School Climate Survey:
The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in our nation’s schools. GLSEN

9. Percentage of LGBTQ Students Who Experienced Harassment/Assault at School
Liz

10. Presence of Gay-Straight Alliances and Feelings of Safety and Missing School
Liz

11. Discrimination at School
55.5% of LGBT students reported personally experiencing any LGBT related discriminatory policies or practices at school (see below), and almost two thirds (65.2%) said other students had experienced these policies and practices at school.
28.2% of students reported being disciplined for public displays of affection that were not disciplined among non-LGBT students.
18.1% of students were prevented from attending a dance or function with someone of the same gender.
17.8% of students were restricted from forming or promoting a GSA.
17.5% of students were prohibited from discussing or writing about LGBT topics in school assignments.
Amney

12. Discrimination at School Continued
15.5% of students were prevented from wearing clothing or items supporting LGBT issues 9.2% of students reported being disciplined for simply identifying as LGBT.
42.2% of transgender students had been prevented from using their preferred name (10.8% of LGBT students overall);
59.2% of transgender students had been required to use a bathroom or locker room of their legal sex (18.7% of students overall); and
31.6% of transgender students had been prevented from wearing clothes considered inappropriate based on their legal sex (19.2% of students overall).
Amney

13. Effects of Victimization and Discrimination
More likely to miss school
Lower GPA
Less likely to pursue post-secondary education
Higher levels of depression
Lower self-esteem
Liz

14. Suicidality Risk
LGB youth who are homeless and runaway, living in foster care, and/or involved in the juvenile justice system are at a higher risk for suicidal behavior than their LGB peers. [1]
LGB youth are 4 times more likely, and questioning youth are 3 times more likely, to attempt suicide as their heterosexual peers. [2]
Suicidal ideation is present in nearly half of young transgender people, and one quarter report having made a suicide attempt. [2]
LGB youth who come from highly rejecting families are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide as LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection. [2]
Each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average. [2]
Amney

15. Suicidality Risk Continued
The risk of attempting suicide for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth was 20% greater in social environments unsupportive of LGBTQ persons compared to LGBTQ supportive environments. [3]
More than 50% of Transgender youth will have had at least one suicide attempt by their 20th birthday. [4]
More than 30% of LGBTQ youth report at least one suicide attempt within the last year. [4]
Amney

16. Risk Factors: College
Campus Pride Report on LGBT Youth Bullying, Harassment, Suicide (2010):
One quarter (23%) of LGBQ staff, faculty, and students reported experiencing harassment (defined as any conduct that has interfered with your ability to work or learn). Almost all identified sexual identity as the basis of the harassment (83%).
An even greater percentage of transgender students, faculty, & staff reported experiencing harassment (39%) with 87% identifying their gender identity/expression as the basis for the harassment. The form of the harassment experiences by transgender people was more overt and blatant.
One-third of LGBQ (33%) and transgender (38%) students, faculty, and staff have seriously considered leaving their institution due to the challenging climate.
More than half of all faculty, students, & staff hide their sexual identity (43%) or gender identity (63%) to avoid intimidation.
More than a third of all transgender students, faculty, & staff(43%) and13% of LGBQ respondents feared for their physical safety. This finding was more salient for LGBQ students and for LGBQ and/or Transgender People of Color.
Liz

17. So what can I do?
Educate yourself about the LGBTQ community and appropriate language
Create a (classroom) climate where all identities are valued and respected
Address anti-LGBTQ remarks, expressions, or incidents as soon as they happen
Infuse LGBTQ curriculum into (classroom) materials and programming
Create an environment where all are engaged in discussions of their multiple identities and where LGBTQ people do not have to choose one identity over another
Use inclusive language like parent/caregiver(s) vs. mom and dad, partner or spouse vs. husband/wife, you all or folks instead of ladies and gentlemen, etc.
Honor the labels LGBTQ people use
Support GSA formation and LGBTQ activities
Advocate for LGBTQ inclusive policies in your school or institution
Be a safe person
Liz

18. Wrap-up
Questions/Comments?
What are you encountering in your setting?

19. Reference
Kosciw, J. G., Greytak, E. A., Palmer, N. A., & Boesen, M. J. (2014). The National School Climate Survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in our nation’s schools. New York: GLSEN
[1] SPRC. (2008). Suicide Risk and Prevention for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth. Retrieved from
[2] The Trevor Project. (2015). Facts about suicide. Retrieved from
 [3] Higa, D., Hoppe, M. J., Lindhorst, T., Mincer, S., Beadnell, B., Morrison, D. M., & Wells, E. A. (2012). Negative and positive factors associated with the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Youth & Society, 46(5), 665.
  [4] Youth Suicide Prevention Program . (2011). Statistics about youth suicide. Retrieved from

20. Reference Meyer (2003) Minority Stress Model
Britain’s Open University (2012). Retrieved online from examines-unique-challenges-for-bisexual-community/
Campus Pride Index Report (2010). =article&id=948:campus-pride-demands-national-action-to- address-lgbt-youth-bullying-harassment-a-suicide&catid=1:latest- news&Itemid=50