GLSEN?s findings reveal that violence against LGBT students continues to be the rule, not the exception, in America?s schools. Things appear to be getting slightly better over the years.

• In 2003, 84% of LGBT Students report being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation. In 2005, the number dropped to 75%.
• In 2003, 39.1% of LGBT students reported being physically harassed (shoved, pushed, etc.) because of their sexual orientation. In 2005, the number was 37.8%.

• Worse in 2003, 82.9% reported that faculty or staff did not intervene, or only intervened some of the time when present and homophobic remarks were made. In the 2005 survey, only 16.5% of students reported a teacher intervened when a homophobic remark was made.

  Transgender and LGBT youth of color are even more at risk.

• In 2003, 55% of transgender youth reported physical harassment because of their gender identity or expression and 44.7% of LGBT youth of color report being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation and their race/ethnicity.
• In the 2005 survey, nearly half (44.4%) of LGBT students of color had been verbally harassed in the past year due to their sexual orientation and race or ethnicity. Although the majority had not been physically harassed for either of these characteristics 22.6% of students of color experienced physical harassment due to their sexual orientation alone, and 13.2% due to both their sexual orientation and race/ethnicity.
  Not surprisingly, LGBT students do better in school when there is a supportive faculty member or LGBT resource, such as a Gay/Straight Alliance.
  

• Students in schools with a Gay/Straight Alliance were less likely to feel unsafe, less likely to miss school and more likely to feel like they belonged at their school than students in schools with no such clubs.
• The average GPA for a LGBT student who cannot identity a supportive staff member: 2.8.
• Average GPA for LGBT student who can identity a supportive staff member: 3.1.

Recommendations:

GLSEN makes the following recommendations for schools to improve the climate for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students:

Institute policies that include ?sexual orientation and gender identity? as protected, much in the same way policies protect students based on race, religion and ability.

Provide training for teachers on how to support LGBT students.

Create and support programs such as Gay/Straight Alliances, which increase students? sense of belonging at school.

Complete survey results are available at GLSEN.