The National School Social Work Practice Model 2.0 calls on school social workers to cultivate a supportive school climate as one of its four core focus areas. In line with the model's professional principle of equity, as state legislators continue to pass explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, the imperative to address gender equity in schools…

Background: High school staff can play a key role in supporting students with LGBTQ+ identities through informal strategies; however, more research is needed to understand how staff are employing these strategies. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews, collecting information on informal strategies used to support students identifying as…

Two types of critical theories have increasingly been used to understand LGBTQ+ individuals and persons with disabilities: Queer and Crip theories. Queer Crip theory can be used to analyze elements (e.g., traits, behaviors, contexts, and skills) of the lives of gifted and talented LGBTQ+ youth who also have disabilities, as those elements have…

The purpose of this study was to describe the post assault support needs of college students who identify as sexual and gender minority after a sexual assault. The study employed participatory action research in the form of a photovoice study wherein participants took photographs to describe their support needs after sexual assault. The study…

The holistic needs of Queer and Trans Latine students have been habitually excluded from prominent discussion in US higher education. This paper positions itself as an urgent addition to the literature on Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) and emerging HSI (eHSI) institutional identity to consider the needs of Queer and Trans Latine students…

Anti-LGBTQ+ school legislation has proliferated across the United States in recent years, with potential consequences for both students and school counselors. Florida's controversial 2022 Parental Rights in Education Act offers one such example. In this descriptive, phenomenological, qualitative study, we examined the experiences of 10 Florida…

The objective of this research was to gather the experiences of six participants from various 2-year and 4-year colleges in the state of Alabama. Participants were solicited using a flyer posted in-house and online to students who are members of the Equality and Advocacy Center (EAC) as well as the Acceptance of Diverse Population Center (ADPC).…

As the historically "traditional" college student body begins to include more marginalized and minoritized populations, institutions of higher education need to be cognizant of making all students feel welcomed, appreciated, and included. Doing so necessitates an understanding of dynamics surrounding gender, power, and privilege.…

Being a transgender* or gender creative (T*GC) child in the United States today means being the subject of a national debate about whether you are entitled to exist, live a full life, or control your body. T*GC students have suffered outside of and within schools, experiencing among the highest rates of academic exclusion, vulnerability to…

In contemporary discourse, sexuality is being presented as something fluid, with research persisting in framing sexuality as negotiable to some extent. This way of examining sexuality is problematic because as one discovers how identity changes, a certain terminology, such as 'trend' or 'phase' becomes prominent giving the illusion Lesbian Gay…

Queer crip enrollment patterns describe the unique ways Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning and disabled college students enter and persist in higher education. Elevating the voices of 10 queer, mad, mentally ill, neurodivergent and/or disabled (QMMIND) college students, this article highlights queer crip enrollment…

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) social work students experience microaggressions on campuses, curricula that are often cissexist and stigmatizing, and a lack of inclusive facilities, like gender-neutral bathrooms. The Transgender Justice Group (TJG) was founded by students at a School of Social Welfare (SSW) to respond to these and other…

Experiences of 17 school counselor educators who integrated LGBTQI+ issues in their school counseling curricula were explored. This consensual qualitative research study resulted in four categories: turning points, professional reasons to integrate, school counseling andragogy, and integration and balance of knowledge/skills/awareness.…

Recent focus on the unique mental health needs of transgender and genderqueer (TGQ) individuals has shown an increased risk for mental health disorders, trauma, exposure, and suicide. Initial research highlights that TGQ college students have higher rates of psychological distress, trauma, and suicidal behaviors compared to cisgender peers, though…

On March 28, 2022, Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 1557 "The Parental Rights in Education" bill into law, taking effect July 1, 2022. As written, the bill: (a) prohibits discussion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer/questioning, and all other terms and concepts related to sexuality and gender (LGBTQ+)…