Schools and LGBT-Parent Families: Creating Change Through Programming and Advocacy

The increasing presence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) parents in school communities across the nation poses a growing challenge for schools and families and signifies a critical issue for advocates working to create safer and more affirming K-12 school environments. Despite the growing urgency of this issue, little is known about the school-related experiences of LGBT-parent families. This chapter summarizes research findings on the school-related experiences of families with LGBT parents and examines the key challenges faced by these parents, such as the prevalence of anti-LGBT bias and behavior in schools and its impact on parents and students. This chapter also discusses research findings and resources related to strategies that LGBT parents can employ to create a safer school environment, such as selecting what school to send their child to, being involved in the school community, and advocating for a safer school climate. Lastly, this chapter identifies the specific school-based interventions that stakeholders can advocate for to improve school climate for LGBT-parent families, for both the students and the parents.