The advocacy organization Glisten has published a report examining life inside K-12 schools for LGBTQ+ students at a moment when identities are increasingly part of political debates. For the first time in its research, Glisten convened focus groups so young people could describe their experiences in their own language, revealing how policy decisions and school culture collide with daily life. The study frames the current moment as one in which some systems are actively restricting student expression while youth respond by forging their own networks of care.
Researchers emphasize that these young people are not one-dimensional; they are complex individuals balancing schoolwork, friendships, safety concerns, and hopes for the future. The report places that complexity at the center, using direct experiences to push back against simplified narratives that cast students only as victims or activists. Glisten’s leadership argues that this grounded evidence challenges powerful forces shaping public policy and helps illuminate practical steps schools can take to improve outcomes for young people.
What students described in their own words
Across the focus groups, students described how peers often become the first line of protection when institutional supports are weakened. With some schools eliminating GSAs and others enforcing restrictive restroom rules, many students said they create informal communities to watch out for each other. One student described the relief of finding a small circle of classmates who understood them and stepped in to interrupt bullying. The report documents how peer networks provide emotional support, share information about resources, and sometimes substitute for missing or hostile adult allies inside the building.
At the same time, young people notice when adults fail to act or make situations worse. Participants recounted teachers who laughed off racist or homophobic remarks rather than intervening, and school staff who avoided taking a stand because of political pressure. Some students reported that there were no openly LGBTQ+ teachers at their schools, which compounded feelings of isolation. Others described administrative responses that prioritized compliance with dress codes or policies over students’ dignity, leaving some learners excluded from graduation ceremonies or everyday spaces.
How adults and policies change outcomes
Supportive adults and inclusive policies
The survey component of the report links concrete supports to measurable differences in wellbeing. Roughly 70% of respondents said they could rely on six or more adults at school for help, whether those adults displayed safe space signals, advised student groups, or integrated LGBTQ+-inclusive content into lessons. Students who had access to supportive educators, explicit anti-bullying policies that name sexual orientation and gender identity, and the presence of GSAs reported a stronger sense of belonging and higher academic performance. These protective factors were associated with reductions in absenteeism driven by safety fears and with lower rates of harassment or assault.
Safety, discrimination, and the role of politics
The research also documents worrying trends: two in three students said they felt unsafe at school at times because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, and only about one in three said they frequently looked forward to attending school. More than half of respondents—53%—reported experiencing LGBTQ+-related discrimination during the 2026-2026 school year, and many reported being denied access to facilities consistent with their gender. While 58% said they felt somewhat or very safe overall, 67% of LGBTQ+ respondents and 71% of trans and gender-expansive students reported feeling unsafe at some point. Focus groups highlighted specific gaps: transfemme students pointed to unclear rules, intersex students described harmful sex-ed representation, and many Black LGBTQ+ participants felt disconnected from student groups intended to serve them.
Conclusions and implications for practice
Glisten’s report aims to present a nuanced picture of school life for LGBTQ+ students, balancing accounts of resilience with documentation of systemic harm. The authors emphasize that safety involves proactive affirmation, not merely the absence of mistreatment: students thrive when adults take explicit, consistent steps to affirm their identities. The study calls for educators and policymakers to pair supportive language with enforceable policies—explicit anti-bullying language, comprehensive inclusive curricula, and visible adult allies—to translate goodwill into better academic and emotional outcomes.
Ultimately, the research asks schools to recognize the full humanity of young people navigating these pressures and to adopt practices that reflect their strengths and aspirations. By centering student testimony and linking it to measurable school policies and outcomes, the report offers a roadmap for educators who want to move beyond rhetoric and toward environments where every learner can feel seen, heard, and supported.