Dive Brief:
- Just under a third (32%) of transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse students missed at least one day of school in the month prior to being surveyed because they felt unsafe at school, according to a new report from LGBTQ+ student advocacy organizations Glisten and The Trevor Project.
- More than half (56%) also said their school had at least one policy or practice that discriminated against LGBTQ+ students. At the same time, nearly all (97%) transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse students surveyed reported having at least one supportive educator at their school.
- Schools that are more inclusive for and welcoming of LBGTQ+ students have been shown to benefit the mental health of this population. “This new research shows us that school environments can play a powerful role in determining whether transgender and nonbinary students thrive or struggle at school," said Derrick Matthews, director of research science at The Trevor Project, in a statement.
Dive Insight:
The report drew on two national survey samples. Trevor Project’s 2025 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People included over 3,700 transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse youth, with a median age of 16 and a majority attending public school.
Data was also collected through Glisten’s 2025 National School Climate Survey, which included 2,800 LGBTQ+ students.
Based on their findings, the groups said over half (61%) of surveyed students experienced at least one negative event at school in the previous year, with verbal harassment related to their LGBTQ+ identity being the most common type of incident (49%)
The next most common negative events cited included: not being allowed to dress in a way that reflected their identity (27%), being disciplined for fighting back against bullies (16%), and being disciplined more harshly by school employees because of their identity (12%).
One in 10 transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse students reported leaving their school because of "being mistreated."
When asked whether their school or district had supportive policies, 20% said yes, while 41% said no. The remaining respondents said they were unsure.
Research has supported the benefits of having LGBTQ+ inclusive practices in schools. Access to LGBTQ+-inclusive schools in small towns and rural areas, for example, was associated with lower suicide risk, according to a 2025 report from Hopelab and Born This Way Foundation.
Providing curricular resources or supportive staff can make LGBTQ+ students feel safe in the classroom and can also lead to higher GPAs and greater likelihood of pursuing postsecondary education.
The Glisten-Trevor Project report also found that increasing students' connection to school and sense of belonging improved their outcomes. When transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse students had more supportive educators, were more connected to other LGBTQ+ students, and were exposed to positive depictions of LGBTQ+ people, issues or topics in at least one class, they had higher estimated GPAs at the time of the survey.
Having more supportive educators was also linked to higher levels of school belonging. Students reported such support included asking about and respecting their pronouns and helping with name changes.
To better support these students, The Trevor Project's Matthews said schools can respond to anti-LGBTQ+ harassment, create Gender and Sexuality Alliances and be sure to include positive depictions of LGBTQ+ people in classrooms.
"These data also provide us with clear and impactful actions that teachers and school officials can take to set transgender and nonbinary students up for success," said Matthews. "Especially at a time when transgender and nonbinary youth face such a hostile sociopolitical environment in the U.S., taking small but meaningful actions to support them at school can make a world of difference for their health, happiness, and academic success.”
However, recent policies sweeping the nation have often gone in the other direction.
For example, some school districts and Republican-led states, as well as the U.S. Department of Education under the Trump administration, have moved to restrict pronoun usage, athletic team participation, or other facets of educational access and inclusion for LGBTQ+ students. In addition, requirements for parental notification of students' LGBTQ+ identities have hampered efforts by some educators and schools to support these students, LGBTQ+ advocates say.
In 2022, a Glisten report found that access to LGTBQ+-related books and resources in schools decreased in 2021 compared to 2019, following the spread of LGBTQ+-related restrictions. That report also showed that the percentage of students who reported having many LGBTQ+ supportive school personnel also dipped in 2022 compared to previous years dating back to 2013.
By the 2024-25 school year, LGBTQ+ students said schools had begun to feel more hostile for them, according to a survey released by Glisten earlier this year. That survey showed that two-thirds of students said they felt unsafe because of their LGBTQ+ identity, and over half of respondents said they faced LGBTQ+ related discrimination.
