HRC President Chad Griffin
Only about 26 percent of LGBTQ teens always feel safe in their classrooms, according to a survey released today (Tuesday, May 15) by Human Rights Campaign and the University of Connecticut.
The survey also shows that 77 percent of the teenagers surveyed reported feeling depressed or down over the past week, while more than 70 percent experienced feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness in the past week.
HRC President Chad Griffin called the statistics “harrowing,” and said the survey results show “the devastating toll rejection by family and peers, bullying and harassment, and apathy on the part of too many adults is having on America’s young people.”
Griffin also chastised the Trump administration for rescinding guidance protecting transgender students and lawmakers for passing legislation that “grant[s] a license to discriminate to schools, colleges and universities,” saying that such actions “further erode the fragile landscape for young people across the nation.”
Griffin continued, “Now more than ever, it is crucial for each of us to do all we can to protect LGBTQ youth and ensure they feel valued, equal, and loved.”
There was some good news from the survey, though, Griffin noted: 91 percent of youth report feeling pride in being an LGBTQ person, 93 percent are proud to be a part of the community, and three out of five LGBTQ students say they have access to a LGBTQ student club.
The survey included 12,000 LGBTQ teens nationwide. Read the full report here.
— Tammye Nash
