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We're Here, We're Queer, and We're in the Public Record! The LGBTQ Movement and Life as Seen Through Government Information

Education

LGBT youth: in the classroom and on the playground

For children and young adults, school is a place not only for learning and education but also a place for socialization. California Senate Bill 48, the FAIR Education Act, approved in 2011, mandates the inclusion of the contributions of LGBT Americans in the California social sciences curriculum. LGBTQ+ youth are at increased risk of bullying and harassment and are more likely to be victims of violence in the school. The Safe Place to Learn Act (California Education Code 234) ensures that public school students are protected from harassment, violence, intimidation, and bullying. The code specifically prohibits bullying based on characteristics such as gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

LGBT students and the Feds

Federal guidance on the rights of transgender students attending public schools were affirmed in a 2016 “Dear Colleague” letter issued by Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Just nine months later, US Justice Department under Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Department of Education, under Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, officially withdrew those guidelines.