Toolbox to Promote Healthy LGBT Youth

This toolbox is a collection of resources and documents to supplement the Respect Workshop: Preventing Health Risks and Promoting Healthy Outcomes among LGBTQ Youth. The Respect Workshop is a professional development curriculum for pre-service and in-service education for middle and high school counselors, school nurses, school psychologists, school social workers, and other specialized instructional support professionals.

Resources for foundational information

Terminology

• Answers to your questions about transgender people, gender identity and gender expression.
  Research-based answers too many frequently asked questions about gender identity and expression as well as working with individuals who are transgender. By The American Psychological Association.
• Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality
  Answers to your questions for a better understanding of sexual orientation and homosexuality. Research-based answers to many frequently asked questions about sexual orientation. By The American Psychological Association.
• Top Health Issues for LGBT Populationsopens in new window
  Helpful terms for prevention specialists and healthcare providers. Definitions for terms related to sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. By the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA).

Research on health disparities among LGBTQ youth populations

• HIV among African American gay and bisexual menopens in new window. Data on HIV prevalence among African American gay and bisexual men as well as prevention strategies for these populations. By the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
• HIV among transgender peopleopens in new window. Includes information about HIV prevalence and prevention strategies for transgender populations. By the CDC.
• National School Climate Survey 2013opens in new window. Report on experiences at school among LGBT youth using a large, national convenience sample. By the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
• Sexual identity, sex of sexual contacts and health-risk behaviors among students in grades 9–12 — Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, selected sites, United States, 2001–2009opens in new window. Full report on health risk behaviors among Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance respondents by sexual orientation and sexual behavior. By the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), June 6, 2011.
• Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) and HIV fact sheetopens in new window. Facts about HIV prevalence and prevention among YMSM populations. Includes information on school-based strategies for prevention. By the CDC.

Information on stigma toward LGBT populations

• Clark, T. (2013). “What’s your BiQopens in new window?” American Journal of Sexuality Education, 8(3), 172-184. doi:10.1080/15546128.2013.828341. Scholarly article describing a training for working with bisexual populations.
• Grant, J. M., Mottet, L.A., Tanis, J., Harrison, J., Herman, J.L. and Keisling, M. (2011) Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey. Washington: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
• Jacobs, L. Bi / pan / fluid 101: Transcending boundaries: Introduction to bisexuality, pansexuality and related identities. Brochure with information about bisexual and pansexual individuals, including examples of stigma experienced by members of this community.
• Nadal, K. (2014). Stop Saying “That’s So Gay!”: 6 Types of Microaggressions That Harm LGBTQ Peopleopens in new window. From the Psychology Benefits Society Blogopens in new window.

Policy statements for specialized instructional support services professions

Each of the following professional membership associations has codes of ethics, position papers, policy statements or other resources on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in schools.

• Resolution on gender and sexual orientation diversity in children and adolescents in schools. By the American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).
• Resources for counselors about LGBTQ issuesopens in new window. By The American Counseling Association.
• Safe schools for transgender and gender diverse studentsopens in new window. By The NASP. 
• Sexual orientation and gender identity/expression (sexual minority students): School nurse practiceopens in new window. By The National Association of School Nurses. 

Resources for school-wide protective policies

Resources for providing LGBTQ-sensitive health education

• Being out, staying safeopens in new window. STD prevention curriculum specifically designed for LGBQ adolescents. By the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.
• LGBTQ resources for professionalsopens in new window. Provides a variety resources for providing LGBTQ-sensitive sexual health education, including a toolkit, lesson plans and other tools. By Advocates for Youth. 
• Sex education resource centeropens in new window. Website with many resources for providing sexual health education, including lesson plans, curricula, programs and national standards. By Advocates for Youth. 

Facilitate access to sexually-transmitted infection, HIV and reproductive health services

• Developing a referral system for sexual health services: An implementation tool kitopens in new window. Comprehensive guide to initiation and implementing a referral system within a school. By the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD) & Cicatelli Associates Inc. (CAI).
• Establishing organizational partnerships to increase student access to sexual health services: A resource guide for education agenciesopens in new window. Guide to developing and strengthening partnerships with organizations providing sexual health services. By the NCSD and CAI.
• Get tested: National HIV and STD testing directoryopens in new window. Directory of locations that provide free and confidential HIV and STD testing. Also includes information about how often to get tested and testing services recommended for LGBTQ populations. By the CDC.

Assist families to be supportive

• A practitioner's resource guide: Helping families to support their LGBT childrenopens in new window . Summarizes research on family acceptance and LGBTQ youth and provides strategies for working with families. By Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014).
• Family Acceptance Projectopens in new window. Project that conducts research on the effect of family support and rejection on LGBTQ youth and develops resources to promote family acceptance Website includes educational materials for families of LGBTQ children. By the Family Acceptance Project.
• Parents' influence on the health of lesbian, gay and bisexual teens: What parents and families should knowopens in new window. Information about family acceptance and LGBTQ youth as well as tips and strategies for parents to be supportive. By the CDC. 
• Parents, Families, Friends and Allies United with LGBTQ People to Move Equality Forwardopens in new window. National organization with member chapters throughout the United States that provide support for parents, friends and family members of LGBTQ individuals. Website includes resources for parents and other allies. By the Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.
• Trans Youth Family Alliesopens in new window. Provides resources for parents, families, youth, educators and, health care professionals to support transgender and gender variant youth.

Facilitate access to supportive LGBTQ peers

• Education/resources for youth: Local resourcesopens in new window. National directory of organizations and programs that provide support to LGBTQ youth. By The Trevor Project.
• Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA Network)opens in new window. National organization that provides resources for Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) to advocate for more supportive school environments and organizes a national association of local (state and regional) GSA networks throughout the country. Website includes resources for students involved in GSAs and GSA advisors.

Maintain an LGBTQ-inclusive school climate

• Best Practices: Creating An LGBT-Inclusive School Climateopens in new window
  Recommendations for creating an affirming environment and addressing related problems in schools. By Teaching Tolerance.
• Guidance for Massachusetts Public Schools: Creating a safe and supportive school environmentopens in new window. Guidelines for supporting transgender and gender non-conforming students in schools. By the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
• StopBullying.govopens in new window. A federal website that provides information about bullying prevention and intervention with resources from multiple government agencies. By the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
• Transgender and gender-nonconforming policy guidanceopens in new window. Comprehensive policy guidance for supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming students in school. Includes models and exemplars for support documents (e.g. a plan for supporting student who is transitioning). By the District of Columbia Public Schools.

Action planning and implementation

• Educator resourcesopens in new window. Guides and resources for educators to implement LGBTQ-affirming programs and events in their schools and include LGBTQ content in their curricula. By the GLSEN.
• GLSEN's Safe Space Kit: Be an ALLY to LGBT Youth!opens in new window. Guide that provides resources for assessing school climate and increasing support for LGBTQ youth in schools. By the GLSEN.
• LGBTQ support services: Take actionopens in new window. Provides guides and resources for implementing a variety of events and activities to support LGBTQ students. By the San Francisco Unified School District.
• The National Out for Safe Schools Campaignopens in new window. Campaign for school districts to create OUT for Safe Schools badges that school site personnel opt in to wear as a way of declaring that they are safe space ambassadors and allies to all LGBTQ students.