Canada's First National Study of LGBT Youth

by Rhonda J Mangus | May 12, 2008 at 11:50 pm

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"We may have human rights for LGBTQ people in Canada, but you'd never know it based on these results," said Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale.

Egale, Canada's national Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights organization undertook Canada's first national study of LGBT students.

The study reveals that more than two-thirds of LGBT students feel unsafe in their schools due to physical threats because of their sexuality and verbal harassment. Harassment is also said to be affecting learning; students are more likely to skip classes due to safety concerns.

Egale points out that its survey results are similar to those found in a 2005 National School Climate Survey released by prominent United States gay rights organization, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) that also revealed harassment and bullying of GLBTQ Youth in the United States is a national problem. The 2005 National School Climate Survey can be reviewed here: http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/all/library/record/1927.html

Amy - You are right, the statistics are shocking (on either side of the border).

In the US, a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report Hatred in the Hallways Violence and Discrimination Against Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Trans-gender Students in US Schools indicates that there are more than 2 million GLBTQ youth living in the US. The report also indicates that many of these youth are subject to unbelievable physical and verbal [mental] violence due [for the most part] according to HRW "...the failure of federal, state, and local governments to enact laws providing students with express protection from discrimination and violence based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, effectively allowing school officials to ignore violations of these student's rights."

In addition to mal-administrative and negligent responses by "school officials"
(who are also well-protected by numerous
NY state agencies) to the violence against these youth, New York State is one state example in the US that is failing to protect its gender different and trans-gender youth (even though sexual orientation is protected). The New York State Senate has so far refused to pass the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), referred to in a previous NP story, which would also provide specific legislation to protect our gender expression variant and trans-gender youth from physical and verbal [mental] violence in school.

A safe environment in which to learn is not exclusively reserved for hetero-sexual students. GLBTQ youth are also entitled to this legal right. In fact, ALL children must be provided a safe environment in which to learn.

Thanks for the FLAG, Amy! The HRW report Hatred in The Hallways can be viewed here:

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/uslgbt/toc.htm

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