Glisten report details hostile climate for LGBTQ studentshttps://www.washingtonblade.com/2026/04/01/glisten-report-details-hostile-climate-for-lgbtq-students/ 🔗Joe Reberkenny (1 April 2026)
The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (now referred to as Glisten rather than GLSEN following a February rebrand) released its 13th National School Climate Survey on Tuesday, offering an often under-evaluated and under-addressed look at the realities LGBTQ students are dealing with within America's K-12 schools.
The most alarming piece of data shows that "two in three students" reported feeling unsafe in school during the 2023–2024 school year due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
An additional data point showing LGBTQ students' heightened sense of insecurity is reinforced by the widespread and constant harassment students face for their sexuality or gender identity.
The survey found that 62 percent of students experienced verbal, physical, or online harassment based on sexual orientation, while 68 percent reported the same due to their gender identity or expression.
Fifty-three percent — slightly more than half of all respondents — said they faced LGBTQ-related discrimination, including being barred from using facilities aligned with their gender identity in schools.
The survey also highlights disparities within the community — particularly within the 2023–2024 data, which emphasizes the unique struggles faced by transgender and non-white students. Trans students reported that 86 percent of them avoided certain school spaces out of fear for their safety. Non-white LGBTQ students (including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, referred to in the data as BIPOC) face a particularly difficult time within schools, with 48 percent reporting harassment based on their race or ethnicity.
