Blog Posts for Youth
What Comes Next
There are reasons to be concerned. But we must and we will push back against any attempts to normalize discrimination and hate, even as we steadfastly continue our work in the courts and at the state level to protect and advance justice for all.
A Look Back at High School
Public affairs and education intern Alison Geoffrey reflects on her experience in high school.
Why Religion is Not an Excuse to Discriminate in Public Accommodations
With wit, logic and common sense, Professor Joe Singer exposes how public accommodations that invoke “religious freedom” to bar service to LGBTQ people are simply discriminating based on religious beliefs. Our nation already turned away from the era where people had to “call ahead” to businesses to make sure they are welcome,’ we are “already invited.” Professor Singer makes a compelling argument that using religious beliefs as a sword is actionable religious discrimination. As our nation considers anew claims of religion in the marketplace, Professor Singer reminds us that we already have the answers. - Mary L. Bonatuo, GLAD Civil Rights Project Director
15 Steps Towards Justice in 2015
As the year comes to a close, here are 15 (plus a bonus for the New Year) things your support helped GLAD take on in 2015:
Middle Schools, GSAs and School Safety for All
Going back to school after a long summer can be an exciting time for young people; they get to see their friends again, and get a fresh start on a new schoolyear. For others, particularly for students who identify as LGBT or Q, this may be a time of anxiety and fear at the possibility that as soon as they return to school, they also return to bullies.
Teaching from the Fullness of Ourselves
On National Coming Out Day, we have a guest blog post from retired Portland, Maine, teacher Betsy Parsons on her journey to coming out in the classroom, and the positive impact it had on LGBT students.
If you're a teacher or administrator with questions about how to ensure your school is safe and welcoming for all, or If you're a student in need of help or information about your rights,contact us at GLAD Answers.
Everything is Rent
For so many LGBT people who have been rejected by families and experienced disproportionate rates of homelessness, poverty, discrimination and violence, participation in street economies is often critical to survival. That is why GLAD, along with other LGBT legal organizations, supported Amnesty International's recent resolution calling for the complete decriminalization of sex work.
My Child’s School Won’t Tell Me How They Disciplined a Bully: What Can I Do?
Oftentimes we at GLAD hear from parents of LGBTQ youth who have been told that the school cannot disclose any disciplinary steps they have taken against a student who bullied their child because of “FERPA.”
Do We Need a Law That Says Being LGB or T Is Normal and Healthy? Yes, We Do!
When we think about the goals of the laws we have to protect LGBT people, we mostly think about solving concrete problems: ending discrimination, ensuring access to healthcare, keeping people safe from violence and other harms. But there’s another vital purpose of the law: the message that our government sends when it passes a law.
Re-Think the World Around You
As we go about our daily routines, we encounter the same objects over and over again. Usually, we do not give these things a second thought and only look at them through one perspective—typically the most well-known or superficial perspective. But what if we changed our perspective? Could seeing literal things in a new way change the way we, and society, look at sexual orientation, gender, and gender expression?