Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered Students: Advocacy Groups for

Ian K. Macgillivray

Advocacy groups for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) students improve lives by providing outreach and information, helping LGBTQ youth find local resources, and supporting student activism. LGBTQ youth are coming out of the closet at younger ages and in greater numbers than ever before, forcing schools and society to revamp laws and policies and institute new programs to ensure their safety and inclusion. This entry looks at how advocacy groups help. Before the advent of the Internet, LGBTQ youth advocacy groups were confined to large cities and served small populations of youth. Many youth advocacy groups were housed in local gay and lesbian community centers, usually underfunded and staffed by volunteers who offered outreach in the form of support groups. Even so, many urban LGBTQ youth experienced extreme isolation in school and at home and had little or no access to other LGBTQ youth or adults. Growing up ...

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