What's the Problem?
LGBTQ students generally have a worse understanding of safe sexual practices and are often subjected to a hostile environment in their schools.
Why is this happening?
LGBTQ students often report feeling like their teachers either didn't know about or didn't want to talk about LGBTQ people at all during their sex ed classes, let alone how they might have sex safely despite often having sex differently. Even worse these students are often told that LGBTQ people are dangerous and prone to disease.
Why are our education programs failing?
The failing of public school sex education programs across the country can primarily be attributed to poor regulations surrounding sex education. Even putting aside the regulations mandating that LGBTQ people be linked to STIs, regulations like abstinence-only education which may at first glance seem neutral actually disproportionately negatively affect LGBTQ youth by reinforcing hetero-normative values. Even states which lack regulations that affect LGBTQ students harm them by not mandating inclusion, as when left unregulated, sex ed programs will trend towards hetero-normativity.
How does this relate to information?
The main failing of the state education system is in not providing enough information, and often doing so from a position of faux-neutrality, failing to enforce the vital inclusion of LGBTQ health into sex education programs.
