ABSTRACT
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ+) students have, through history and in present day, experienced increased rates of discrimination, school violence, and trauma compared to their peers. Indeed, a nation-wide study of LGBTQ students in the United States showed that more than half (57.6%) felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation and nearly half (43.3%) due to their gender expression. Cyberbullying, defined as bullying that occurs via technology, affects the lives of many LGBTQ+ youth. The 2015 National School Climate Survey showed that almost half (48.6%) of surveyed youth had experienced electronic harassment in the year previous to the survey, and 15% reported that this occurred often or frequently. In addition to specific acts of harassment, LGBTQ+ youth experience additional daily reminders of the heteronormative, cisgender societal norm in their school environment. LGBTQ+ persons, including their history and achievements, have often gone unrecognized or undiscussed in curricula.
