ABSTRACT
To address the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) student populations, the field of school counseling must expand its attention from the negative outcomes to the protective factors that foster growth and development of this underserved student population. Prior research has clearly documented the struggles and barriers that LGBT students face in hostile and unwelcoming school climates (Kosciw, Greytak, Palmer, & Boesen, 2014). For example, the 2013 National School Climate Survey (Kosciw, Greytak, et al., 2014) conducted by the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) found that LGBT youth encountered anti-LGBT language (71.4% of students heard the term gay derogatorily used), reported victimization (74.1% of students were verbally harassed), and experienced discrimination (17.8% of students were not allowed to establish a Gay−Straight Alliance [GSA]) at school (Kosciw, Greytak, et al., 2014).
