ABSTRACT

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are a largely invisible minority group at serious risk for a variety of physical, emotional, and social problems. Because of widespread societal prejudice and lack of awareness, school personnel have, in general, failed to protect or serve this vulnerable group. The estimate that about 10% of the general population has a same-sex or bisexual orientation came out of Kinsey's large-scale research on sexual behavior during the 1940s and 1950s (Kinsey, Pomeroy, & Martin, 1948; Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin, & Gebhard, 1953). This figure persists in popular culture, though recent research argues that a more accurate number is probably 6–10% (Keen, 2007; Murray, 2011; Tharinger & Wells, 2000). It is impossible to determine the exact number of sexual minority youth because many are unaware of their orientation, in a “questioning” period regarding sexuality, or unable or unwilling to disclose or discuss the issue with others. Regardless of the precise percentage, it is safe to assume that there are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and questioning students in every school (Wells & Tsutsumi, 2005).