ABSTRACT
LGBTQ+ youth face pervasive stressors at school, yet they are also a place where youth can secure support and resources from peers and trusted adults. Drawing upon ecological theories of youth development, this chapter focuses on the roles LGBTQ+ inclusive policies, practices, and gender-sexuality alliances (GSAs; school clubs that affirm youth’s diverse sexual orientations and gender identities and expressions) play in shaping school experiences for LGBTQ+ youth. This chapter describes how inclusive school policies and practices signal support, ensure protection, and promote the visibility of LGBTQ+ youth, and reviews evidence of the association between these policies and academic and health outcomes. This chapter then describes the key aims of GSAs, how they are structured, and reviews evidence of how GSAs facilitate empowerment and well-being among members. Finally, this chapter highlights ways in which future research could inform ongoing efforts to transform schools into affirming spaces for LGBTQ+ youth.
