Barriers in Education and Employment
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In a national study conducted in the United States in 2005, the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) identified that 52% of teens frequently hear students make homophobic remarks in school (2005). In contrast,
- 26% of students reported frequently overhearing racist remarks
- 10% of students reported frequently overhearing negative religious remarks with 42% stating that they never hear them (GLSEN, 2005).
- For many LGBT students, their sexual orientation or gender expression causes them to feel unsafe at school. More than half of LGBT students (53%) feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation [and] more than one-third (36%) feel unsafe because of how they express their gender” (GLSEN, 2005).
- 69% of teens frequently hear students say “that’s so gay” or “you’re so gay”; expressions where “gay” is meant to mean something bad or devalued (GLSEN, 2005).
- LGBT students are four times more likely to have skipped class because they do not feel safe at school than their non-LGBT peers (22% vs. 6%) (GLSEN, 2005).
- High school dropout exacerbates employment problems of LGBTQ people because education is related to employability. An American study cited by Remafedi (1994) identified a high school dropout rate for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth of 28% (compared with 9% for their heterosexual peers). This is primarily due to discrimination of LGB youth (e.g. experiencing verbal / physical harassment) by peers and the isolation that many LGB youth feel. (Banks, 2003).
