Let's send a message to Beaumont USD that says that our LGBTQ+ students matter. A message that shows that this community is diverse, inclusive, kind, strong, and united. Parental Notification Policies have no place here. Supporting and protecting our LGBTQ+ students in Beaumont USD is critical several reasons:

1. According to the peer reviewed study, “Cumulative minority stress and suicide risk among LGBTQ youth” by Amy E. Green, Myeshia N. Price, and Sam H. Dorison:

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020), and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth are at significantly greater risk for attempting suicide compared to their non‐LGBTQ peers (Johns et al., 2019, 2020). This elevated risk is linked to experiences of identity‐based rejection, discrimination, and victimization associated with being in a socially stigmatized position in society (Meyer, 2003), as opposed to being LGBTQ in and of itself.”

This study found that “greater experiences of minority stress experiences are associated with increased odds of attempting suicide. LGBTQ youth who reported experiencing four types of minority stress — LGBTQ-based physical harm, discrimination, housing instability, and change attempts by parents — were 12 times at greater odds of attempting suicide compared to youth who experienced none”. (The Trevor Project, 2022)

2. More than 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth have been subjected to some form of conversion therapy (2022). A 2020 peer-reviewed study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that youth who reported undergoing conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to report having attempted suicide and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the past year.(Green et al., 2020)

3. Transgender youth experience higher rates of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse compared with their cisgender peers. In an online survey of youth between 14 and 18 years of age, 73% of transgender youth reported psychological abuse, 39% of transgender youth reported physical abuse and 19% reported sexual abuse. (Thoma et al., 2021)

Given the percentage of transgender youth who report being abused and/or forced into conversion therapy, as well as the well known impact that childhood abuse and conversion therapy have on the rate of suicide of transgender youth, it is clear that we can draw a direct line between forcibly outing a transgender child to a guardian without their consent and a high rate of possible suicide. This proposed policy may seem benign on the surface, but in reality it may well be a death warrant, or at least increase the chances of childhood abuse in the home, for trans youth.

Research has found that having just one accepting adult can reduce the risk of a suicide attempt among LGBTQ young people by 40 percent! In addition, LGBTQ youth who report the presence of trusted adults in their school have higher levels of self-esteem (Dessel et al., 2017), and access to supportive peers is protective against anxiety and depression, including among those who lack support from their family (Parra et al., 2018). The proposed policy would take away that verified, research-backed safety net.

The evidence is clear: forced outing policies directly harm LGBTQ+ youth, particularly transgender youth. If we seek to protect the most vulnerable kids in our community, we must work to create a safe, affirming space for them rather than putting them at major risk for transphobic and homophobic abuse.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta recently responded to a local school district regarding why forced outing policies are harmful and illegal. You can read the article here.

Students should ultimately have a safe person or group of people that they can communicate with, however this policy language specifically targets LGBTQ+ youth who are at higher risk regarding their safety. We encourage school staff and families to ultimately protect our LGBTQ+ youth rather than pushing politically-charged policies.

Sources:

Dessel, A. B., Kulick, A., Wernick, L. J., & Sullivan, D. (2017). The importance of teacher support: Differential impacts by gender and sexuality. Journal of Adolescence, 56, 136-144.

Facts about LGBTQ youth suicide. The Trevor Project. (2022, October 25). https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/article/facts-about-lgbtq-youth-suicide/

Green, A. E., Price-Feeney, M., Dorison, S. H., & Pick, C. J. (2020). Self-reported conversion efforts and suicidality among US LGBTQ youths and young adults, 2018. American Journal of Public Health, 110(8), 1221–1227. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2020.305701