Which law protects gay students

Know Your Rights: Schools

What Are My Rights at School?

Title IX is a federal statute that makes sex-based discrimination illegal in most schools. Most courts who contain looked at the issue have said that this includes discrimination against someone because they are transgender or because they don’t convene gender-related stereotypes or expectations. Anti-trans lawmakers in many states have passed unconstitutional laws in an effort to marginalize trans students, but these harmful laws do not negate the rights you have under federal law.  Several other federal and express laws also shield transgender students. Here are some of the rights you have under these laws:

  • You have the right to be treated according to your gender identity. That’s true even if you haven’t done things fond of changing your ID or getting medical treatment. Your college cannot require you to show proof of these things in order to have your gender respected.
  • You have the right to be called by the name and pronouns that match your gender identity. Sometimes people make an honest mistake, but teachers and university staff aren’t allowed to call you by the incorrect name or pronouns on purpose after you tell them how y

    Students’ Rights

    Know your rights Back to Realize Your Rights main page

    The Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that students perform not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." This is true for other fundamental rights, as good.

    Do I have First Amendment rights in school?

    • You have the right to speak out, hand out flyers and petitions, and wear expressive clothing in school — as lengthy as you don’t disrupt the functioning of the school or violate college policies that don’t hinge on the message expressed.
    • What counts as “disruptive” will vary by context, but a school disagreeing with your position or thinking your speech is controversial or in “bad taste” is not enough to qualify. Courts have upheld students’ rights to wear things like an anti-war armband, an armband opposite the right to earn an abortion, and a shirt supporting the LGBTQ community.
    • Schools can have rules that have nothing to do with the note expressed, like dress codes. So, for example, a school can prohibit you from wearing hats — because that rule is not based on what the hats say — but it can’t prohibit you from wearing only pink pussyc

      Title IX: An Imperfect but Vital Tool To Terminate Bullying of LGBT Students

      abstract. LGBT students are bullied at dramatically higher rates than other students. Academy bullying generally, and the targeting of LGBT students in particular, has recently garnered national attention as a serious problem that needs to be solved. Just as society is increasingly recognizing the destructive effects of school bullying and accepting the LGBT community, federal courts and agencies are increasingly holding school districts accountable under Title IX when schools fail to protect LGBT students from gender-based bullying.

      This Feature discusses the emerging importance of Title IX litigation and enforcement as a tool to cease peer-on-peer harassment of LGBT students in elementary and secondary schools. Federal courts and agencies consistently identify that bullied LGBT students may bring sex discrimination claims under Title IX based on a theory of gender stereotyping. Some even view anti-LGBT animus as per se sex discrimination. I argue that Title IX’s effectiveness in addressing the problem is limited by overly slim judicial and agency views of what constitutes actionable sex discrimination.

      LGBTQ Rights

      Know your rights Back to Perceive Your Rights main page

      The legal landscape for LGBTQ people is constantly evolving. If you think you have been discriminated against and would like our assistance, please visit our Report LGBTQ and HIV Discrimination Page and we can help you figure out whether you are protected under federal or state laws.

      Can an employer discriminate against me because of my sexual orientation or gender identity?

      Your rights

      Employers with 15 or more employees are prohibited by Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Perform from discriminating on the basis of sex, and the U.S. Supreme Court held in 2020 (Bostock v. Clayton County), that firing someone on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is sex discrimination. In addition, many states and cities have laws banning this kind of discrimination, and some of those laws apply to smaller employers.

      If you believe that your rights have been violated

      If you think that you have experienced discrimination at work, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), or with your state human rights enforcement agency where applicable. Try

      which law protects gay students

      LGBTQ Curricular Laws

      LGBTQ-related curricular laws are important for LGBTQ students’ health, well-being, and academic success. This position of maps covers multiple distinct policies related to LGBTQ inclusion in—or exclusion from—school curricula or standards. The blueprint below summarizes whether states have an LGBTQ-inclusive curricular standards law or any of the accompanying LGBTQ-specific school censorship laws: "Don't State LGBTQ" laws, older laws censoring discussions of homosexuality, and parental opt-out/opt-in laws. The tabs above link to specific maps with more information about each type of curricular policy. Click "Citations & More Information" beneath the map legend for more communication about each type of laws, and learn more aboutthe importance of inclusive curricular standards from GLSEN.

      Click the above tabs to spot more detail about each type of curricular law.
      • State has an LGBTQ-inclusive curricular standards law (8 states)

      • State has none of these LGBTQ-specific curricular laws (23 states , 5 territories + D.C.)

      • State has at least one LGBTQ-specific school censorship