Glisten (formerly known as GLSEN and dedicated to creating safe and respectful learning environments for youth in our community) recently released the 2025 National School Climate Survey, which gathered data from lived experiences in schools across the nation. The study explores experiences of “safety, bullying and harassment, feelings of school belonging and self-esteem, participation in school and community activities like sports and academics.” The questions center on youth belonging, whether students look forward to school, if they feel they can be themselves, how educators show support, and what LGBTQ+ life is like in school.
2025 National School Climate Survey results
LGBTQ+ youth reported that their schools were more hostile during the 2024-2025 school year because of the political climate. Two-thirds of students feel unsafe because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. More than 70 percent of trans and non-traditional gender-expansive individuals felt unsafe about their identity.
The study showed that LGBTQ+ youth school safety does not only include reducing harm and harassment, but also creating a supportive and affirming space to be themselves. A 10th-grade student answered, “It’s nice to just be friends with someone that’s also queer…we will come together as a little community, and we protect one another from the bullying.”
Though LGBTQ+ students attempt to build a community, many feel their schools are trying to tear it down. Sixty-two percent of youth said they had no LGBTQ+ content in their classes, and 58 percent lack inclusive LGBTQ+ books. A student explained, “Something they could do better when it comes to curriculum and with clubs is intersectionality…if we talked about a disability of [a historical figure]…or show more representation when it comes to all these different attributes.”
Goals and how schools could change
For schools to better support LGBTQ+ students, they should affirm and protect their youth by taking reports of bullying seriously. They should also provide staff support to queer students, implement zero-tolerance policies, and hold peers and families accountable.
Glisten hopes to “present a realistic and holistic view of the K-12 school climate for LGBTQ+ students in our study…to present these complexities, especially the strengths and aspirations of LGBTQ+ youth, so that they feel seen, heard, and valued.”Glisten (formerly known as GLSEN and dedicated to creating safe and respectful learning environments for youth in our community) recently released the 2025 National School Climate Survey, which gathered data from lived experiences in schools across the nation. The study explores experiences of “safety, bullying and harassment, feelings of school belonging and self-esteem, participation in school and community activities like sports and academics.” The questions center on youth belonging, whether students look forward to school, if they feel they can be themselves, how educators show support, and what LGBTQ+ life is like in school.
2025 National School Climate Survey results
LGBTQ+ youth reported that their schools were more hostile during the 2024-2025 school year because of the political climate. Two-thirds of students feel unsafe because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. More than 70 percent of trans and non-traditional gender-expansive individuals felt unsafe about their identity.
The study showed that LGBTQ+ youth school safety does not only include reducing harm and harassment, but also creating a supportive and affirming space to be themselves. A 10th-grade student answered, “It’s nice to just be friends with someone that’s also queer…we will come together as a little community, and we protect one another from the bullying.”
Though LGBTQ+ students attempt to build a community, many feel their schools are trying to tear it down. Sixty-two percent of youth said they had no LGBTQ+ content in their classes, and 58 percent lack inclusive LGBTQ+ books. A student explained, “Something they could do better when it comes to curriculum and with clubs is intersectionality…if we talked about a disability of [a historical figure]…or show more representation when it comes to all these different attributes.”
Goals and how schools could change
For schools to better support LGBTQ+ students, they should affirm and protect their youth by taking reports of bullying seriously. They should also provide staff support to queer students, implement zero-tolerance policies, and hold peers and families accountable.
Glisten hopes to “present a realistic and holistic view of the K-12 school climate for LGBTQ+ students in our study…to present these complexities, especially the strengths and aspirations of LGBTQ+ youth, so that they feel seen, heard, and valued.”