Lgbtq curriculum in virginia schools
LGBTQ Curricular Laws
LGBTQ-related curricular laws are vital for LGBTQ students’ health, well-being, and academic triumph. This set of maps covers multiple distinct policies related to LGBTQ inclusion in—or exclusion from—school curricula or standards. The route below summarizes whether states have an LGBTQ-inclusive curricular standards law or any of the following LGBTQ-specific school censorship laws: "Don't Say 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 blueprint legend for more knowledge about each type of laws, and learn more aboutthe importance of inclusive curricular standards from GLSEN.
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
The State of Schools for Trans Youth in 2025
In recent years, as the trans collective has become increasingly apparent, we’ve seen more and more trans youth launch to live as their authentic selves. Parents are also increasingly likely to be supportive of their gender non-conforming children, which leads to young people feeling more free to be who they are. Unfortunately, anti-trans extremists want to make it impossible for LGBTQI+ youth to be themselves in schools. These efforts, as described by the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), include banning or fining teachers and schools for even talking about LGBTQI+ people or issues, pulling books off library shelves, and banning teachers from supporting LGBTQI+ students. In short, opponents want LGBTQI+ youth to be treated like they don’t exist. Those who disagree could face firings, fines, or even imprisonment.
The research is clear: affirming school environments are lifesaving for LGBTQI+ youth. Specifically, The Trevor Project create that attending a supportive school was the most meaningful factor lowering the peril of attempted suicide for trans youth.
Every student deserves the freedom to deliver t
District Can Deny Opt-Outs on LGBTQ+ Books, Court Rules
A federal appeals court on May 15 refused to block a Maryland school district’s policy preventing parents from opting their children out of LGBTQ+ inclusive “storybooks” used in the English language arts curriculum in its elementary schools.
A panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, in Richmond, Va., voted 2-1 to deny a preliminary injunction to block the policy of the 160,000-student Montgomery County institution district outside the nation’s capital.
The educational facility system in 2022 approved books such as Pride Puppy!, which encourages readers to look for terms such as drag queen and king, lip dial, and leather, My Rainbow, and Uncle Bobby’s Wedding to help teach reading to students as young as pre-kindergarten. An associate superintendent said in court papers that the books were not meant to explicitly teach about gender identity and sexual orientation in elementary school, but to be a classroom option for students to discover and for teachers to recommend to some students.
Some Christian and Muslim parents, among others, objected to the books as age-inappropriate and infringing on their rights to raise the
Only 17 States and DC Report LGBTQ-Inclusive Sex Ed Curricula in at Least Half of Schools, Despite Recent Increases
Note: The CDC measures change in the percentage of schools that provide curricula or supplementary materials that include HIV, STD, or pregnancy prevention information that is relevant to LGBTQ youth (e.g., curricula or materials that use inclusive language or terminology).
Sources: Centers for Disease Dominion and Prevention. (2019). School Health Profiles 2018: Characteristics of Health Programs Among Secondary Schools. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). School Health Profiles 2016: Characteristics of Health Programs Among Secondary Schools. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The policy landscape around inclusive sexual education continues to change quickly. As of 2020, six states (California, Colorado, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington) plus the District of Columbia explicitly demand inclusive sex-ed curricula. While Alabama, Arizona, and South Carolina recently repealed anti-LGBTQ policies through legislation or court decisions, other states—in
LGBTQ+ Youth and Policy Change: Celebrating Progress and More Operate to Do
Blog
- Children’s Mental Health
- Kids Enumerate Data
- Uncategorized
By Kaytee Wisley
As Pride Month is ending soon, we want to bring attention to policies that promote equality for Queer youth. According tothe Human Rights Campaign’s State Equity Index, a scorecard ranking states on other aspects of Gay policy, Virginia scored in the second highest category “Solidifying Equity.” This is a jump from the lowest category of “High Priority to Achieve Basic Equity,” meaning that the state has done substantial operate to prioritize equality in the most recent legislative sessions. Virginia is the first state to ever jump two categories in one year. We need to acknowledge the hard work of advocates and lawmakers that have pushed Virginia to produce so much progress towards equality over the last several years particularly Equality Virginia and the ACLU-VA.
The Human Rights Campaign state scorecard divides the policies into six categories, including youth policies. Virginia has done a significant amount of work in ensuring that there are comprehensive anti-bullying