LGBT Awareness Spreading Nationwide in Schools

There has been no shortage of news regarding the way schools handle sexual orientation in the past year. Continuing in the movement forward, new rules and strategies have been implemented across the country to prevent bullying at schools, especially regarding matters of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender orientations.

Teaching students equality

A Minneapolis school district has been taking big steps since 2005 in embracing its LGBT community, and is proactive about teaching acceptance and equality among the entire student and staff body.

Among the plans for enforcing these new rules and code of conduct blueprints, tracking of recorded bullying incidents toward LGBT students has become a mandated part of regulations made by the Minnesota school's administrative board in January. An announcement to start the day at one of the district middle schools was "We do not bully others, so lets think of ways we can be kind to eachother today." These teachings for students to accept one another is meant as a forum for all cultures to feel safe and comfortable in their learning environments. Soon, the district will have LGBT elements incorporated into sex education courses, as well as offer electives in gay history.

Acceptance not taught nationwide

Despite some districts' response to LGBT bullying and advanced education for awareness, some schools prefer to turn a blind eye to the matter. According to CNN, a school district is facing a lawsuit as well as Federal investigation after a group of four heavily bullied middle school students spoke out. The case has arisen over the simple fact of  the violation to these children's civil rights, which defines an inability to learn in an unsafe environment. At a Michigan high school, a transgender student was not allowed to run for homecoming king, despite cast votes from the student body.