Equity by Design - Using Title IX and Other Policies to Support and Affirm LGBTQIA+ Students

Oct 15, 2026

Teaching tool on using Title IX and related policies to protect and affirm LGBTQIA+ students in K-12 schools. It describes how schools should function as safe learning environments, outlines staff responsibilities under in loco parentis, and explains how discrimination and harassment affect students’ discipline, academic outcomes, self-esteem, and mental health. The content defines key Title IX concepts such as sex and harassment, provides guidance for navigating stakeholder backlash, and offers self-care direction for educators.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Purposes of the Teaching Tool

Defining key Title IX concepts

What Title IX Is

Origins and legislative background

Enforcement and legal interpretation

[Image description: Court gavel on rainbow flag colored pages of the United States Constitution.] Equity by Design: Using Title IX and Other Policies to Support and Affirm LGBTQIA+ Students Sin R. Guanci Mollie V. Blackburn Using Title IX and Other Policies to Support and Affirm LGBTQIA+ Students Schools are meant to be safe places for students to learn, grow, socialize, and become independent young adults. School staff are imbued with authority to act as guardians of students during the school day in loco parentis, in the place of a parent. Unfortunately, for a distressing number of LGBTQIA+ students, schools can be hostile, traumatizing environments. In a national survey of over 16,000 LGBTQIA+ youth, aged 13-21, more than half reported feeling unsafe in school because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and The Purposes of this Teaching Tool are: 􀀍 To educate school employees about Title IX and other policies that protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ students; 􀀍 To articulate the definitions of both “sex” and“harassment” as they are conceptualized in Title IX in relation to LGBTQIA+ students; 􀀍 To provide educators and administrators with guidance about LGBTQIA+ students’ rights in order to help them navigate backlash from parents, colleagues, and other stakeholders; 􀀍 To guide school employees in caring for themselves as they engage in the often-challenging work of supporting LGBTQIA+ students. nearly 90% reported experiencing some kind of harassment (including verbal, physical, cyber, and sexual) at school. LGBTQIA+ students who experience higher levels of victimization are more likely to be disciplined at school, miss school, or dropout of school entirely; to have lower GPAs; are less likely to go to college; and have lower self-esteem and higher levels of depression 1. According to the Trevor Project, more than 25% of LGBTQIA+ youth ages 13-24 in the U.S. reported attempting suicide in the past year; that translates to one youth approximately every 45 seconds2. There are a handful of Federal legislative protections for LGTBQIA+ students, yet it often seems as though educators, administrators, and other youth-serving professionals are either unaware of the protections for LGBTQIA+ students, or they are confused about the specifics of them. One of the most often cited policies for protecting the rights of LGBTQIA+ students is Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. What is Title IX? In 1970, House Rep. Martha Griffiths (DMI), Rep. Edith Green (D-OH), and Senator Birch Bayh (D-IN) began focusing their efforts on improving discrimination against 1Joseph Kosciw et al. , The 2019 National School Climate Survey-The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth in Our Nation’s Schools,(New York: GLSEN, 2020) . [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/NSCS19-FullReport-032421-Web_0.pdf](www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2021-04/NSCS19-FullReport-032421-Web_0.pdf) 2The Trevor Project, "Estimate of How Often LGBTQ Youth Attempt Suicide in the U.S," The Trevor Project, last modified September 30, 2021, [https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/estimate-of-how-often](https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/estimate-of-how-often)lgbtq-youth-attempt-suicide-in-the-u-s/ - 1- women in higher education; Green proposed amendments to Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Pay Act to include prohibitions on and sanctions for sex discrimination. Unable to reconcile the House and Senate revisions, a new policy was created: Title IX of the Education Amendments3. President Nixon signed Title IX into law on June 23, 1972. Title IX states,“no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance4.” seemed to solely rest in

FAQs

Why does the teaching tool focus on LGBTQIA+ student safety in schools?

It addresses how many LGBTQIA+ students report feeling unsafe and experiencing harassment at school, and how these conditions harm mental health and educational outcomes.

What are the main purposes of the teaching tool?

To educate school employees on Title IX and related protections, define “sex” and “harassment” as used in Title IX for LGBTQIA+ students, guide educators on students’ rights amid backlash, and support staff self-care while doing this work.

What does Title IX prohibit under federal law?

Title IX states that no person in the United States may be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance on the basis of sex.

Oct 15, 2026

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