Transgender, gay/lesbian, bisexual, and 'something else' students report significantly poorer outcomes than non-transgender and straight peers on all 14 measures¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2019 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 2 of 2 entries) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? On all 14 measures analyzed, students identifying as transgender, gay/lesbian, bisexual, or 'something else,' and students unsure of their identity, reported significantly fewer positive perceptions of school and well-being than non-transgender and straight peers. → Hanson 2019 q2 i? Gay, lesbian, and bisexual students were twice as likely as straight students to report bullying or harassment and fear of violence at school. → Hanson 2019 (2)

Evidence¶

Hanson 2019¶

Hanson, T., Zhang, G., Cerna, R., Stern, A., & Austin, G. (2019). Understanding the experiences of LGBTQ students in California. San Francisco, CA: WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED601909

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Key-findings summary of descriptive CHKS tabulations across five domains (supports, safety, mental health, engagement, performance) for middle and high school students, disaggregated by gender identity and sexual orientation.

"On all 14 measures analyzed in this report, students who identified as transgender, gay/lesbian, bisexual, and “something else” (a sexual orientation other than straight, gay/lesbian, or bisexual), as well as students who were unsure of their gender identit y or sexual orientation , reported significantly fewer positive perceptions"

Hanson 2019 (2)¶

Hanson, T., Zhang, G., Cerna, R., Stern, A., & Austin, G. (2019). Understanding the experiences of LGBTQ students in California. San Francisco, CA: WestEd. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED601909

q2 · i? · associational · r2

Descriptive CHKS tabulations of school safety measures by sexual orientation and school level, reported in the key findings.

"Similarly, gay, lesbian, and bisexual students were twice as likely as straight students to indicate that they had experience d bullying or harassment and fear ed violence at school."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Belonging — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Identity — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Bisexual students in every race/ethnicity group report chronic sadness at more than twice the rate of straight students — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Disparities are not uniform: some gender- and sexual-minority groups report equal or better school experiences than majority peers (e.g., Black transgender students, Cambodian gay/lesbian students) — reports the opposite
• Students unsure about their gender identity or sexual orientation fall between LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ peers on supports and well-being — related
• Equalizing perceived supports and safety would reduce gay/lesbian/bisexual versus straight disparities in connectedness by 90-100 percent and other disparities by half — related
• Across nearly all race/ethnicity groups, transgender high school students report fewer school supports, lower safety, lower motivation, and lower connectedness than non-transgender peers — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Transgender students report substantially fewer school supports than non-transgender peers, especially caring adult relationships and high expectations — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Transgender students are more than twice as likely as non-transgender peers to report bullying, harassment, and fear of physical violence — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Transgender students in every race/ethnicity group report harassment at least twice the rate of non-transgender peers (60%+ vs. 32% or less) — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Adjusting for perceived school supports and safety eliminates the transgender/non-transgender school connectedness gap and halves mental health, motivation, and middle school performance gaps — related
• After school-wide positive and restorative discipline training, Black-White and LGBTQ-straight differences in perceived bullying converged at one majority-minority school — related
• Transgender students across all race/ethnicity groups report suicide ideation at 45–57%, versus no more than 20% of non-transgender students — a narrower finding that bears on this claim