BUILDING BRIDGES

chools aren’t always safe spaces for LGBTQ youth. In a 2017 study, GLSEN (formerly the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) found that 60 percent of LGBTQ students felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, 45 percent due to their gender expression, and 35 percent because of their gender. During lockdowns, educators may find it difficult to provide the kind of support LGBTQ youth need, especially if they didn’t offer it previously.