Nevada

Nevada among leaders in LGBTQ+ protection, but challenges remain

Published

2 years ago

February 14, 2024

Nevada among leaders in LGBTQ+ protection, but challenges remain

Jessica Munger
| Reno Gazette Journal

LGBTQ+ students across the United States are facing the violence and victimization that has come with being used as political pawns for the advancement of the conservative movement. Their personhood is being questioned by authority figures, their efforts to build community are being oppressed at school, and their rights are being debated by callous talking heads on a national stage. And that’s on top of navigating a perma-pandemic, underfunded schools and the general challenges of transition into adulthood. Our young people are struggling.

Last year the Silver State Equality LGBTQ+ Student Advisory Council was formed to investigate the experiences and needs of LGBTQ+ students in Nevada and bring that information to the larger community, and specifically to decision-makers. The council of 12 students and seven adult mentors created and distributed a survey asking Nevada LGBTQ+ students about inclusivity in school resources and curriculum, as well as bullying and discrimination. The council also had in-depth conversations about their own experiences and with other students. Here are the results of that survey.

More: ‘Heartbreaking’ findings in survey of Nevada LGBTQ+ students

It’s becoming more widely known that Nevada has some of the strongest protections for LGBTQ+ people and families, and we are proud of the legislative work we’ve done to secure those. One of the legislative victories we’re most proud of is Assembly Bill 261, which passed in 2021 and mandates diversity and inclusion in statewide academic standards, particularly the history and contributions of enumerated groups historically underrepresented. Of course, implementation of these mandates takes time, bureaucracy, money and cooperation, but it’s notable that 39.1% of students we surveyed reported never learning about LGBTQ+ history, being assigned books by LGBTQ+ authors, or hearing LGBTQ+ stories or people referenced in class. Students in rural schools were even less likely to have experienced LGBTQ+ curriculum than students in urban schools.

During the listening campaign, several students commented that they know Nevada is a relatively good place for LGBTQ+ people, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot left to do. One Nevada high schooler said many of their LGBTQ+ peers are thinking of staying in state for college because there are more protections for queer people here than many other states. They said, “It’s hard sometimes, every time I hear about hate happening anywhere, I get a little more scared to leave my house and go to school. I know legally I’m protected in Nevada, but individually, I don’t feel it as much.”

In fact, 38.7 percent of students we surveyed say they do not feel secure at school, and 79.4% reported having experienced discrimination from those in authority for their LGBTQ+ identity. That’s nearly 80 percent of surveyed students reported being discriminated against by school authority figures for their LGBTQ+ status. One Nevada 12th grader, said, “The (school) climate right now is very toxic and mentally taxing.”

And while every group within the LGBTQ+ community faces unique challenges, we should have a particular awareness of the experiences of trans and gender-diverse students. Many of the policies currently being waged against our young people are directly targeting trans and nonbinary students — specifically their clothes, their bathrooms, their names, their pronouns and their medical care. In this wide rural state, there are many of these young people in dire situations.

If you’ve been to a public meeting of your library or school board recently, there’s a chance you’ve heard the overwhelming statistics about the suicide rate of young trans people. The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People found that 41% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth. However, I want to add some important context to this data. Trans and nonbinary young people are not suicidal because they are trans and nonbinary. They are suicidal because of the way people treat them for being trans and nonbinary. Their transness and beautiful nonbinary identities are being pathologized and threatened by grown adults using children for their political agendas, and the spewing of hate speech and disgraceful rhetoric turns into agenda items and policy ideas. It turns into other youth hearing what their parents say. And it turns into bullying and violence at school, which turns into young people wanting to end their lives. There are very real consequences for students to the social and political climate created by adults. Shame on them.

Another thing to note about LGBTQ+ young people is that they are smart, they are organizing, and they are not alone. I’m simultaneously watching adult allies, parents, teachers, activists and experts showing up for these students. And through the process of this survey, I met several teachers who are bravely standing up for these students and their rights at school.

There will always be good people who see what’s happening and try to help. Thank you to those teachers hosting the Gay Straight Alliance student groups in their classrooms at lunch, or showing up to six-hour school board meetings after long work days. We see you, and we need you. Together, we will continue to hear these students, make their needs known, and do everything in our power to keep them safe –— including creating more legislation to explicitly protect them.

If you’re an ally to young LGBTQ+ people and have a group who would like to hear more about our survey, contact me at jessica@silverstateequality.org to arrange a presentation.

Jessica Munger is the program director for Silver State Equality.

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Nevada

American Red Cross of Northern Nevada deploying to Washington after flooding

Published

6 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

American Red Cross of Northern Nevada deploying to Washington after flooding

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A disaster response volunteer with the American Red Cross of Northern Nevada is deploying to the state of Washington after flooding has affected the state.

Flooding in the state, caused by days of heavy rain, has forced the evacuation of around 100,000 from their homes. The volunteer will join hundreds of Red Cross responders from around the country to provide shelter, food, and aid to those in need.

“Our Northern Nevada volunteers bring skill, commitment and compassion to every disaster deployment,” said Bridget Posson, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Northern Nevada Chapter. “As an ERV driver, he plays a vital role in delivering essential support to families impacted by this devastating flooding, but it’s his compassion and commitment to helping others that truly provides hope in their time of need.”

The volunteer being deployed is from Minden, and has been deployed more than 25 times to disaster areas over more than 30 years.

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Nevada

Southern Nevada Jewish community unites for Hanukkah following deadly mass shooting

Published

18 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

Southern Nevada Jewish community unites for Hanukkah following deadly mass shooting

The Southern Nevada Jewish community gathered on Fremont Street to mark the first day of Hanukkah with the Grand Menorah Lighting, the religion’s symbol of light in dark times.

The event, held Sunday evening, was attended by Mayor Shelley Berkley and U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, who addressed the recent mass shooting at a Chanukah celebration in Sydney, Australia, which authorities say claimed at least 15 lives.

Hal Golblatt, director of security for Chabad of Southern Nevada, emphasized the importance of vigilance and protection after news of the mass shooting.

“6:30 this morning, I was on the phone to Metro, arranging for more security here,” he said.

The Chabad of Southern Nevada has hosted the event for the past 30 years.

“I would like to let the community know not to be afraid, not to be scared, to be loud, to be proud, have Jewish pride.” Rabbi Motti Harlig said.

He expressed his devastation over the attack, noting that one of his friends was injured but is now recovering. Tragically, another Chabad rabbi did not survive the shooting.

“The way we deal with evil, with terrorism, is that we fight it, by not running, not hiding, but going out there and showing that we’re not afraid,” Rabbi Shea Harlig said.

The event served as a reminder of the enduring message of Hanukkah: faith, resilience, and the triumph of light over darkness.

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Nevada

Nevada ends non-conference slate with 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

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Nevada ends non-conference slate with 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday

Nevada will go into Mountain West Conference play in a four-game winning streak, but the fourth of those wins was not easy.

The Wolf Pack ended its non-conference slate with 78-75 win over Duquesne on Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 7,238 fans at Lawlor Events Center.

In the final 90 seconds, Wolf Pack freshman Peyton White got a huge rebound, then hit two free throws to help the Pack go up by three

The Dukes got their first lead of the second half with 1 minute, 38 seconds left, 71-70.

Tayshawn Comer led the Pack with 16 points, White had 12 and Elijah Price had 10 points and nine rebounds as the Pack improved to 8-3.

Nevada’s Joel Armotrading and Corey Camper Jr. did not play as they are still dealing with injuries.

“We battled hard. It wasn’t our best game but we came through and got it done,” White said.

Tre Guinyard led the Dukes (6-5) with 21 points.

Nevada (8-3) opens conference play against Boise State on Saturday.

Top Takeaways

The Dukes tried to win it from the arc, going 11-33 from there, after knocking down their first two of the game.

The Pack shot 4-of-10 from the arc, and 25-of-56 from the field.

The Pack won it at the free throw line, making 24-of-32 from the line, while the Dukes hit 18-of-20 free throws.

The Pack entered the game leading the Mountain West in made free throws (20.1) and second in free throw attempts (27.1).

Duquesne held a 38-35 edge in rebounding.

Bench comes up big

The Wolf Pack got 37 points from its bench, to 20 for the Dukes, and Alford said that was a key to the win.

“There’s very few games I’ve had where your starters are all negative in points per minute and your bench is all positive,” he said. “It’s good that the starters get to see that. It’s good in learning to trust one another when you’re not playing well.”

He said the bench saved the game for the Pack, but that is a sign of the depth the team has.

Phenomenal Freshmen

Pack freshmen White and Myles Walker played substantial minutes, 23 for White and 13 for Walker. Walker scored five points, including two key free throws in the final minute.

“Myles and Peyton continue to make veteran plays,” Alford said. “That was a hotly contested game, down to the wire and you’ve got two freshmen going to the line in the last two trips and they go 4-for-4 at the line That’s big time.”

He said the pair has been consistent and they keep improving every game.

“Myles has given us a lift every time he comes in,” Alford said. “Those two give us energy.”

Walker said the Pack showed it can win even when things go wrong.

“It showed how tough this team is. Even at the end when things didn’t go right, we still found a way to win,” Walker said.

Half

Nevada led 42-35 at the break, after leading by as many as 15 earlier in the half.

The Wolf Pack shot 17-of-33 field goals and 2-of-6 from the arc along with 6-10 free throws in the first half

The Dukes shot 10-of-28 from the field; 7-18 from the arc and 8-of-10 free throws.

The Pack outscored the Dukes, 20-6, in the paint in the first half.

Up Next

Nevada opens Mountain West Conference play by hosting Boise State (7-3) at 7 p.m. Saturday (Dec. 20).

The Broncos play Saint Mary’s on Sunday (Dec 14).

Finals are over on Wednesday for the Pack players. Alford said they will take that day off from practice.

“That’s going to be a war on Saturday,” Alford said. “(Duquesne) is an A10 team (Atlantic 10 Conference). We’ve played some really good competition, so I’m very pleased with where we’re at 11 games in.”