Nevada among leaders in LGBTQ+ protection, but challenges remain

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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