10 Ways to Make Your School More LGBTQ+ Friendly

School can be tough.

Doubly so if you're part of the queer community. Together, we must take a stand against the bullying, exclusion, and intolerance many queer youth face, and celebrate ourselves and our friends. Here's 10 suggestions we have to help make your school a little nicer for LGBTQ+ folks!

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1. Host a meetup

Even if we can't meet up IRL during these crazy times, there's no better way to get LGBTQ+ folks together with one another than to host a virtual LGBTQ+ event by and for LGBTQ+ folks. Queer people simply love getting together to mingle, even if it's online!

Photo: Gabriel Benois (Unsplash)

2. Start a club

Clubs are a great way to get queer students together at your school to chat about everything from activism to RuPaul (especially RuPaul). We personally suggest starting a Gay-Straight Alliance chapter if your school doesn't have one.

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3. Bring it up in class

During classroom discussions, try talking about queer life. Bringing up LGBTQ+ history is a great way to open eyes and ears to our experiences in an educational environment.

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4. Be there for a friend

School can be tough when you're queer or trans. Whether it's fitting in or dealing with bullies, relationship problems or feeling all alone, we all deal with our own problems. Being there for each other—or being a good ally—is a great way to build each other up.

Photo: Kelvin Quarles (Unsplash)

5. Suggest bringing LGBTQ+ books into the classroom

Reading a lot of works from cis straight authors? Why not ask your English teachers or professors if they'd be interested in including more queer works in their classes? You might just pave the way for a new LGBTQ-centered classroom. (Oh, and if you're looking for books to recommend, check out our handy list!)

Photo: Eli Francis (Unsplash)

6. Run for student government

There isn't a better way to support LGBTQ+ kids than by joining student council! Running for office means you get to help set the tone for your class or school, which is a great way to support queer and trans kids in your class.

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7. Don't be afraid to speak up

Do you see something going on that makes you or someone else feel uncomfortable? Don't be afraid to talk to a friend, teacher, or trusted adult about it. You have every right to speak up, and you have every right to find a way to fight back against micro- or macroaggressions in your school.

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8. Always be ready to learn

You might not know everything about the other letters. If you're an ally, you might not know much at all. That's perfectly okay. As long as you keep an open mind and are ready to learn, you'll do well.

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9. Show your Pride!

Don't be afraid to wear purple today, wear LGBTQ+ buttons, and show off some of your rainbow gear every day. You have every right to. And who knows, you might just inspire someone else to come out about themselves.

Photo: Kristopher Allison (Unsplash)

10. Just be you!

There's nothing more important than being your true self. Go out there and show the world freely and openly who you are, however you want to do so. After all, it's your school year. Make the most of it!

Photo: Nina Strehl (Unsplash)

10 Ways to Make Your School More LGBTQ+ Friendly

Ana Valens