A new survey has shown that two-thirds of LGBTQ+ school students in the US have reported feeling unsafe because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

The report comes from Glisten, an organisation “dedicated to creating safe and respectful learning environments for youth of all sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, race and abilities.”

The figures are part of the organisation’s 13th National School Climate Survey, and hear from LGBTQ+ students, including intersex, asexual and Two-Spirit individuals, from K-12 about their 2024-2025 school year.

The results found that two out of three LGBTQ+ students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their queer identity, and only one in three students “frequently” or “often” look forward to going to school.

Furthermore, 86 percent of trans and gender-expansive students shared that they avoided certain school areas.

Many students also reported facing verbal, physical or online harassment and assault – 62 percent experienced some form of harassment because of their sexual orientation, and 69 percent reported harassment because of their gender identity or expression.

Forty-eight percent of BIPOC LGBTQ+ people said that they faced harassment because of their race or ethnicity.

Just over half (53 percent) of students surveyed said that they faced LGBTQ+ related discrimination like being banned from using a locker room consistent with their gender identity.

Forty-one percent said they were punished for using bathrooms that aligned with their gender, and 64 percent said they avoided school bathrooms altogether.