Chilling the Right to an Education: Combatting Policies Hostile to LGBTQ Youth

An increasing number of states are enacting policies hostile to LGBTQ youth, like book bans and restrictions on participation in sports. Even in states like New York where there is greater state-level support for LGBTQ rights, similar policies aimed at stifling those rights have emerged at the local level. Amy Leipziger (Project Director, Free to Be Youth Project), Ashton Hessee (Legal Fellow, Free to Be Youth Project) and Gabriella Larios (Staff Attorney, NYCLU) of the City Bar’s LGBTQ Rights Committee unpack the damage to psychological and physical health that these bans and the anti-LGBTQ culture that they promote can have on LGBTQ youth – kids who are navigating the same developmental challenges as their peers while being saddled with these additional burdens. Amy, Ashton and Gabriella also speak to how queer and trans youth – and their parents and caregivers – can understand their rights and understand how to advocate for their rights in school. All three share stories from the frontlines of litigating against these bans, and share insights on the most effective strategies for pairing litigation with grassroots community organizing. Access a transcript of this episode here: https://bit.ly/3zp9tfd Access NYCLU’s “Your Rights as an LGBTQ Student” resource here: https://bit.ly/4euK6aC Want to learn more about the changing state of the law governing transgender athletes' participation in sports? View the City Bar’s on-demand CLE program “Transgender Athletes: Title IX and the Dynamic Legal Landscape” (https://bit.ly/4gITn0v). Visit nycbar.org/events to find all of the most up-to-date information about our upcoming programs and events. 00:00 Introduction and Back-to-School Reflections 02:27 Challenges Faced by Students and Schools 04:06 Transgender Rights and School Policies 16:14 Impact of Discrimination on Mental Health 19:15 Statistics on LGBTQ+ Student Experiences 33:08 Community Support and Advocacy 46:35 Conclusion and Call to Action