Supporting Transgender Youth in Schools
By April Megginson | March 2024
Based on the 2023 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health by the Trevor Project, youth aged 13–24 are reporting high levels of mental distress. The risk of suicide is greater for transgender youth than it is for cisgender youth, between 44 and 56 percent of transgender, nonbinary and questioning youth reporting that they had considered suicide in the past year. Roughly half of transgender and nonbinary youth found their school to be gender-affirming while about 40 percent of LBGTQ youth reported that their homes were LGBTQ-affirming. The more spaces where transgender and nonbinary youths are affirmed in their gender identity, the lower that risk of suicide becomes. School counselors have the power to impact these kids’ lives in a real way just by providing a safe space to be themselves.
The School Counselor and Transgender and Nonbinary Youth position statement (ASCA, 2022) provides guidance and resources to assist school counselors in navigating their work with transgender and nonbinary youth. However, with the number of recent state and local laws passed specific to transgender youth, the school counselor’s role has become a difficult landscape to navigate. In the past year, 508 proposed bills in 47 states aimed to restrict transgender and nonbinary individuals from accessing fundamental healthcare, education, legal recognition and the right to openly exist. Out of these, 84 have been enacted into law. Many have a direct impact on the education setting.
Although Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibits discrimination based on sex in the public schools, the interpretation of this law varies across the United States. Several states make this clearer by including the term gender identity. Those states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. As a school counselor, educating yourself on the laws and regulations that may impact your transgender and nonbinary students can be an important first step in advocating for this population.
One of the easiest ways to support these students is by creating a safe space in the school counseling office. Since this population tends to be hypervigilant about their safety, you can use several visual cues to symbolize support. School counselors can go through Safe Space/Safe Zone training and post the Safe Space/Safe Zone sticker. Other symbols such as rainbows, the progressive pride flag, or ally flag (if allowed) can signify that you are someone they can trust. Updating paperwork to remove gender markers, like “he/she” and replace with “they,” is another way to show inclusivity. Most important, when addressing the student, you can use their preferred name and pronouns.
One surprising thing I have found in working with transgender youth is that they spend a lot of time actively avoiding the restroom. Many will refrain from eating and/or drinking at school because they don’t feel safe to use the restroom. This is just one of the barriers they face to learning, and one that can easily be addressed. This falls within the parameters of Section 504 in that their anxiety is substantially limiting a major life activity. Providing psychoeducation on how a 504 might assist in supporting transgender and nonbinary students can be an important part of your work. Gender Support Plans are a less formal way to provide support for this population; these detail how the student’s gender identity will be accounted for and supported at the school level.
College and career planning can be another source of anxiety for these students. Providing access to and utilizing tools such as the Campus Pride website allows these students to look for a school that will support their gender identity. Developing a list of potential questions for schools with the students can assist them in determining if the school is going to be a good fit. These questions might include whether the school has gender-inclusive housing, how roommates are determined, if they can room by themselves, whether the school has a strong LGBTQIA+ presence, and/or what kinds of support the school offers this population. You may also want to encourage them to look at the map developed by the Movement Advancement Project that provides detailed information about the legislative policies of each state that might be harmful for transgender and nonbinary students. Having these resources available to all students allows for those who may not be out to also have access to these materials.
As a school counselor, you have the power to assist in providing an environment where transgender and nonbinary youth can thrive, regardless of the laws and regulations that may limit your actual work. You can reach out and talk with members of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) or similar type clubs on your campus to find out about their unique needs. You can get training and become a Safe Zone trainer for the faculty and community using the free Safe Zone curriculum. You can provide diversity and inclusivity psychoeducation to the students. You can remove gender markers or identifiers where possible. You can utilize gender support plans for students. You can also make referrals for community-based providers who have experience with this population. Being a supportive person in their lives and providing a space where they feel seen, heard and accepted is one of the most powerful things you can do to help support transgender and nonbinary students.
Resources for Youth and Families
April Megginson, PhD, LMHC, RPT, is an associate professor at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Mass. Contact her at amegginson@bridgew.edu.
The School Counselor and Transgender and Nonbinary Youth position statement (ASCA, 2022) provides guidance and resources to assist school counselors in navigating their work with transgender and nonbinary youth. However, with the number of recent state and local laws passed specific to transgender youth, the school counselor’s role has become a difficult landscape to navigate. In the past year, 508 proposed bills in 47 states aimed to restrict transgender and nonbinary individuals from accessing fundamental healthcare, education, legal recognition and the right to openly exist. Out of these, 84 have been enacted into law. Many have a direct impact on the education setting.
Although Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibits discrimination based on sex in the public schools, the interpretation of this law varies across the United States. Several states make this clearer by including the term gender identity. Those states include California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington. As a school counselor, educating yourself on the laws and regulations that may impact your transgender and nonbinary students can be an important first step in advocating for this population.
One of the easiest ways to support these students is by creating a safe space in the school counseling office. Since this population tends to be hypervigilant about their safety, you can use several visual cues to symbolize support. School counselors can go through Safe Space/Safe Zone training and post the Safe Space/Safe Zone sticker. Other symbols such as rainbows, the progressive pride flag, or ally flag (if allowed) can signify that you are someone they can trust. Updating paperwork to remove gender markers, like “he/she” and replace with “they,” is another way to show inclusivity. Most important, when addressing the student, you can use their preferred name and pronouns.
One surprising thing I have found in working with transgender youth is that they spend a lot of time actively avoiding the restroom. Many will refrain from eating and/or drinking at school because they don’t feel safe to use the restroom. This is just one of the barriers they face to learning, and one that can easily be addressed. This falls within the parameters of Section 504 in that their anxiety is substantially limiting a major life activity. Providing psychoeducation on how a 504 might assist in supporting transgender and nonbinary students can be an important part of your work. Gender Support Plans are a less formal way to provide support for this population; these detail how the student’s gender identity will be accounted for and supported at the school level.
College and career planning can be another source of anxiety for these students. Providing access to and utilizing tools such as the Campus Pride website allows these students to look for a school that will support their gender identity. Developing a list of potential questions for schools with the students can assist them in determining if the school is going to be a good fit. These questions might include whether the school has gender-inclusive housing, how roommates are determined, if they can room by themselves, whether the school has a strong LGBTQIA+ presence, and/or what kinds of support the school offers this population. You may also want to encourage them to look at the map developed by the Movement Advancement Project that provides detailed information about the legislative policies of each state that might be harmful for transgender and nonbinary students. Having these resources available to all students allows for those who may not be out to also have access to these materials.
As a school counselor, you have the power to assist in providing an environment where transgender and nonbinary youth can thrive, regardless of the laws and regulations that may limit your actual work. You can reach out and talk with members of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) or similar type clubs on your campus to find out about their unique needs. You can get training and become a Safe Zone trainer for the faculty and community using the free Safe Zone curriculum. You can provide diversity and inclusivity psychoeducation to the students. You can remove gender markers or identifiers where possible. You can utilize gender support plans for students. You can also make referrals for community-based providers who have experience with this population. Being a supportive person in their lives and providing a space where they feel seen, heard and accepted is one of the most powerful things you can do to help support transgender and nonbinary students.
Resources for Youth and Families
- Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA)
- Gender Spectrum Support Plan
- National Center for Transgender Equity
- PFLAG
- The Trevor Project and Recently Released Statistics Report about LGBTQ Youth and Suicide
- Trans Student Educational Resources
- Support LGBTQ+ Students – ASCA Toolkit
- GLSEN Safe Space Kit
- GLSEN Educator Network
- Safe Zone Project Curriculum for Faculty
- MA Safe Schools Programs
- Learning for Justice Curriculum for Students
- Trevor Project – LifeSaver Program
- Welcoming Schools
April Megginson, PhD, LMHC, RPT, is an associate professor at Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Mass. Contact her at amegginson@bridgew.edu.