LGBT teens should come out at school.

• Position: Gender Identity - Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender - Brief article

Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adolescents who come out at school have higher self-esteem and lower levels of depression as young adults compared to LGBT youth who do not disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity at school, according to a study at the University of Arizona, Tucson.

The findings are significant as youth are coming out at younger ages. LGBT adolescents often are counseled by adults not to disclose their sexual orientation and gender identity in an attempt to protect them from harm, but this research suggests that may not be the best advice.

"Until now, a key question about balancing the need to protect LGBT youth from harm while promoting their well-being has not been addressed--do the benefits of coming out at school outweigh the increased risk of victimization? Our study points to the positive role of coming out for youth and young adult well-being," says Stephen Russell, director of the Institute for Children, Youth, and Families in the School of Family and...