LGBTQ YOUTH IN MONTANA: Bullying in School is a Major Problem.

• Author: Herling, Daphne
• Position: RESEARCH - Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning

Montanas sexual minority youth have it rough. Despite enormous strides in acceptance and understanding there's still much work to be done. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth have higher rates of suicide, mental health problems and substance abuse to name just a few issues. But policies and programs that build resiliency can be enacted so that young people can be confident in who they are without worrying about bullying, violence, job security or a lack of legal protections.

Sexual minority youth face challenges at home and in their communities as a result of stigma and discrimination --rejection by family being the most tragic outcome. It is estimated that between 20 to 40 percent of youth who become homeless each year are LGBTQ and these youth often cycle through foster homes, group homes and the streets. A review conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation showed that LGBTQ youth were less likely to be placed in a permanent home and were more likely to face abuse and harassment in their foster or group homes.

Suicide attempts and depression among LGBTQ youth is of grave concern. A low sense of belonging or social alienation and feeling like "an outsider" is linked to suicide. There is a startling difference among LGBTQ youth from positive, accepting families compared to those who've been completely rejected. Rejected youth were more than eight times as likely to attempt suicide, almost six times as likely to report high levels of depression, more than three times as likely to use illegal drugs and three times as likely to be at high risk for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases.

School-based bullying is a major problem. Sixty percent of LGBTQ students doubted they would graduate high school because of the hostile climate in their school. More than half felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation--just under half commonly avoided school bathrooms, locker rooms and gym classes. Almost one quarter were verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation and nearly all heard homophobic remarks.

LGBTQ students who've experienced victimization had lower grade point averages than other students and were three times as likely to have missed class because of safety concerns. LGBTQ students attending rural or small town schools, which would include most Montana schools, experienced the highest levels of victimization based on sexual orientation and gender expression.

In 2015, Montana included only one...