Safe Schools Program


Between social pressures and establishing an identity, school can already be a challenging place for students to thrive in. But for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth, school can be the most difficult ordeal they face.

What can you do to make your school safe for LGBT students?

Bring the Safe Schools Program to your School

Help create a safer and more inclusive school environment by working with PFLAG NYC to bring the Safe Schools Program into your classrooms.

Across a range of areas, LGBTQ+ youth on average are at much higher risk than their peers. Their academic performance suffers. They are subject to harassment and violence at greater rates. Substance abuse and homelessness affect LGBTQ+ youth disproportionately. Sadly, they attempt and commit suicide at much higher rates.

All students, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer young people, have the right to attend school free of fear. Yet school is not a safe place for New York City’s LGBTQ+ middle and high school students. When disparaging remarks are ignored by teachers and other school professionals from the early grades through high school, all students get the message that gays are not protected. In such a hostile environment, verbal abuse can quickly lead to physical attacks on students who are perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.

What can you do to make your school safer and more inclusive for LGBTQ+ students?



Volunteers from PFLAG NYC’s Safe Schools Program speak with NYC high school students about the power of safe and inclusive schools for LGBTQ+ youth.

PFLAG NYC’s Safe Schools Program is an educational speaking and outreach program that promotes inclusion, understanding, equality, and non-violence in the New York City schools. PFLAG NYC community speakers help create a learning and social environment that is free of harassment, and provides, safety, dignity, and respect for all students, including those who are LGBTQ+. Our speakers come from all backgrounds and include straight family and friends of LGBTQ+ people, as well as LGBTQ+ adults and youth, who being a family perspective and personal stories in order to help teach about sexual orientation and gender identity and making the school environment safe and encouraging for all.

Through the Safe Schools Program, PFLAG NYC visits schools throughout New York to work with teachers, parents, administrators, school staff, and students to help make sure that hate, bias, and discrimination have no place in the classroom.

The Safe Schools Program:

  • Addresses students, teachers, counselors, and parents about LGBTQ+ issues
  • Helps LGBTQ+ students find support in understanding their sexual orientation and/or gender identity
  • Helps faculty and staff to understand and approach LGBTQ+ issues respectfully and accurately
  • Helps parents understand LGBTQ+ issues as it relates to the developing sexuality of their children and their children’s friends and peers
  • Teaches all students, faculty, and parents to be allies

Bring the Safe Schools Program to your School

Help create a safer and more inclusive school environment by working with PFLAG NYC to bring the Safe Schools Program into your classrooms.

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