LGBTQIA1 YOUTH RIGHTS AND ISSUES
EDITED BY LAUREN ZONG, SYDNEY BRINKER, MELL CHHOY, AND
SERENA DINESHKUMAR
I. INTRODUCTION.......................................... 708
II. CHALLENGES IN SCHOOLS .................................. 709
A. OVERVIEW OF FEDERAL AND STATE PROTECTIONS ............. 709
1. Federal Constitutional Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
a. Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection . . . . . . . . . 710
i. Gender Identity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 710
ii. Liability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 712
b. First Amendment Retaliation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 714
2. Federal Statutory Law: Title IX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 714
a. Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715
b. Transgender Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716
c. Liability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717
3. State Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719
B. TRANSITIONING IN SCHOOLS ............................ 721
1. Required Documentation of Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 722
2. Schools’ Duties ..................................... 723
a. Names and Pronouns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 723
b. Access to Sex-Segregated Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724
c. Participation in Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 727
C. SEX EDUCATION .................................... 731
D. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSOCIATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 733
1. Student Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734
2. Students’ Apparel and Appearance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 735
3. Access to Information on the Internet .................. 736
4. Faculty and Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 737
E. BULLYING, HARASSMENT, AND VIOLENCE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 739
1. Bullying and Harassment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 739
2. Suicides and Murders ................................ 741
F. STUDENT PRIVACY AND LEGAL RECOURSE FOR “OUTING” BY
SCHOOL OFFICIALS .................................. 743
III. CHALLENGES FACING FAMILIES OF LGBTQIAþYOUTH ............ 744
A. CONVERSION THERAPY ................................ 744
1. Consumer Fraud . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 745
2. Bans Based on Psychological Harm to Minors . . . . . . . . . . 747
B. CHILD CUSTODY ISSUES FOR LGBTQIAþ-AFFIRMING PARENTS . . 748
C. HOMELESSNESS AMONG LGBTQIAþYOUTH AND RELATED ISSUES 750
1. Primary Causes ..................................... 750
2. LGBTQIAþYouth-Specific Difficulties ............... 751
707
3. Proposed Legal Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753
a. Child Support and Emancipation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753
b. Foster Care Reform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753
c. Prevention of Discrimination in Emergency Shelters
and Permanent Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 754
d. Access to Medical Treatment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 756
i. Hormone Replacement Therapy and Gender
Affirmation Surgeries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757
IV. CHALLENGES FACING LGBTQIAþYOUTH IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. . 757
A. THE PREVALENCE OF LGBTQIAþYOUTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 757
B. HARASSMENT AND ABUSE OF LGBTQIAþYOUTH ........... 758
C. PROBLEMS SPECIFIC TO TRANSGENDER YOUTH ............... 759
1. Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 759
2. Access to Medical Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 760
D. HOW COURTS RESOLVE ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE ............. 761
V. CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS PERTAINING TO LGBTQIAþYOUTH. . . . . . . 762
A. THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT AND THE
STUDENT NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT ................... 762
B. THE EQUALITY ACT.................................. 762
C. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES’
REGULATIONS IMPLEMENTING SECTION 1557 OF THE AFFORDABLE
CARE ACT ........................................ 763
D. TRANSGENDER ACCESS TO PUBLIC FACILITIES AND RESTROOMS. . . . 763
VI. CONCLUSION ........................................... 765
I. INTRODUCTION
This Article discusses the myriad challenges lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgen-
der, and questioning
1
In this Article, the term “transgender” youth, unless otherwise stated, refers to youth who do not
identify with the sex or gender assigned to them at birth, including those who have already begun
transitioning, those who have already transitioned and now identify as a gender other than the one they
were assigned at birth, and those who may view themselves, and/or may be viewed by others, as not
conforming to traditional gender norms for the gender they were assigned at birth. For a history of
transgender identity in society, see Blaise Vanderhorst, Whither Lies the Self: Intersex and Transgender
Individuals and a Proposal for Brain-Based Legal Sex, 9 HARV. L. & POL’Y REV. 241, 246–55 (2015).
Cisgender is the adjective this Article will use to denote someone whose sense of identity corresponds
with the sex assigned to them at birth. See Cisgender, OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY, https://perma.cc/
CP2U-M5HX.
(LGBTQIAþ) youth face in the United States (U.S.). The
Article focuses on issues LGBTQIAþyouth confront in school as well as the
issues faced by families with LGBTQIAþchildren, including increased risk of
violence, abuse, housing instability, and inadequate access to appropriate medical
care. The Article also examines and summarizes legal protections for LGBTQIAþ
youth at the federal and state levels.
1.
708 THE GEORGETOWN JOURNAL OF GENDER AND THE LAW [Vol. 25:707
II. CHALLENGES IN SCHOOLS
A. OVERVIEW OF FEDERAL AND STATE PROTECTIONS
Since the turn of the twentieth century, public education has grown in impor-
tance across the U.S. Today, every state constitution contains an education
provision.
2
LGBTQIAþstudents face several challenges that may prevent them from
attaining equal access to the benefits of public education compared to non-
LGBTQIAþstudents: administrators, teachers, and peers may play a role in the
harassment or bullying of LGBTQIAþstudents,
3
and transgender students are
routinely denied access to gender-corresponding sex-segregated facilities and
educational and athletic programs.
4
2. ALA. CONST. art. XIV, § 256 (West, Westlaw through amendments approved June 10, 2022);
ALASKA CONST. art. VII, § 1 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through amendments approved Nov. 1, 2021);
ARIZ. CONST. art. XI, § 1 (Westlaw through legislation effective June 20, 2023); ARK. CONST. art. XIV,
§ 1, amended by ARK. CONST. amend. 53 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through 2023); CAL. CONST. art. IX,
(West, Westlaw through 2023); COLO. CONST. art. IX, § 2 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through 2023);
CONN. CONST. art. VIII, § 1 (Westlaw through Oct. 1, 2023); DEL. CONST. art. X, § 1 (LexisNexis,
LexisNexis through 2023); FLA. CONST. art. IX, § 1 (amended 1998) (Westlaw through 2020); GA.
CONST. art. VIII, § 1, ¶ 1 (Westlaw through 2023); HAW. CONST. art. X, § 1 (Westlaw through 2023);
IDAHO CONST . art. IX, § 1 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through 2023); ILL. CONST. art. X, § 1 (Westlaw
through amendments approved Oct. 1, 2023); IND. CONST. art. VIII, § 1 (Westlaw through amendments
approved July 1, 2023); IOWA CONST. art. IX (Westlaw through amendments approved July 14, 2023);
KAN. CONST. art. VI, § 1 (Westlaw through 2022); KY. CONST. § 183 (West, Westlaw through 2023);
LA. CONST. art. VIII, § 1 (West, Westlaw through amendments approved Jan. 1, 2023); ME. CONST. art.
VIII, part 1, § 1 (Westlaw through amendments approved Mar. 30, 2023); MD. CONST. art. VIII, § 1
(West, Westlaw through amendments approved July 1, 2023); MASS. CONST. pt. 2, Ch. V, § 2 (West,
Westlaw through amendments approved Feb. 1, 2023); MICH. CONST. Ch. 1, art. VIII, § 2 (Westlaw
through amendments approved Nov. 8, 2022); MINN. CONST. art. XIII, § 1 (Westlaw through 2023);
MISS. CONST. art. VIII, § 201 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through 2023); MO. CONST. art. IX, § 1
(LexisNexis through amendments approved Dec. 8, 2022); MONT. CONST. art. X, § 1 (Westlaw through
2023); NEB. CONST. art. VII, § 1 (Westlaw through 2023); NEV. CONST. art. XI, § 2 (Westlaw through
amendments approved Oct. 1, 2023); N.H. CONST. pt. 2, art. 83 (West, Westlaw through 2023); N.J.
CONST. art. VIII, § 4, ¶ 1 (West, LexisNexis through amendments approved Nov. 8, 2022); N.M. CONST.
art. XII, § 1 (Conway Greene, Westlaw through amendments approved Nov. 3, 2020; N.Y. CONST. art.
XI, § 1 (McKinney, Westlaw through 2023); N.C. CONST. art. IX, § 2 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through
2023); N.D. CONST. art. VIII, § 1 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through amendments approved Nov. 8,
2022); OHIO CONST. art. VI, § 3 (West, Westlaw through 2023); OKLA. CONST. art. XIII, § 1 (West,
Westlaw through amendments approved Feb. 15, 2023); OR. CONST. art. VIII, § 3 (Westlaw through
amendments approved June 15, 2023); PA. CONST. art. III, § 14 (Westlaw through amendments
approved Nov. 8, 2022); R.I. CONST. art. XII, § 1 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through amendments
approved Nov. 8, 2022); S.C. CONST. art. XI, § 3 (Westlaw through 2023); S.D. CONST. art. VIII, § 1
(West, Westlaw through 2023); TENN. CONST. art. XI, § 12 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through 2023);
TEX. CONST. art. VII, § 1 (West, Westlaw through 2023); UTAH CONST. art. X, § 1 (West, Westlaw
through 2023); Vt. CONST. § 68 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through amendments approved Dec. 1, 2022);
VA. CONST. art. VIII, § 1 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through amendments adopted Nov. 8, 2022); WASH.
CONST. art. IX, § 1 (Westlaw through amendments adopted Nov. 8, 2022); W. VA. CONST. art. XII, § 1
(Westlaw through 2023); WIS. CONST. art. X, § 3 (West, Westlaw through amendments approved Aug.
10, 2023); WYO. CONST. art. VII, § 1 (LexisNexis, LexisNexis through 2023).
3. See infra Section II.E.
4. See infra Section II.B.2.
2024] LGBTQIAþYOUTH RIGHTS & ISSUES 709
