Studies have shown that queer students are safer and experience less bullying when their schools have policies that directly name and address homophobia and transphobia. A Canadian study found that queer students from schools with these policies reported significantly fewer incidents of physical and verbal harassment, they were exposed to fewer homophobic and transphobic comments, and they were more likely to report feeling respected in their school community.
In contrast, broad “equity” and “safer school policies” (such as general prohibitions against bullying) that do not specifically address homophobic and transphobic bullying do not produce these same results.
Most policies of this kind are made by school boards. In some cases, provincial legislation might make having such policies a requirement. For example, in Ontario, the Education Act says that the government is required to establish policies that identify inappropriate student behaviour, including “incidents based on homophobia, transphobia or biphobia,” and must provide appropriate consequences.
