Committing To The End Of A ‘Lifetime On Alert’ For Physical And Psychological Violence Against LGBTQIA+ Youth And Adults

WHEREAS, in May 2024, U.S. State Department and joint FBI-Department of Homeland Security international travel alerts have been issued warning LGBTQIA+ Americans of increased risk of terrorist attacks aimed at June’s pride events worldwide; and

WHEREAS, in June 2023, the Human Rights Campaign declared a “state of emergency” for LGBTQIA+ people in the U.S., citing the more than 500 bills in state legislatures—more than 80 of which have been signed into law—targeting LGBTQIA+ people, primarily transgender youth; and

WHEREAS, in April 2023, Equality Florida issued a travel alert “warning of the risks posed to the health, safety, and freedom of those considering short- or long-term travel, or relocation to [Florida] … following the passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQIA+ community, restrict access to reproductive healthcare, repeal gun safety laws, foment racial prejudice, and attack public education by banning books and censoring curriculum”; and

WHEREAS, in 2019, the American Medical Association alerted the nation to an “epidemic of violence” against transgender people, the FBI reported 20 percent of the 8,000+ reported hate crimes in the U.S. resulted from sexual orientation and gender identity bias aimed at LGBTQIA+ persons, the number of anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crimes have increased each year (2020-23) since, and Black trans women are the most likely victims of violent bias-motivated crimes; and

WHEREAS, incidents of anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crimes are rising faster in the 28 states that have laws that ban gender-affirming care, restrict the rights of K-12 transgender students (restrict bathroom use to one that matches their gender identity at birth, allow pronoun misgendering) and restrict classroom discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation; and

WHEREAS, LGBTQIA+ youth have more than double the risk of homelessness with a greater risk for LGBTQIA+ youth who are Black, Indigenous or people of color; and nearly half of homeless LGBTQIA+ youth run away because they were disowned by their family; 2 out of 5 are kicked out by their parents; and one-third face physical, emotional or sexual abuse; and

WHEREAS, suicide is a leading cause of death for LGBTQIA+ young people ages 10-24; LGBTQIA+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers; transgender and nonbinary youth are two to five times more likely to attempt suicide than their cisgendered peers; 41 percent of LGBTQIA+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide, and nearly 14 percent of LGBTQIA+ youth attempted suicide in 2023; and

WHEREAS, LGBTQIA+ young people with at least one accepting adult in their life report significantly lower rates of attempting suicide, and LGBTQIA+ youth who experience supportive parents/caregivers are half as likely to report suicidal thoughts and half as likely to report attempting suicide; and

WHEREAS, LGBTQIA+ middle and high school students had 26 percent lower odds of attempting suicide in 2022 when they had access to at least 1 of 5 of these school-related protective factors: (1) learning about LGBTQIA+ people and experiences in sex education, (2) learning about LGBTQIA+ stories and people in history class, (3) having access to a gender-neutral bathroom, (4) the presence of an on-campus Gender and Sexuality Alliance or a Gay Straight Alliance, and (5) teachers who respect student’s pronouns:

RESOLVED, that the AFT acknowledges that LGBTQIA+ persons face a lifetime on alert due to greater risk of psychological and physical violence because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and/or race; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will survey and collect anti-violence and anti-bullying policies that specifically address anti-LGBTQIA+ bias and develop and make available model anti-violence and anti-bullying policies to local and state affiliates for adoption by state legislatures, educational boards, employer agencies and boards; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will survey and collect school and school district policies that support LGBTQIA+ affirming and inclusive school environments and curriculum for students, make available model policies to local and state affiliates, and provide support and strategies for the adoption of such policies by local educational boards; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will continue to develop and disseminate to local and state affiliates LGBTQIA+ public relations content and strategies for adoption of LGBTQIA+ affirming policies by state legislatures, educational boards and employers; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will continue to survey and collect workplace policies and contract language that support LGBTQIA+ affirming and inclusive work environments, make available model policies and contract language to local and state affiliates, and provide support and strategies for the adoption of such policies and contract language by employers; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will continue to defend and support members who are committed to carrying these goals forward; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will continue to respond with tangible and specific actions to help end the need for LGBTQIA+ people, especially BIPOC and rural LGBTQIA+ people and communities, to live in a perpetual state of caution at their school, at their workplace, in their communities, and at times in their own homes; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will continue our advocacy against the torrent of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation, and will never end our fight for the dignity and civil and human rights of all persons; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will recommit resources to achieve these goals.