Advocating for Sexual and Affectional Minority Youth

Specifically, American Native, Pacific Islander, Latino, and multiracial sexual and affectional minority youth have increased mental health risks, including feeling sad and having more suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts than their White heterosexual peers (Bostwick et al., 2014). Black sexual and affectional minority youth have also reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and substance abuse compared to their White cisgender peers, with higher levels of suicidal ideation and planning relative to their heterosexual peers (Mereish et al., 2019). [...]sexual and affectional minority youth of color are an especially vulnerable group. In school districts that support waived consent via in loco parentis, a trusted adult at school or another community-based organization could take on the responsibility of providing permission for a student to participate in SOGD-related programming in the event that coming out to parents would be physically or psychologically unsafe for the child (Kiperman & Saint, 2022). Operating in loco parentis when legally feasible may provide a safe way for sexual and affectional minority youth to gain social support and access to valuable resources and information through schools (Kiperman et al., 2023).1 Advocacy School psychologists play a crucial role in advocating for sexual and affectional minority youth, as advocacy on the local, state, and national levels (see Table 1) can be impactful in supporting students in educational settings.