Don’t Say Gay: Preparing School Counselors to Support LGBTQ+ Students in Unsafe School Environments

Substantial research demonstrates the negative experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in schools as well as best practices for school counselors to support them. The drastic increase in harmful and oppressive legislation targeting LGBTQ+ students places restrictions on school counselors, who can no longer implement many of the evidence based best practices. This paper discusses integrating Ecological Social Justice School Counseling theory into school counseling practice and preparation programs in order to guide current and future school counselors in supporting LGBTQ+ students, despite policies that may restrict school counselors from utilizing many research informed practices.