An estimated 34,000 LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 17 live in Colorado, according to data from a federal survey on teen health. For many of these young Coloradoans, school is not a safe place.

According to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s 2021 School Climate Survey, 80% of U.S. LGBTQ+ youth feel unsafe at school . Experiences of harassment and violence are common for these students.

In a single school year, 76% of LGBTQ students experienced in-person verbal harassment, 49% were bullied, 23% were physically harmed or threatened, and 53.7% were sexually harassed, according to GLSEN’s survey and a 2024 survey by the Trevor Project. In Colorado, the Healthy Kids survey tells us that less than half of LGBTQ+ students feel they belong at their school .

As a Colorado resident for

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