Date of Award

August 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Counseling Psychology & Community Services

First Advisor

Kara Wettersten

Abstract

The current study aimed to qualitatively explore queer and LGBTQ+ allied k-12 teachers’ perceptions and experiences related to recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. As health disparities among queer youth worsen due to changes in the sociopolitical climate and political sphere (Chokus-Bradley et al., 2022; Kline et al., 2022), teachers have a unique opportunity to support queer students through their roles and relationships within schools. Researchers contextualized the affirming intervention strategies teachers utilized through the Systems View of School Climate (Rudasill et al., 2018). Through semi-structured interviews, participants shared how the legislative changes have impacted strategies they use to support queer students, as well as how it has changed the broader school climate and district policies. Thematic analysis (Clark & Braun, 2013) was utilized to identify key themes among participant responses, with participants describing a general disconnect between the legislation and their lived experiences. Participants discussed the role of covert advocacy and relational support in their schools, as well as identified concrete interventions used to support queer students. Future research is needed to further understand the impact of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation on school climate and strategies teachers use to support queer students due to limitations related to sample size and significant variability in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation between school districts and states.

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