School Nondiscrimination
School nondiscrimination laws protect LGBTQ students from discrimination in school, including being unfairly denied access to facilities, sports teams, or clubs on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This map shows state school nondiscrimination laws or regulations that explicitly include sexual orientation and/or gender identity as protected characteristics, as well as states that explicitly interpret existing laws banning sex-based discrimination to include sexual orientation and/or gender identity.
*NOTES (and click “Citations & More Information” below the map legend for more information about every state):Â
-In green-striped states, state agencies have explicitly stated they interpret existing protections against discrimination based on sex to include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Click the “Citations & More Information” button (below the map legend) for more detail for every state.
-Rhode Island and Utah’s regulations prohibit discrimination on the bases of both sexual orientation and gender identity. In Delaware and the Northern Mariana Islands, regulations prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation only.
Some states also prohibit discrimination on the basis of “association with someone with a listed characteristic” or a person’s relationship to someone else with a listed characteristic. These laws protect students with, for example, LGBTQ friends or family members. Additional information on these protections is included in the “Citations & More Information” link beneath the map legend.
Please note, other rights may exist or be recognized where you live; this map is not intended as legal advice or an indication of your rights.
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Safe Schools Laws.” https://mapresearch.org/equality-map/safe-school-laws. Data as of June 12, 2026.
Trevor Lifeline – (866-488-7386) – You can call the Trevor Lifeline to connect with a trained volunteer counselor who is ready to listen. It’s free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Percent of LGBTQ Population Covered by Laws
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the LGBTQ population (ages 13+) living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of the LGBTQ population in the five inhabited U.S. territories are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population data are from UCLA’s The Williams Institute.
