Public schools in Durham, North Carolina, added a policy that will help LGBT students, and Texas had the most protests against drag shows this year according to GLAAD.

Durham Public Schools Pass Policy That Will Help LGBT Students

The “Gender Supports” policy added to the Durham, North Carolina, public schools, the policy will strengthen how teachers and faculty will support transgender and non-binary students.

The policy is meant to create a more inclusive environment for LGBT students.

“The policy really outlines what we expect to see from staff when it comes to making sure that we’re respecting students and their names and their identity and what they bring to school,” School Board Chairwoman Bettina Umstead told NC Policy Watch.

However, the community still has concerns about how schools will follow up if there are verbal or physical threats to queer students.

“These changes are not going to be effective or worthwhile without you guys passing a policy,” said Dylan Evans, president of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) at the School of Creative Studies (SCS) in Durham. “One or two teachers in my entire school are not enough to create a safe space for the dozens of kids that go to my school and there are hundreds [of LGBT students] that exist within the entire Durham Public School System.”

Texas Had the Most Anti-LGBT Protest at Drag Events This Year

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According to GLAAD, Texas had 23 of the 141 threats and protests, specifically targeting drag events, in 2022.

“We know that we are currently living in an incredibly hostile environment, and that has a direct impact on our community,” Ricardo Martinez, the president and CEO of Equality Texas, told KXAN. “Which is why it’s incredibly important to watch what you say and ensure the safety and protection of all Texans.”

Recently, groups protested an all-ages drag holiday event claiming that the show was not suitable for children.

“That said, that rhetoric is extraordinarily dangerous, and that’s really what we’re fighting against: to make sure that these types of bills don’t have the airtime to rally those who want to protest against us or show up at our events,” said Tina Cannon, the president and CEO of the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce.