Straight Students Harassed for Having Gay Friends

The Straight Student Ally Report is a report on the life experiences of straight students who are friends or allies of LGBT students in Iowa’s high schools. The Iowa Pride Network’s Straight Student Ally Report is the second component to its recently released Iowa School Climate Survey, which detailed the life experiences of LGBT students in Iowa. Ryan Roemerman, Director of the Iowa Pride Network, detailed the study’s findings. “The majority of straight student allies in Iowa high schools are extremely distressed when hearing the words “gay” or “queer” used in a derogatory way (such as, “That’s so gay”); and confirm that Iowa’s LGBT students are being specifically targeted for harassment and assault.” The complete report is available in PDF from the Iowa Pride Network.