Honesty Coalition 2026 LGBTQ+ Youth & Parents Listening Session

This session is for students and their parents. We'll have two rooms in the Zoom—so parents and students can speak freely with their peers! The Belonging for Every Student Listening Campaign is a statewide effort to better understand how recent anti-LGBTQ+ laws are shaping the experiences of students, educators, and families across Ohio. Over the past few years, laws like House Bill 8 have required all 611 school districts in Ohio to adopt new policies. While these policies are public record, what remains unclear is how they are being put into practice and how they are impacting real people in school communities. This autumn, we are listening. We want to know: How are districts implementing these policies? Are schools going beyond what the law requires? How are LGBTQ+ students and families being affected? What changes are educators experiencing in their classrooms, materials, and ability to support students? By gathering stories, insights, and data from across the state, this campaign will help build a clearer picture of what’s happening on the ground. These findings will directly inform advocacy strategies for the 2026–2027 school year, ensuring that efforts to support safe, inclusive, and equitable schools are rooted in the lived experiences of Ohio communities. Please share with young Ohioans who have something to say about the experiences of LQBTQ+ students in our schools in the 2026-2027 school year.