Furthermore, participants also recognized a lack of LGBTI information in school curriculum and made several demands. Most participants reported experiences of discrimination, and several sources of prejudice were identified. A thematic analysis of these answers was conducted, and four main categories were identified: (i) victimization, (ii) coming out experiences, (iii) support networks, and (iv) demands. One hundred and forty-six of them answered an open-ended question about their personal experiences. To assess the perceptions of self-identified LGBTI youth regarding their school context, a total of 663 participants (aged from 15 to 20 years old) filled in an on-line questionnaire about their school climate.
However, regarding education Portugal still lacks specific policies, plans and interventions to protect LGBTI students. Portugal is one of the most egalitarian countries in Europe in terms of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) individuals’ legal rights. 5Faculty of Learning Sciences and Education, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.4Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.3ISCTE-University Institute of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.2Center for Psychology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.1Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.Jorge Gato 1,2*, Daniela Leal 1,2*, Carla Moleiro 3, Telmo Fernandes 1, Diogo Nunes 3, Inês Marinho 1, Oren Pizmony-Levy 4 and Cody Freeman 5