OUT for Safe Schools® - Los Angeles LGBT Center

The Los Angeles LGBT Center is one of the leading organizations advancing civil rights and freedoms for LGBT people.

By mentoring and developing a new generation of leaders, domestically and internationally, we’re strengthening the global LGBT movement while we educate the public about LGBT issues, mobilize constituents, advance policy initiatives, and work with political leaders throughout the U.S. to promote equality and justice for LGBT people.

In schools throughout the country we’re leading efforts to help end anti-LGBT bigotry and even the thought of suicide among LGBT students. We’re also working to revolutionize the care and treatment of LGBT foster youth.

Throughout California we train social service providers, caregivers for seniors, educators, government agencies, law enforcement officials, and others to help them better serve the diverse LGBT community.

Leadership & Advocacy

Meet Russ

Just someone shaking your hand or giving you a hug is priceless to seniors like me.

Watch Russ' Story

We’re partnering with school districts and other education agencies to address issues related to school policy, culture and practices and we encourage faculty and administrators to wear our OUT for Safe Schools^® badges, publicly identifying themselves as LGBTQ allies and sending a visible message to all students that LGBTQ youth are welcomed and supported.

In 2013, OUT for Safe Schools^® was created by the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the L.A. Unified School District, and the Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) Network to increase the visibility of adult allies to LGBTQ students on school campuses around Los Angeles. As of 2016, 117,000 teachers, administrators and other school staff in 9 major districts across the country wear the OUT for Safe Schools^® badge, reaching approximately 2.5 million students. This includes the efforts of Project SPIN (Suicide Prevention Intervention Now), the landmark partnership between the Los Angeles LGBT Center, L.A. Unified School District, and a coalition of stakeholders, to end the conditions that contribute to suicide by LGBTQ youth. For more information about the GSA Network, please visit their site at https://gsanetwork.org/.