The Impact of Attendance at a LGBTQIA Conference on School Counselors’ and Other Educators’ Beliefs and Behaviors

Historically, LGBTQIA issues have been both controversial and sensitive topics of conversation in educational settings. School counselors and other educators have a professional responsibility to advocate for LGBTQIA youth, yet many lack the attitudes, knowledge, and skills to do so. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the 2012 Center for Excellence in School Counseling and Leadership (CESCaL) LGBTQIA and Educators Conference. The conference provided attendees with the knowledge of laws and rights of LGBTQIA students, provided extensive educator resources, and encouraged attendees to take personal responsibility to be advocates for LGBTQIA youth and to create safe spaces in schools. Through the use of an anonymous pre- conference and post-conference survey, the perceptions of adult attendees at the conference were investigated to gauge the impact of the conference. Results indicate participants’ perceptions of knowledge, attitudes, and skills regarding advocacy for LGBTQIA youth increased as a result of participating in CESCaL’s LGBTQIA 2012 conference.