Bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) people, particularly LGBTQ youth, involves intentional actions toward the victim, repeated negative actions by one or more people against another person, and an imbalance of physical or psychological power.

LGBTQ youth are more likely to report bullying than non-LGBTQ youth. The bullying can look like being harassed, physical violence, or verbal abuse. Youth a part of the LGBTQ community face bullying more than other youth especially when it comes to school settings. In one study, boys who were bullied with taunts of being gay suffered more bullying and more negative effects compared with boys who were bullied with other categories of taunting. Some researchers suggest including youth questioning their sexuality in any research on LGBTQ bullying because they may be as susceptible to its effects as LGBTQ students.

Victims of LGBTQ bullying may feel unsafe, resulting in depression and anxiety, including increased rates of suicide and attempted suicide. LGBTQ students may try to pass as heterosexual and/or cisgender to escape the bullying, leading to further stress and isolation from available supports. Support organizations exist in many countries to prevent LGBTQ bullying and support victims. Some jurisdictions have passed legislation against LGBTQ bullying and harassment.

Homophobic and transphobic violence in schools can be categorized as explicit and implicit. Explicit homophobic and transphobic violence consists of overt acts that make subjects feel uncomfortable, hurt, humiliated or intimidated. Educational staff are unlikely to intervene when witnessing these incidents. This contributes to normalizing such acts that become accepted as either a routine disciplinary measure or a means to resolve conflicts among students. Homophobic and transphobic violence – as with all school-related gender-based violence – is acutely underreported due to subjects' fear of retribution, combined with inadequate or non-existent reporting, support and redress systems. The absence of effective policies, protection or remedies contributes to a vicious cycle where incidents become increasingly normal. Reporting any evidence of bullying is often not an option for LGBTQ students which is why it is not reported as much. Reporting instances of bullying can make situations worse and cause youth to be scared of what might happen if they do report. If the school does not have clear bullying policies or offer support systems for students to seek out, then bullying and other forms of harassment will keep on happening.

Having positive school environments is crucial because it can help to improve mental health numbers in students who are LGTBQ. Research has found that bullying incidents have lowered when schools put in place safety guidelines and antibullying policies on campuses. In the Trevor Project, it shows that there were lower bullying numbers in schools by 28% because of the LGBTQ policies that were instated, which then also helped the suicide numbers to go down as well about 10% when looked at with schools who did not have these installed. Some factors that also played a big role in these numbers were the Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs), mental health services, and trained staff.

In the documentary from PBS called The Whistle, it recognizes the impact that safe school environments have on LGBTQ youth. In the film, we see how LGTBQ youth created a way of communicating with one another and identifying others who are a part of the LGBTQ community when they were experiencing harassment and bullying, that helped them to build safe spaces. This way of communication was a secret form of communication that helped them build a connection and community within one that did not include them in it. In addition, this documentary highlighted the role adults played in school settings. By having supportive and understanding adults, like teachers and other school staff, LGBTQ students could feel more supported.

Implicit homophobic and transphobic violence, sometimes called 'symbolic violence' or 'institutional' violence, is subtler than explicit violence. It consists of pervasive representations or attitudes that sometimes feel harmless or natural to the school community, but that allow or encourage homophobia and transphobia, including perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Policies and guidelines can reinforce or embed these representations or attitudes, whether in an individual institution or across an entire education sector. This way, they can become part of everyday practices and rules guiding school behaviour. Examples of implicit homophobic and transphobic violence include:

Egale Canada, along with previous research, has found teachers and school administration may be complicit in LGBT bullying through their silence and/or inaction.