LGBTQ student movement

The origin of the LGBTQ student movement can be linked to other activist movements from the mid-20th century in the United States. The Civil Rights Movement and Second-wave feminist movement were working towards equal rights for other minority groups in the United States. Though the student movement began a few years before the Stonewall riots, the riots helped to spur the student movement to take more action in the US. Despite this, the overall view of these gay liberation student organizations received minimal attention from contemporary LGBTQ historians. This oversight stems from the idea that the organizations were founded with haste as a result of the riots. Others historians argue that this group gives too much credit to groups that disagree with some of the basic principles of activist LGBTQ organizations.

Though the times and places of the student movement vary, the goals are often similar including: abolishing sodomy laws, equality on campuses for LGBTQ students, increasing money for HIV/AIDS research, the legalization of same-sex marriage, to prevent the bullying and suicide of LGBT youth, and gain visibility for LGBTQ people. LGBT student organizations today have started to involve research to improve the understanding of basic activism ideas. Using historical research as a source to identify and differentiate successful approaches. The identities of student activists and their involvement tends to shape the different organizations across campuses. The student movements have not always been successful in their goals, but they have been able to bring visibility to the LGBTQ community in their area as well as working to promote equality for a better future for their community.

Many colleges in Australia have a Students' union that helps support LGBT student activism financially and otherwise. Often the right to have a safe space and LGBT officers is written into the student union policy. The LGBT student activists use media to help spread the word about issues in Australia that they deem important to the community such as Same-sex marriage. This means that LGBT students in Australia's colleges and universities have good visibility on their campuses. The students are using this visibility to try to get same-sex marriage legalized in their country.

The topic of same-sex marriage being legalized in Australia was brought to the forefront of LGBT students when it became legal in Canada. Two same-sex couples traveled to Canada in order to be able to marry their partners, and then attempted to get their marriage recognized when they came back to Australia. The government then used the Marriage Act 1961 (Australia) in order to deny the recognition of the legality of their marriages. The students want to change the definition of marriage so that it is a less fascist convention and is closer to their own views of what marriage should be.

Many schools and colleges in India have LGBTQ+ support groups that help LGBTQ+ Youth by providing every kind of support required. The LGBT+ support groups also educate and raise awareness about LGBTQ+. Schools and college students have actively been taking part in activism through social media. These support groups also aim to eradicate bullying and social discrimination LGBTQ+ youth faces, legalization of gay marriage, serving openly in the Indian armed forces, etc.

Groups of student activists are attempting to change teaching material in Chinese schools they believe may cause discrimination towards LGBT students. The move for this is due to the Guangzhou-based Gay and Lesbian Campus Association report that shows that 40% of the mentions within the Chinese textbooks refer to homosexuality as a mental illness. Along with changes to the textbooks, the groups want universities to allow LGBT student organizations and groups on campuses which are not accepted well on campuses either. Another thing the group wants to promote is better protection for LGBT students from bullies since 3/4 of students mention having been bullied because of their sexuality. The groups hope to change this or eliminate it by changing regulations and rules within the schools.

In 2004, a private American school in Mexico City, Mexico was the first school in Mexico to create a Gay–straight alliance.

The GSA has succeeded in bringing attention to issues of discrimination towards the LGBT students and opened up a school-wide discussion about what the LGBT students deal with at school. The GSA is working to provide support and safe space for LGBT students, providing information about and for LGBT, and raise awareness for LGBT issues.