Strategies to Promote LGBTQ+ Inclusivity in Youth-Serving Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education Programs

More than one in four high school students in the United States today identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (LGBTQ+). Youth-serving healthy marriage and relationship education (HMRE) programs aim to enhance young people’s socioemotional and relationship skills and prepare them to have healthy romantic relationships in adolescence and adulthood. These programs are well-positioned to support the healthy development of the growing number of LGBTQ+ youth in their communities. However, few HMRE programs explicitly address the experiences of youth who are LGBTQ+.

This brief highlights strategies HMRE programs can use to improve their inclusivity for LGBTQ+ youth in the areas of (1) recruitment, outreach, and initial engagement; (2) program content and delivery; and (3) staff hiring and training. It also describes the potential benefit of partnering with trusted members of the LGBTQ+ community to implement the strategies successfully. The evidence supporting these strategies is described in more detail in a white paper about the challenges HMRE programs face related to LGBTQ+ inclusivity and promising approaches for overcoming these challenges (Alamillo et al. 2023).