Testing the Effectiveness of an Intervention to Improve Romanian Teachers’ LGBT+-Related Attitudes, Cognitions, Behaviors, and Affect: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Repeated stigmatization due to group membership constitutes a recurrent stressor with negative impact on physical and mental health (minority stress model). Among European countries, Romania ranks low on LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The "+" represents individuals whose identities do not fit typical binary notions of male and female [nonbinary]) inclusion, with 45% of Romanian LGBT+ respondents reporting discrimination in at least 1 area of life in the year preceding the survey. Importantly, while all LGBT+ people might experience minority stress, younger sexual minority individuals are more prone to the detrimental impacts of stigma on their mental and physical health. As such, interventions are necessary to improve the inclusion climate within schools, where young people spend most of their time. Until now, most interventions addressing this topic have been conducted on undergraduate students in Western countries, with no studies conducted in countries that have widespread anti-LGBT+ attitudes.