Policy Regression, Mental Health, and the Lived Experience of LGBTQ+ Students in Anti-DEI Times

This chapter examines how anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) movements and anti-LGBTQ+ policies are reshaping educational spaces and undermining the rights and well-being of queer learners. As socio-political conservatism rises globally, LGBTQ+ students face renewed exclusion, censorship, and hostility. Drawing on intersectional and human rights perspectives, the chapter analyzes how policy rollbacks—such as restricting inclusive curricula, silencing educators, and erasing queer identities—heighten stigma, psychological distress, and identity conflict. Using cross-national insights with a focus on India, it highlights the lived realities of LGBTQ+ students navigating heteronormative institutions. The chapter argues that anti-DEI agendas constitute structural violence, threatening academic freedom and emotional safety. It calls for empathy-based leadership, inclusive governance, and strengthened teacher education to uphold diversity, justice, and belonging.