If you don't mind me asking, when were you in high school?
I was in high school in the late 2010s, in a red county in a red state, and there were a few openly queer ppl in my grade who were never bullied throughout high school.
I think it was because allies outnumbered the homophobes/transphobes and bullies only punch down, not up.
I was in high school in the late 00s early 10s and I remember guys in the locker room talking about how they'd murder a trans woman if one "tricked them". Around that point the only reason I didn't realize I was a trans woman was that I really didn't want to realize it.
If they're pre/non-op, it's certainly wise to, though I don't see any reason to do so if they're post-op
Edit: these guys probably weren't referring to dating though- many trans women are unlikely to out themselves at a public bar to every guy that hits on them
saying "straight guys" here gives me the implication that you think it isn't straight for a cis guy to date a trans gal, which is transphobic. hoping that's just me reading it wrong or you expressing it wrong though.
to answer the question at hand though none of my trans friends would want to date someone who "would murder them if they 'tricked them'"
maybe there are a few trans people interested in tricking transphobes into having sex with them but that sounds extremely dangerous per that comment before...
Not anything super interesting at mine, basically everyone there was a Christian nationalist Fox News Republican and I got sick of being exclusively around people who were constantly promoting stuff that would criminalize and erase people like myself and didn't give a shit about anyone outside of their immediate community. For LGB it was a "love the sinner hate the sin" mindset though so it could have been a lot worse (although it's still considered basically the worst sin you can possibly commit aside from murder and worthy of the death penalty). For T though the environment was more hostile, I heard there was one person who came out as trans and was quickly expelled. Aside from that they taught stupid shit like dinosaurs still exist and the government is hiding them from us and dragons exist as well. Glad to be out of that shithole.