Human Rights Campaign Applauds Senate Introduction of Safe Schools Improvement Act

Washington – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, applauded the introduction of the Safe Schools Improvement Act in the U.S. Senate by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA). The Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) would amend the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (part of the No Child Left Behind Act) to require schools and districts receiving federal funds to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and religion. The Act would also require that states report data on bullying and harassment to the Department of Education.  This is the first time the SSIA has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.

Human Rights Campaign Applauds Senate Introduction of Safe Schools Improvement Act

Legislation would mandate that schools adopt policies to meaningfully address bullying and harassment, including LGBT students.

Washington – The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, applauded the introduction of the Safe Schools Improvement Act in the U.S. Senate by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA). The Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) would amend the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (part of the No Child Left Behind Act) to require schools and districts receiving federal funds to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and religion. The Act would also require that states report data on bullying and harassment to the Department of Education.  This is the first time the SSIA has been introduced in the U.S. Senate.

“Too many kids have dropped out of school, hurt themselves, or even taken their own lives because they were bullied or harassed at school,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We place our children in grave danger when we fail to adequately help school administrators and teachers create safe learning environments for all students, including those who are actually or perceived to be lesbian, gay, bisexual or  transgender.”

Bullying and harassment of students who are actually or perceived to be LGBT is widespread. While current federal law provides important support to promote school safety, it does not comprehensively and expressly focus on issues of bullying or harassment, and in no way addresses the challenges faced by LGBT youth in our nation’s schools.

According to a 2007 School Climate Survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT youth reported being verbally harassed at school because of their sexual orientation; more than 60 percent of LGBT students said they felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and more than a third of LGBT students felt unsafe because of their gender expression; nearly 45 percent of LGBT students reported being physically harassed in school because of their sexual orientation; and nearly one-third of LGBT students nationwide said they had missed a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe.  Numerous education, health, law enforcement and youth development organizations support this federal legislation to combat bullying and harassment, including the American Federation of Teachers, American School Health Association, National Association of School Psychologists, National Education Association, National Parent Teacher Association, American Association of University Women, Asian American Justice Center, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, and the National Council of La Raza.

In the 111th Congress, SSIA was introduced by Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA) in the House and currently has 119 co-sponsors (H.R. 2262).

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

HRC Awards Scholarships to Student Activists Committed to Achieving LGBT Equality

Washington - The Human Rights Campaign – the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) advocacy organization – today announced the winners of the Generation Equality Scholarship for LGBT and allied students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to equality.  The $2000 scholarships are part of HRC Foundation’s Youth and Campus Outreach Program, which aims to provide tools, facilitate connections and empower young people to fight for LGBT equality on campus and beyond.

Franken Introduces Student Non-Discrimination Act in Senate to End Anti-LGBT Discrimination in Schools

The Senate version is a companion bill to H.R. 4530, introduced by Rep. Jared Polis in the House early this year, which would prohibit discrimination in schools on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Rep. Polis's bill currently has the support of over 100 representatives.

"GLSEN thanks Senator Franken and SNDA's 22 Senate cosponsors for making a commitment to ensuring that LGBT students can learn without the fear of being discriminated against simply for who they are," GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard said. "SNDA will send a clear message to schools that they must address the hostile environment many LGBT students face in schools."

Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students (86.2%) experience harassment at school because of their sexual orientation, and 60.8% feel unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, according to GLSEN's 2007 National School Climate Survey.

The harassment clearly affects students' ability to learn. A third of LGBT students (32.7%) missed a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe, five times higher than a national sample of all students.

"It’s time that we extend the protections of our nations' civil right laws to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students across the country," Franken said. "No student should be subjected to the ridicule and physical violence that LGBT students so often experience in school. It's time we demanded equal treatment for all of our children under the law."

SNDA is endorsed by more than 25 LGBT, education, civil rights, medical and social justice organizations including: GLSEN, American Civil Liberties Union, American Counseling Association, American Psychological Association, Interface Alliance, NAACP, National Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Council of La Raza, and School Social Work Association of America.

About GLSEN

GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established in 1990, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. GLSEN seeks to develop school climates where difference is valued for the positive contribution it makes to creating a more vibrant and diverse community. For information on GLSEN's research, educational resources, public policy advocacy, student organizing programs and educator training initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.