Tell Senators to Co-Sponsor the Student Non-Discrimination Act

Senator Al Franken (D) Minnesota introduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) along with 22 other senate co-sponsors of the legislation. The bill will prohibit discrimination and harassment and provide for a learning environment that values respect and acceptance for all.

According to GLSEN:

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.

The following is a list of senators currently co-sponsoring the bill:

SNDA is co-sponsored by Senators Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Robert Menedez (D-N.J.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii).

Please make sure to urge your senators to join in co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation.

Contact your senators by email or by phone at (202) 224-3121.

Also be sure to lobby your congressmember on SNDA a similar bill in the house under HR 4530.

Support The Federal Student Non-Discrimination Act (HR 4530)

The Student Non-Discrimination Act (HR 4530) has been introduced in congress to protect LGBT students or those perceived to be in K-12 public schools throughout the country. The act would provide protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity and list remedies for victims of queerphobia.

Studies show that discrimination leads to higher rates of LGBT absenteeism, drop-outs, poor grades, and has an adverse affect on mental health and well being.

Contact your representative through the ACLU's e-action alert to urge them to co-sponsor this important and historic piece of legislation.

Demand that Lesbian Student be Allowed to go to Prom

Constance McMillen a lesbian high school student in the Itawamba County School District of Fulton Mississippi is forbidden from wearing a tux and attending prom with her girlfriend. After the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue the school for discrimination on the students behalf, the school canceled the prom completely.

Below is a cute video from Lizzy the Lezzy describing the situation:


This story has gained national attention and prompted discussion on LGBT youth rights. Please contact the superintendent and school board members and demand they hold the prom for all students regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.

Superintendent:
Teresa McNeece
tmcneece@itawamba.k12.ms.us
(662) 862-2159 Ext. 14

Board members:
Trae Wiygul
twiygul@itawamba.k12.ms.us
(662) 862-3104

Eddie Hood
a082315@allstate.com

Jackie Nichols
jnichols@itawamba.k12.ms.us

Harold Martin
hmartin@itawamba.k12.ms.us

Clara Brown
cbrown@network-one.com

Tony Wallace
twallace@nexband.com

GLSEN Spins on "That's So Gay" Catchphrase

Look out for adverts mocking the infamous phrase "that's so gay" by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). This outreach is being coordinated by their 'Think Before You Speak' campaign and has released several billboards, print ads, TV, radio, and internet graphics throughout the country in an effort to get students to stop using language that is hurtful towards LGBT students. The campaign seeks to make the phrase look outdated, meaningless, and ignorant.

Below are some of the new posters that have been released featuring a jock, cheerleader, and a gamer that attempt to make the point.



Sign the pledge and come up with something original to replace "that's so gay" with something that actually makes sense!

Shared Differences Examines LGBT Students of Color Experiences in School

LGBT students of color face unique and diverse challenges regarding victimization at school, according to Shared Differences: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students of Color in Our Nation's Schools, a report released today by GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network.

Key Findings:

Across all groups, sexual orientation and gender expression were the most common reasons LGBT students of color reported feeling unsafe in school. More than four out of five students, within each racial/ethnic group, reported verbal harassment in school because of sexual orientation and about two-thirds because of gender expression. At least a third of each group reported physical violence in school because of sexual orientation.

More than half of African American/Black, Latino/a, Asian/Pacific Islander, and multiracial students also reported verbal harassment in school based on their race or ethnicity. Native American students (43%) were less likely than other students to report experiencing racially motivated verbal harassment.

About a quarter of African American/Black and Asian/Pacific Islander students had missed class or days of school in the past month because they felt unsafe. Latino/a, Native American, and multiracial students were even more likely to be absent for for safety reasons - about a third or more skipped class at least once or missed at least one day of school in the past month for safety reasons.

Native American students experienced particularly high levels of victimization because of their religion, with more than half reporting the highest levels of verbal harassment (54%), and a quarter experiencing physical violence (26%).

Less than half of students of color who had been harassed or assaulted in school in the past year said that they ever reported the incident to school staff. Furthermore, for those students who did report incidents to school staff, less than half believed that staff’s resulting response was effective.

Native American (57%) and multiracial (50%) students were more likely than other students of color in our survey to report incidents to a family member.

Performance at school also suffered when students experienced high levels of victimization. Students’ overall GPA dropped when they reported high severities of harassment based on sexual orientation and/or race/ethnicity. Students experiencing high severities of harassment also reported missing school more often.

The report also looks at differing experiences based on the racial/ethnic make-up of students’ schools. For all groups, LGBT students of color who were minorities in their school were much more likely to feel unsafe and experience harassment because of their race or ethnicity than those who were in the racial/ethnic majority.

To download the full report, click here.