Education Without Discrimination: Creating Safe Schools For All Students
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The following safe schools toolkit was by no means a solitary effort. The authors are indebted in particular to the work of the American Civil Liberties Union, Campus Pride, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, GLSEN Northeast Ohio, the Human Rights Campaign, Interfaith Alliance, Lambda Legal, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, the National Safe Schools Partnership, National Women's Law Center, and The Trevor Project.
For more information about these allies and other resources, please consult the resources list at the end of this toolkit.
For information about allies not listed therein, please check out the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) and the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA).
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
TALKING POINTS
LOBBYING
Communicating with Members of Congress
Sample Letters
MEDIA
Submitting Letters to the Editor
Sample LTE
Submitting Op-Eds
Sample Op-Ed
Sample Tweets
RIGHT WING WATCH
RESOURCES
Introduction
Far too many students have become targets of bullying and harassment based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Their pleas to teachers, principals, and university administrators for help — if they are brave enough to make them in the first place — too often go unanswered. They cannot access quality education.
They deserve better than that.
This toolkit is designed to help you understand and address the problem head-on. Federal legislation has been introduced to help create safe schools for all students. Herein we explain the two leading proposals and how you can help them become law, as well as how to raise safe schools awareness in your community.
The Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) supports the creation of comprehensive anti-bullying policies that “enumerate” – or spell out – specific categories of targeted students, including those targeted based on sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as data collection, public education, and grievance procedures. The Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) protects students from school-based sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, much like Title IX does for gender discrimination, and much like other areas of law do for various protected classes. SNDA recognizes bullying and harassment as discrimination, and it provides both for remedies against discrimination and incentives for schools to prevent it from happening in the first place.
By pushing for SSIA and SNDA, PFAW is part of the movement for safe schools, and we hope that this toolkit will help you join us. It's time to stand up.
Check out PFAW’s website for more information about safe schools and other LGBT equality issues.
Any questions?
Talking Points
Ensuring the safety and well-being of our children is a battle worth fighting. Here’s why:
Bullying and harassment in schools is a pervasive national problem. According to the 2011 National School Climate Survey, 81.9 percent of LGBT students suffer verbal harassment, 38.3 percent physical harassment, and 18.3 percent physical assault because of their sexual orientation. 63.9 percent suffer verbal harassment, 27.1 percent physical harassment, and 12.4 percent physical assault because of their gender expression. In many cases, not surprisingly, this makes students feel unsafe; 63.5 percent reported feeling unsafe based on sexual orientation, and 43.9 percent felt so based on gender expression.
Bullying and harassment are forms of discrimination, but we have left LGBT students unprotected. Federal law protects against discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, disability, and national origin. There are no federal laws protecting students based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Without legislation like SSIA and SNDA, LGBT students, those who are perceived to be LGBT, and their parents and allies are left with few places to turn in the face of bullying and harassment.
Both Americans overall and education professionals in particular recognize the problem and support congressional action. On December 8, 2010, USA Network published its second annual "United or Divided" poll. 58 percent of respondents gave America a C or D grade for its efforts to stop bullying. 89 percent believed it was a serious problem, and nearly as many (85 percent) supported congressional action to resolve the problem. 70 percent were concerned that it was a growing trend. In the education community, anti-bullying allies include the American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, American School Counselor Association, American School Health Association, National Association of School Psychologists, and National Education Association, among many others.
When students lose their sense of safety, they lose their access to quality education. A student who feels unsafe due to bullying and harassment might choose to avoid the situation altogether, adding a loss of learning to the harms they already suffer. According to the 2011 National School Climate Survey, "Nearly one third of LGBT students (29.8%) reported skipping a class at least once and 31.8% missed at least one entire day of school in the past month because of safety concerns." Even when they remain in class, targeted students lose nearly half a grade point (average 2.9 vs. 3.2).
As Congress works to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it should address the bullying and harassment problem. Since 1965, ESEA has served as the fundamental blueprint for education in America. While it sets forth a broad range of requirements, ESEA doesn't currently provide any protections against bullying and harassment. Building a strong sense of safety and fostering equality is just as important to education as teacher hiring, curricular standards, and student performance. ESEA is long overdue for an update and its reauthorization — through legislation like the Strengthening America's Schools Act — is an appropriate venue to address this pervasive national problem, including for students who are LGBT or perceived to be LGBT.
Bullying and harassment aren't just elementary and secondary education problems — they also extend to college campuses. The untimely death of Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi was a tragic reminder that the end of high school doesn't mean the end of bullying and harassment. According to the 2010 National College Climate Survey, 23 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer students, 39 percent of transmen, and 38 percent of transwomen reported harassment, with the overwhelming majority in all cases attributing that harassment to sexual orientation or gender identity.
We cannot complete the work of LGBT equality without addressing the problems of bullying and harassment. These days we can’t seem to escape the stories of lives ruined, or even ended, by bullying and harassment based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Even one death is too many. What is happening now is unconscionable and must stop. If it doesn’t, much of what we’re fighting for today — strengthening our military's culture of inclusion, passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, health benefits and housing, immigration rights, relationship recognition, marriage equality — will mean little, if anything, tomorrow.
Lobbying
I. Communicating with Members of Congress
Representatives and Senators rely on their constituents’ opinions and concerns when formulating positions and voting on legislation. Responding is an integral part of being a member of Congress, and whether they are seen as being responsive can affect how they are viewed by their constituents come Election Day.
Your communication with members of Congress should be concise, informed, and polite. Review information about them before you write or call and familiarize yourself with their committee assignments and staff. It is important to know something about them before you begin the exchange. A common interest or background should help you stand out.
Six different ways to communicate with members of Congress are listed below.
Meeting
A personal visit with a member of Congress can be a good way to demonstrate your interest in an issue or bill. To make your meeting more effective, schedule an appointment with the member (or a staff member) and be sure to state the subject of your visit in advance. Review the area of discussion before the meeting so you have a thorough knowledge of the subject. During the meeting, speak clearly and be concise. Present the pros and cons of the issue, as well as detailed explanations as to why you support your view. Encourage questions from the member and be ready to answer them, but if you don't have an answer don't be afraid to say that you'll get back to them with more information. At the end of the meeting, ask for favorable consideration of your issue and thank him or her for their time.
Telephone
To address an issue with a member of Congress by telephone, call the US Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or use the main number listed for their House or Senate office. Speak to a staff member about your issue or concern; be sure to ask them to pass along your opinion. With patience, you might also be able to speak to the member directly.
United States Postal Service (USPS)
USPS mail was for a long time the most common means of communicating with members of Congress. Letters to them should be legible and concise. State the purpose of the letter in the first paragraph, support your positions in the rest of the letter, and conclude with a strong reiteration of your position. Stick to the facts, and if you are citing a particular bill include the name and number in the letter as:
House bills – "H.R. _______"
Senate bills – "S. _______"
Remember to address how the issue or legislation is likely to affect you and other constituents of the member. Make suggestions and ask for the member’s views or opinions on the matter. Include your name and return address and ensure that both are legible.
Addressee format:
The Honorable ______
(Office Number) (Office Building)
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative ______:
The Honorable ______
(Office Number) (Office Building)
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator______:
Fax
Faxing information is another common method of communicating with members of Congress. A fax receives the same attention as a letter sent by mail. Include your name and return address and ensure that both are legible. You should receive a written response from the member in the mail.
Fax
Today, many members of Congress encourage their constituents to correspond by email. Although a member occasionally responds via email, more often you will receive an automatic acknowledgement that your message has been received, and then a written response in the mail that addresses the substance of your issue. Email correspondence should address the member as Representative or Senator, and should include your name and address; be sure to type them accurately.
Many members use an online form for email instead of an actual email address. The form is a page on the member’s website that can be filled out and submitted electronically. The form enables the member to capture your name, address, and the subject of your message in a database for future correspondence. Often these forms rely on your zip code, and if you don’t reside in a member’s district or state, you may not be able to submit a message to that member – limiting email to constituents only.
Consult your member’s website for his or her email address or online form URL. Directories are available for the House and Senate.
Social Media
Many members of Congress have social media accounts, and tweeting at them or posting on their Facebook walls has the added benefit of being visible to other people. Go to your members' websites or search Twitter or Facebook for their names, and tweet at them by using their handles — for example, @SenatorJohnSmith — in your tweets. It’s also helpful to search Twitter for your issue or concern to find relevant hashtags or other Twitter accounts – like activists and organizations — that could be included in your tweets. Using hashtags and additional Twitter handles helps raise the visibility of your tweets.
II. Sample Letters
These sample letters provide you with a few general options for lobbying your members of Congress. The more personal and the more local your letter is, the more compelling it will be.
Sample 1
Today I write to you in strong support of the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) and the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA). I thank the sponsors and cosponsors therein for addressing what has become a pervasive national problem,[1] and I urge you and all members of Congress to join them.
Following the increased media attention paid to bullying-related suicides in 2010, I took a strong stand on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and those who are perceived to be LGBT. According to the 2011 National School Climate Survey:[2] 81.9 percent of LGBT students suffer verbal harassment, 38.3 percent physical harassment, and 18.3 percent physical assault because of their sexual orientation. 63.9 percent suffer verbal harassment, 27.1 percent physical harassment, and 12.4 percent physical assault because of their gender expression. In many cases, not surprisingly, this makes students feel unsafe; 63.5 percent reported feeling unsafe based on sexual orientation, and 43.9 percent felt so based on gender expression.
A student who feels unsafe due to bullying and harassment might choose to avoid the situation altogether, adding a loss of learning to the harms they already suffer. According to the 2011 National School Climate Survey,[3] “Nearly one third of LGBT students (29.8%) reported skipping a class at least once and 31.8% missed at least one entire day of school in the past month because of safety concerns.” Even when they remain in class, targeted students lose nearly half a grade point (average 2.9 vs. 3.2). But as we know all too well, this isn’t just a question of education. It’s a matter of life and death.
Through SSIA and SNDA, Congress has recognized the need to reverse this trend. SSIA supports the creation of comprehensive anti-bullying policies that enumerate specific categories of targeted students – including those targeted based on sexual orientation and gender identity – as well as data collection, public education, and grievance procedures. SNDA protects students from school-based sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, much like Title IX does for gender discrimination, and much like other areas of law do for various protected classes. SNDA recognizes bullying and harassment as discrimination, and it provides both for remedies against discrimination and incentives for schools to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Ultimately, this is about stopping abhorrent behavior that gets in the way of quality education. All students deserve far better than that. And SSIA and SNDA deserve your consideration.
[1] On December 8, 2010, USA Network published its 2nd annual “United or Divided” poll. 58 percent of respondents gave America a C or D grade for its efforts to stop bullying. 89 percent believed it was a serious problem, and nearly as many (85 percent) supported congressional action to resolve the problem. 70 percent were concerned that it was a growing trend. See USA Network, Hart Research Associates, and Public Opinion Strategies at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usa-networks-new-united-or-divided-poll-shows-americans-believe-racial-ethnic-political-divisions-are-worse-than-just-a-year-ago-111547664.html.
[2] 2011 National School Climate Survey, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, September 2012. http://glsen.org/nscs
[3] Ibid.
Sample 2
I am writing as your constituent to thank you for supporting the inclusion of the Safe Schools Improvement Act in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization bill. I believe strongly in preventing bullying and harassment and ensuring that all students learn in positive, safe and healthy schools.
As you know, far too many young people experience severe and ongoing bullying and harassment that prevents them from achieving their highest academic and life potential. In fact, evidence shows that across the country bullying and harassment contribute to high dropout rates, increased absenteeism, and academic underperformance. In many instances, targets of bullying and harassment are simply unable to fully benefit from their schools' programs and activities. Unfortunately, in many communities not enough is being done to help students, families and educators address the problem, such as informing them about best practices for prevention and intervention. This includes ensuring that school districts develop and implement enumerated bullying and harassment prevention plans and provide clear information to families about school's grievance and resolution procedures.
Given bullying and harassment's pervasiveness and significant negative impact on educational opportunities, I hope that Congress will swiftly act to address the problem as part of ESEA reauthorization. This will ensure that in the future all kids have an opportunity to learn in positive, safe and healthy schools.
Sample 3
I am writing as your constituent to thank you for supporting the inclusion of the Student Non-Discrimination Act in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization bill. I believe strongly in preventing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students in public schools.
As you know, students who are (or are perceived to be) LGBT are subjected to pervasive discrimination, including harassment and bullying. The harassment youth experience in school deprives them of equal educational opportunities by increasing their likelihood of skipping school, underperforming academically, and dropping out. Left unchecked, this harassment can contribute to even more devastating consequences, including suicide. Furthermore, while discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, national origin and religion are expressly addressed in federal civil rights laws or the Constitution, they do not explicitly cover sexual orientation or gender identity. As a result, parents of LGBT students have limited legal recourse when schools fail to protect their children from discrimination.
I hope Congress will swiftly act to address discrimination of LGBT students as part of ESEA reauthorization. This will ensure that in the future all kids have an opportunity to learn in positive, safe and healthy schools.
Sample 4
I am committed to ensuring that all students are able to pursue an education unhindered by discrimination and harassment. I write to request your support and cosponsorship of the Student Non-Discrimination Act.
The Student Non-Discrimination Act (“SNDA”) would establish a comprehensive federal prohibition against discrimination and harassment in public elementary and secondary schools across the country based on a student’s actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. SNDA would provide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (“LGBT”) students with long overdue and much needed explicit federal protections against discrimination and harassment. The legislation also protects students who associate with LGBT people, including students with LGBT parents and friends.
The Student Non-Discrimination Act is sponsored by Senator Al Franken and Representatives Jared Polis and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. As previously introduced in the 112th Congress, the legislation garnered bipartisan support, including the support of 39 senators and 171 representatives.
There is overwhelming evidence establishing a compelling need for action at the federal level to protect LGBT students from discrimination and harassment in schools. A 2011 study of more than 8,500 LGBT middle and high school students across the US found that eight out of ten reported experiencing harassment at their school within the past year based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and three-fifths said they felt unsafe at school because of who they are.[1] Nearly three in ten skipped at least one day of school within the previous month because of concerns for their safety. Most tragically, LGBT youth face significantly increased risks for suicide related to mental health issues that often arise from poor treatment and discrimination in schools.[2] It is critical that the federal government and schools act to address this very serious problem facing LGBT youth.
Further, while federal laws currently protect students on the basis of their race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin, no federal statute explicitly protects students on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. The Student Non-Discrimination Act would do just that. In addition, nearly fifty years of civil rights history clearly demonstrate that laws similar to the proposed Student Non-Discrimination Act are effective in preventing discrimination and harassment from occurring in the first place by prompting schools to take proactive steps to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment for all students who are in their care.
The Student Non-Discrimination Act presents us with a historic opportunity to offer critical protections to current and future generations of LGBT youth and their student allies by ensuring that discrimination against and harassment of students on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity will have no place in our country’s public elementary and secondary schools.
[1] GLSEN National School Climate Survey 2011.
[2] See, e.g., Massachusetts Youth Risk Survey 2007; Grossman, A.H., D’Augelli, A.R. (2007). “Transgender youth and life threatening behaviors.” Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 37(5): 527-537.
Sample 5
I write urging your support and cosponsorship of the Student Non‐Discrimination Act (SNDA). I hope that you will take the earliest opportunity to address what has become a pervasive national problem.[1]
Following the increased media attention paid to bullying-related suicides in 2010, I took a strong stand on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and those who are perceived to be LGBT. According to the 2011 National School Climate Survey:[2] 81.9 percent of LGBT students suffer verbal harassment, 38.3 percent physical harassment, and 18.3 percent physical assault because of their sexual orientation. 63.9 percent suffer verbal harassment, 27.1 percent physical harassment, and 12.4 percent physical assault because of their gender expression. In many cases, not surprisingly, this makes students feel unsafe; 63.5 percent reported feeling unsafe based on sexual orientation, and 43.9 percent felt so based on gender expression.
A student who feels unsafe due to bullying and harassment might choose to avoid the situation altogether, adding a loss of learning to the harms they already suffer. According to the 2011 National School Climate Survey,[3] “Nearly one third of LGBT students (29.8%) reported skipping a class at least once and 31.8% missed at least one entire day of school in the past month because of safety concerns.” Even when they remain in class, targeted students lose nearly half a grade point (average 2.9 vs. 3.2). But as we know all too well, this isn’t just a question of education. It’s a matter of life and death.
We must continue working to reverse this trend. SNDA protects students from school-based sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, much like Title IX does for gender discrimination, and much like other areas of law do for various protected classes. SNDA recognizes bullying and harassment as discrimination, and it provides both for remedies against discrimination and incentives for schools to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Ultimately, this is about stopping abhorrent behavior that gets in the way of quality education. All students deserve far better than that. And SNDA deserves your consideration.
[1] On December 8, 2010, USA Network published its 2nd annual “United or Divided” poll. 58 percent of respondents gave America a C or D grade for its efforts to stop bullying. 89 percent believed it was a serious problem, and nearly as many (85 percent) supported congressional action to resolve the problem. 70 percent were concerned that it was a growing trend. See USA Network, Hart Research Associates, and Public Opinion Strategies at http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/usa-networks-new-united-or-divided-poll-shows-americans-believe-racial-ethnic-political-divisions-are-worse-than-just-a-year-ago-111547664.html.
[2] 2011 National School Climate Survey, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, September 2012. http://glsen.org/nscs
[3] Ibid.
Media
I. Submitting Letters to the Editor
Writing a letter to the editor (LTE) is an effective way of raising awareness on an issue. Here’s how you do it:
Logistics
Be brief. As a general rule, you will want to keep your LTE under 200 words. However, be sure to review in advance the LTE guidelines of your newspaper of choice to double-check that 200 words is an acceptable length. Generally guidelines are posted online; however you can also find out by calling the newspaper’s office.
Be surprising. The best letters to the editor make readers look at an issue in a new way — introduce interesting facts that weren’t in the paper’s coverage of the issue, or look at the same facts from a different angle.
Make it personal. If you can tie your letter to the editor in to local events or connect it to local personalities, do that. The more personal and the more local your letter is, the more compelling it will be.
Be polite. No matter how much you might disagree with the article or point of view to which you’re responding, be respectful — newspapers won’t publish letters they consider rude or insulting.
Do not feel obligated to only submit LTEs to large newspapers. Your local paper is a great place to start the discussion. At the same time, do not hesitate to submit to bigger papers even if the chances of acceptance are slimmer.
Be sure to include your contact information in your submission. Many newspapers will require their employees to contact LTE authors prior to publication. If you do not feel comfortable sharing your information publicly, be sure to make that stipulation at the bottom of your letter.
What to Write About
Provide background information on the struggle for safe, harassment-free schools. Keep in mind that your audience will most likely have never heard of SSIA and SNDA, so your LTE should primarily be educational.
Try to identify a target for your LTE. This could be your Representative or Senators, your state legislature, or a local school district or school board. By identifying a local target, you can make your LTE relevant to your community.
To find out where your members of Congress stand on safe schools issues, SSIA and SNDA are good places to start. Those on the list should be thanked; those not should be asked for support and cosponsorship.
SSIA, House cosponsors
SSIA, Senate cosponsors
SNDA, House cosponsors
SNDA, Senate cosponsors
To find out about your state’s safe schools policies, check out these great maps from the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which cover not only anti-bullying laws and non-discrimination protections but also negative laws that might harm or stigmatize LGBT youth.
Identify timely information in your LTE, such as:
The Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) has been introduced in both the House (H.R. 1199) and Senate (S. 403). So has the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) (H.R. 1652 and S. 1088). Both are also included in the education reauthorization bill (S. 1094) that passed out of Senate committee in June 2013.
It's long past time to vote on anti-bullying and anti-harassment protections. The Senate should bring the education reauthorization bill to the floor, or move forward on SSIA and SNDA. We also want to get these protections through the House and to the President for his signature.
Conclude with an opinion and/or call to action, possibly something along the lines of:
Asking why LGBT students should have to suffer just to get an education.
Making clear that this is about stopping abhorrent behavior that gets in the way of quality education. All students deserve far better than that.
Calling for Congress to stand on the side of equality – stand up for safe schools.
After Submitting Your LTE
Please let us know if your LTE has been printed. We'll work to amplify your message and will make sure your public officials see it.
If your LTE is not accepted, do not be deterred. There are many way you can contribute to the movement. A quick way you can make sure your hard work does not go to waste is by repurposing what you wrote and mailing it in to your Representative and Senators.
Any questions?
II. Sample LTE
Gay Teenagers’ Suicides, and a Call for Legislation
October 6, 2010
By Laura W. Murphy
To the Editor:
Re " Several Recent Suicides Put Light on Pressures Facing Gay Teenagers" (news article, Oct. 4):
The recent tragic deaths of young gay people from across the country underscore the fact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students are an especially vulnerable population in our nation’s schools.
Discrimination and harassment, even physical abuse, are often a part of these students’ daily lives. This is unacceptable and must end.
While federal laws currently protect students on the basis of their race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin, no federal statute explicitly protects students on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
But there is legislation pending in both the House and Senate — the Student Non-Discrimination Act — that would establish a comprehensive prohibition against discrimination and harassment in public schools throughout the nation based on a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Given recent tragedies, the need could not be more clear.
Congress should act to make sure that all of America’s children are protected.
Laura W. Murphy
Director, Washington Legislative Office
American Civil Liberties Union
Washington, Oct. 4, 2010
III. Submitting Op-Eds
Writing an op-ed is similar to writing a letter to the editor, but it can be a slightly longer and more in-depth look at the issue. Here’s how you do it:
Find a news hook. Like with LTEs, your op-ed must be timely. You can have a great topic for your op-ed, but if it doesn’t relate to current news, an editor might not pick it for publication. Luckily, there are a lot of ways to make your topic relevant and newsworthy. You can include surprising new research or statistics that illuminate your topic; link your topic to a holiday or an anniversary of a historic event; connect your topic to popular culture; tie your topic in with a debate or trend that’s big in the news; show how the conventional wisdom about a topic is wrong; or any combination of the above.
Make it compelling. Also like LTEs, if you have a personal story to tell about your topic, tell it! In addition, be sure to include a call to action clearly and early, and support it with compelling facts. Then carefully proofread it and make sure it fits in the word limit.
Pitch it. Look for your target paper’s op-ed submission instructions on its website. If there is no submission form, you should send your op-ed in the body of an email, and include a brief note at the top introducing yourself, explaining the context for your op-ed and providing your contact information. If you don’t hear back from the editor in a couple of days, send another note or call the editorial department to follow up. If your first choice paper doesn’t accept it, don’t give up! Pick your second choice paper, and try again.
Please let us know if your op-ed has been printed.
IV. Sample Op-Eds
Sample 1
Staying silent, standing together with LGBT students
April 19, 2013
By Gregory Donnellan
If 15-year-old Zach King had known what was waiting for him on the other side of the door, he never would have walked into his Ohio high school classroom that October day.
By now you may have seen the video. Millions of people have. Zach, an openly gay student, was thrown to the ground and repeatedly pummeled by a classmate. Zach tried to escape . . . he tried to reason . . . and then he just tried to survive. The brutal assault left him with a concussion, a broken tooth and a feeling of insecurity he will likely carry with him the rest of his school days -- particularly after his school district allegedly tried to blame Zach and his sexual orientation for the attack.
Sadly, Zach is not alone. The deplorable bullying and harassment faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students like Zach is rampant in schools today. According to the 2011 National School Climate Survey [link replaced] by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), nearly 82 percent of LGBT students reported being verbally harassed -- and more than six in 10 LGBT students said they do not feel safe at school.
Ohio is hardly immune from the anti-LGBT bullying epidemic. Ninety percent of Ohio LGBT students who responded to GLSEN's national survey said they regularly heard homophobic remarks and slurs at school -- and nearly one in five said they heard these hurtful remarks from school staff.
The bullying of LGBT students in Ohio schools takes many forms. Students frequently are excluded by their peers, are subjected to cruel taunts in person or online, or are even physically harmed. Nearly 20 percent of Ohio LGBT students said they had been assaulted at school. Tragically, many of these cases of bullying and abuse go unreported, as LGBT students struggle with feelings of shame and fears of reprisal.
Bullying leaves lasting physical and emotional scars on thousands of LGBT students in Ohio each year. But today, students from every corner of Ohio will be taking a stand -- through silence.
Today students across Ohio are participating in GLSEN's annual Day of Silence, [link replaced] when students vow to take some form of silence to draw attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. Founded in 1996, the Day of Silence has become the largest single student-led action toward creating safer schools for all, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
GLSEN Northeast Ohio will support efforts at area schools to help students participate in the Day of Silence in their own unique ways. Through our Facebook page, we offer resources to help students and schools get involved. We also provide speakers and exhibits to foster multigenerational understanding of LGBT issues.
Schools should be more than places of learning: They should be sanctuaries, where differences are valued and all students feel safe to thrive. We thank the schools in every corner of Ohio that will stand shoulder to shoulder today with LGBT students, and we ask for your help in ensuring that all students feel safe and welcome at school.
Gregory Donnellan is Jump-Start co-coordinator of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network Northeast Ohio, a local chapter of the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, an organization which strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
Sample 2
Gay suicide: Addressing harassment in schools
April 24, 2009
By Charles Robbins and Eliza Byard
The affect of language and behavior can be deadly, especially in a school environment where young people are already highly impressionable and vulnerable. Unfortunately, this difficult lesson has been conveyed many times when young people resort to drastic and permanent measures to escape the despair of enduring constant bullying and harassment at school.
It is deeply disturbing that on April 6, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11-year-old sixth-grader from Springfield, Mass., hanged himself with an extension cord in his family's home after being subjected to continuous anti-gay bullying and harassment at his middle school. It is equally as disheartening that on April 16, less than two weeks later, Jaheem Herrera, an 11-year-old fifth-grader from DeKalb County, Ga., also hanged himself at home after being the subject of anti-gay taunts from his classmates. These were two completely separate and isolated instances, but the tragic and preventable nature of each unfortunate loss of life remains the same.
Neither Carl nor Jaheem identified as gay, yet their peers' defamatory language and hurtful behaviors broke the barriers of sexual orientation and gender identity. Being taunted as "faggot," "queer" or "homo" by classmates is offensive and demeaning to any student -- straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning alike.
Carl is the fourth middle school student this year to complete suicide due to bullying, and Jaheem was still in elementary school. Older students are also at a high risk, as suicide is one of the top three causes of death among 15 to 24 year olds and the second leading cause of death on college campuses. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers, and those who come from a rejecting family are up to nine times more likely to do so.
Two of the top three reasons secondary school students said their peers were most often bullied at school were actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender expression, according to a 2005 report by GLSEN and Harris Interactive. In addition, The Trevor Project fields tens of thousands of calls from young people each year, both straight and LGBT-identified, with rejection and harassment by peers being one of the top five issues reported by callers.
In the same GLSEN and Harris report, more than a third of middle and high school students said that bullying, name-calling and harassment is a somewhat or very serious problem at their school. Furthermore, two-thirds of middle school students reported being assaulted or harassed in the previous year and only 41 percent said they felt safe at school.
Enough is enough. It is time for school administrators, educators, parents, students and the government to work together to stop bullying and harassment in schools. Furthermore, we must teach young people to understand the profound impact of words and actions, and to recognize depression and suicidal ideations amongst their peers. By helping young people take responsibility for their actions and respect their peers, and simultaneously empowering them with the knowledge and skills they need to understand when their classmates are in crisis, we can work toward ending the dual epidemics of school bullying and youth suicide once and for all.
We as parents, teachers and concerned citizens can do our part to protect students by speaking out and demanding that anti-bullying and harassment programs and suicide prevention education are mandated in all schools. We can seek commitment from the government to end bullying by training educators on how to effectively intervene, teaching students to respect and help one another, and ensuring that all students know how to reach out to a peer who may be in crisis. We must lead by example and remember that the language we choose is easily repeated by young people. We must listen to children when they reach out for help, and demonstrate to them that we will be understanding and non-judgmental if they need to talk.
Days like the GLSEN-sponsored National Day of Silence bring attention to anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. On this day, thousands of students call for practical, appropriate interventions that work, hoping to move us closer to a future where every child can go to school free from fear. Weeks including the National Suicide Prevention Week encourage programs to increase suicide prevention efforts, including initiatives supported by The Trevor Project to protect LGBT youth.
It is our hope that in memory of Carl and Jaheem, and in honor of all young people who have completed suicide after enduring constant torment at school, we will be able to work together to promote school environments that celebrate diversity and encourage acceptance of all people. Only then will we be confident that our children are receiving the respect and education they deserve today in order to become the successful and equality-minded leaders of tomorrow.
Charles Robbins is the Executive Director & CEO of The Trevor Project and Eliza Byard, Ph.D., is the Executive Director, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN).
V. Sample Tweets
If you are looking for an even quicker way to lend your support to an issue, you can tweet about it!
Here are some sample tweets for safe schools:
Legislation
Schools are for learning, not for bullying! Pass #SSIA 1.usa.gov/1btus8S and #SNDA 1.usa.gov/1hG6LhY.
Bullying = discrimination. Fed law leaves #LGBTyouth unprotected. Pass #SSIA 1.usa.gov/1btus8S and #SNDA 1.usa.gov/1hG6LhY.
Stand with more than 100 organizations for #SafeSchools. Join the fight for #SSIA bit.ly/15ics1w and #SNDA bit.ly/15roBlU.
Help #LGBTyouth feel safe from bullying with #SSIA 1.usa.gov/1btus8S and #SNDA 1.usa.gov/1hG6LhY.
Stand up for the rights of all students with #SSIA 1.usa.gov/1btus8S and #SNDA 1.usa.gov/1hG6LhY.
Take a step toward #SafeSchools. Pass #SSIA 1.usa.gov/1btus8S and #SNDA 1.usa.gov/1hG6LhY.
Why we need the Student Non-Discrimination Act: bit.ly/11rS2RI #SNDA
Congress should include #SSIA 1.usa.gov/1btus8S and #SNDA 1.usa.gov/1hG6LhY in #ESEA #educationreform.
#LGBTyouth on college campuses need our support. Pass the #TylerClementi law. 1.usa.gov/MmMHHD
#LGBTyouth need #LGBTprogress. Pass #SSIA 1.usa.gov/1btus8S and #SNDA 1.usa.gov/1hG6LhY. #itgetsbetter #makeitbetter
PFAW and allies are telling Congress: "Stand Up For #SafeSchools" #SSIA #SNDA bit.ly/1mfNZmT
All students deserve #SafeSchools. That's why we support #SSIA and #SNDA – bit.ly/1mfNZmT
PFAW and allies are standing up for #SafeSchools: bit.ly/1mfNZmT #SNDA #SSIA
#SafeSchools supporters contact Congress: bit.ly/1dpSlFn. You can get involved now: 1.usa.gov/1dpSMzn & 1.usa.gov/1dpSNn8
Survey Data
Bullying and harassment in schools is a pervasive national problem. Get the facts. @GLSEN bit.ly/164lNIn
Did you know that #LGBTyouth suffer bullying, harassment, and assault in school? Let's keep them safe: bit.ly/164lNIn @GLSEN
#LGBTyouth feel unsafe at school. It's time for that to change. @GLSEN bit.ly/164lNIn
#LGBTyouth skip class and get lower grades when they feel unsafe. Stand up for quality education. @GLSEN bit.ly/164lNIn
Both Americans overall and educators in particular support congressional action to address school #bullying. prn.to/hLH3gu
#LGBTyouth suffer bullying and harassment on college campuses. #TylerClementi @campuspride bit.ly/GNOpPk
Media
Powerful @HBODocs film @ValentineRdDoc highlights need for safe & welcoming schools for all. @GLSEN #LGBTyouth bit.ly/1fJKzGD
Just watched an important documentary that lifts the veil on school #bullying. @bullymovie bit.ly/HChF7f
.@bullymovie, a documentary that all kids, parents & teachers should have a chance to see. bit.ly/HChF7f
The climate change we all should want: bit.ly/HwTy9c @bullymovie and bit.ly/1fJKzGD @ValentineRdDoc
Other
"We are calling one more time for all Americans to stand up and speak out" @WyoJudyShepard @MattShepardFDN #SafeSchools bit.ly/1bgfB2K
Tennessee's "don't say gay" battle continues to have a lasting impact: bit.ly/1ddMpiv
Check out PFAW’s new advocacy toolkit on #SafeSchools for #LGBTyouth: www.pfaw.org/SafeSchools
RT this if you believe it's time to protect #LGBTyouth from bullying and harassment: www.pfaw.org/SafeSchools
RT this if you stand for #SafeSchools for #LGBTyouth: www.pfaw.org/SafeSchools
RT this if you stand with #LGBTyouth and #LGBTallies on the #DayOfSilence: www.pfaw.org/SafeSchools @GLSEN
What will you do to end the silence? www.pfaw.org/SafeSchools #DayOfSilence @GLSEN
When appropriate, don’t be afraid to tweet @ your Representative and Senators. Twitter and Facebook are great places to communicate with members of congress.
Right Wing Watch
The Five Worst Religious Right Claims About Safe Schools Initiatives
People For the American Way’s Right Wing Watch is an ongoing source of information on what the far Right is saying about the movement to make schools safe and welcoming for all. Relying on harmful myths depicting LGBT people as abusive and “perverse,” it is clear that the Religious Right is far more interested in pushing homophobic lies than in protecting and supporting all students through commonsense legislation. Our elected leaders face a stark choice between protecting students and siding with the dangerous and hateful lies of the far right.
Here are some of the most troubling recent claims from the Religious Right about safe schools initiatives:
5. Gordon Klingenschmitt: Al Franken is 'Causing More Suicides' by Backing Anti-Bullying Bill (January 2012)
Previously, Gordon Klingenschmitt accused Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) of “homosexualizing kids” and acting like late North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il over his efforts to pass legislation geared at preventing bullying because Franken other progressives have “deified sin as their god.” Now, Klingenschmitt is accusing Franken of “causing more suicides” for sponsoring the anti-bullying bill. “Teen suicide is tragic enough without Senator Franken recruiting more kids into homosexuality, which causes depression, self-hatred, self-rejection and self-murder,” Klingenschmitt writes, “Franken's plan will result in more teen suicides, not less.”
4. Linda Harvey Warns That Anti-Bullying Programs Will Turn Schools Into ‘Indoctrination Camps’ (November 2011)
Linda Harvey of Mission America is urging voters to oppose the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act, warning that such anti-bullying legislation is “using bullying prevention as a tool to force approval of homosexuality and gender bending on children, teachers and families.” On her radio show, Harvey urged members of her Ohio-based group to contact Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman to oppose what she called the “promotion of these lifestyles to kids brought into schools in the Trojan Horse of anti-bullying programs.” She went on to say that schools will be turned “into indoctrination camps” in order “to fulfill the fondest wishes of those who want traditional morality to disappear” if the safe school legislation passes.
3. Public Advocate: Congress Using Schools ‘To Force The Homosexual Agenda’ On Children (April 2011)
Religious Right groups are consistently trying to tarnish anti-bullying initiatives as “homosexual indoctrination” and “special rights,” among other absurd claims. A Religious Right group led by Virginia politician Eugene Delgaudio, the Public Advocate, launched the “Protect Our Children’s Innocence” petition to protest the Student Non-Discrimination Act, which it labels the “Homosexual Classrooms Act.”
2. Gordon Klingenschmitt Says ‘Sick and Perverse’ Student Non-Discrimination Act Will Legalize ‘Sexual Assault’ (April 2012)
After President Obama announced his support for the Student Non-Discrimination Act, Gordon Klingenschmitt went back on the attack against the anti-bullying bill, in an email message warning that the “sick and perverse” legislation will “give homosexuals and perverts protected status,” “mandate pro-homosexual recruiting of kids in public schools,” promote “child abuse” as “homosexuals will have full control of classrooms” and even allow for harassment and “sexual assault.”
1. Sandy Rios: Schools No Longer Teach Reading and Writing, Now Just Promote Homosexuality (April 2013)
The American Family Association’s Sandy Rios hosted Linda Harvey of Mission America to criticize the Day of Silence, the anti-bullying event which Harvey has previously described as dangerous and blasphemous.
Rios, who once said that test scores are dropping as a result of schools “teaching” homosexuality, kicked off the program by arguing that public schools no longer instruct students in subjects like “reading, writing, cursive, spelling, grammar [and] punctuation,” but are instead completely dedicated to “cramming, twisting, perverting all academic subjects to the way of supporting homosexuality.”
Resources
American Association of University Women (AAUW)
http://www.aauw.org
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a leading voice promoting equity and education for women and girls. Since its founding in 1881, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political.
American Civil Liberties Union
http://www.aclu.org
The American Civil Liberties Union is a guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country. These rights include: your First Amendment rights - freedom of speech, association and assembly; freedom of the press, and freedom of religion; your right to equal protection under the law - protection against unlawful discrimination; your right to due process - fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake; and your right to privacy - freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs. The organization also works to extend rights to segments of the population that have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; women; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals and transgender people; prisoners; and people with disabilities.
American Counseling Association
http://www.counseling.org
The American Counseling Association is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession. Founded in 1952, ACA is the world's largest association exclusively representing professional counselors in various practice settings.
American Federation of Teachers
http://www.aft.org
The American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, was founded in 1916 and today represents 1.5 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide. Five divisions within the AFT represent the broad spectrum of the AFT’s membership: pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; and nurses and other healthcare professionals. In addition, the AFT represents approximately 80,000 early childhood educators and nearly 250,000 retiree members.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
http://www.afsp.org
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) is the nation’s leading organization bringing together people across communities and backgrounds to understand and prevent suicide, and to help heal the pain it causes. Individuals, famil