Respect Report - April 2011

Lady Gaga will donate a portion of proceeds from a new Country Road Version of her hit song "Born This Way" to GLSEN. Lady Gaga, who was bullied in school, is a supporter of GLSEN's efforts to bring people together, LGBT and non-LGBT, to work toward a common goal of safe and respectful schools for all. Download the song on iTunes and support GLSEN.

Download the song

The National Day of Silence, Friday, April 15

Friday, April 15 is the 15th annual National Day of Silence. On this day students across the country will take a vow of silence to call attention to the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in schools. Hundreds of thousands of students across the country and around the world will take part in this student-led action to educate their schools and communities and to encourage others to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior in schools.

Follow our Day of Silence Facebook and Twitter pages!

The Harvard EdCast Interviews Eliza Byard

GLSEN's Executive Director joined the host of The Harvard EdCast to discuss how LGBT issues should be adressed in Schools. In this personal and moving interview Dr. Byard discusses what is being done to make schools a safe and respectful place for all students. The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series that features conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world.

Last month Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced the Safe Schools Improvement Act (S.506), a federal anti-bullying bill, in the U.S. Senate. This bill will require effective bullying and harassment policies in our nation's schools.

Learn more about this bill here.

One of the most effective steps schools, school districts and states can take to improve school climate and make schools safer is to enact safe schools laws and policies. When GLSEN uses the term "Safe Schools Laws," we are actually referring to two distinct types of laws that protect LGBT students in schools.The first type is non-discrimination laws which many states have passed to provide protection from discrimination. The second type of Safe Schools Law is fully enumerated anti-bullying laws. These are laws that specifically prohibit bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Only 14 States have LGBT-inclusive Safe Schools Laws.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens are starting to see their experiences reflected in the media. But are things really changing in terms of acceptance?

The taunting started as soon as she stepped onto the school bus on the first day of her freshman year: As Loan made her way to an empty seat, she heard one classmate whisper, "Is that a boy or a girl?" Another muttered, "Dyke." The now-fifteen-year-old....

Participants attended workshops about safe schools legislation, advocacy and organizing skills, and learned strategies for continuing safe schools advocacy work at the school, local, state and federal levels. D.J. Smith is a senior from Topsham, Maine and a SSAS attendee who wanted to share his experience with you.

Monthly giving is easy, more manageable, and allows GLSEN supporters to make a larger impact by divvying up their contribution throughout the year. A monthly gift of just $20 (1 coffee drink a week) translates into $240 a year!

GLSEN's Dean's List and Honor Society both provide donors with the option to make monthly contributions via a credit card. Members of the Dean's list can give at whatever level they feel comfortable. The Honor Society (GLSEN's Major Donor program) also has a monthly giving option where Major Donors can have their annual contribution broken up into smaller monthly installments.Monthly giving allows you to make a substantial gift to GLSEN but in a way that will seem less noticeable to your own finances.