Isaiah Washington's Comments, Apology Highlight Need for GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week, Jan. 22-26

NEW YORK – GLSEN, or the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is hopeful Grey's Anatomy star Isaiah Washington’s recent apology for using the word "faggot" to refer to a fellow cast member will bring about a new dialogue about the power of words, as elementary and middle schools across the country prepare for No Name-Calling Week from Jan. 22-26.

The fourth-annual No Name-Calling Week (NNCW) is a time for educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch ongoing dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.

NNCW, created in partnership with Simon Schuster Children's Publishing and Cisco Systems, is endorsed by nearly 50 education and youth service organizations including the National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Middle Schools Association, the American School Counselors Association and the Girl Scouts of the USA.

"We are at another unique moment in our social dialogue where we can recognize the hurtful nature of name-calling and take steps to reduce verbal bullying among school-age children," said GLSEN Founder and Executive Director Kevin Jennings, a former high school history teacher. "We are encouraged by the apparent sincerity of Isaiah Washington's apology and his recognition of the power of a word that, like so many others, has no place in our culture."

NNCW is inspired by James Howe's children's book, The Misfits, in which four students of differing backgrounds band together to create 'No-Name Day' in an effort to improve respect and understanding at their middle school.

In GLSEN’s 2005 report, From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America, 47 percent of junior/middle high school students identified bullying, name-calling or harassment as a somewhat serious or very serious problem at their school. Additionally, 69 percent of junior/middle high school students reported being assaulted or harassed in the previous year and only 41 percent said they felt very safe at school.

"The reason we still hear these words so often among adults is that the problem is not effectively addressed among our youth," Jennings said. "No Name-Calling Week represents an opportunity to channel the positive nature of so many young students to encourage and influence their peers to end name-calling."

About GLSEN
GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN’s educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs, research, public education or development initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.