GLSEN Youth Delegation to Attend June 29th White House Pride Reception

Washington − Youth advocates from GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, will be attending the June 29th White House Pride Month reception at the invitation of the Obama administration.

Five high school students and their guests will be given a rare opportunity to share their personal experiences with anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) bullying with top officials in the Federal government, including the President and First Lady. The GLSEN youth advocates will advocate for continued protections of LGBT students, including the federal Safe Schools Improvement Act now being considered by both houses on Congress.

"I am glad that President Obama and senior members of the administration will have an opportunity to hear directly from the youth who live through anti-LGBT bias and bullying in our schools every day. As Ashley, Layne, Dantaee, Gen, and Kaleigh will tell them,
bullying is a public health crisis that affects students in schools around the country, and we welcome the administration's support for bullying prevention efforts that truly leave no child behind, including those suffering because of anti-LGBT bias and behavior. There are two vehicles in Congress right now, the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Nondiscrimination Act which will go a long way towards making schools safer for all young people and the President should do everything in his power to help make these bills into law," said GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard.

The students are GLSEN Jump-Start coordinators, youth chosen by their local GLSEN Chapter to recruit, select, train and conduct programming with a group of students in their area. They receive training from GLSEN national and ongoing support throughout the year.

About the GLSEN Delegation:
Ashley N. Davalos graduated from High Tech High School and will be an incoming freshmen at UC Santa Barbara. She has been leading LGBTQ workshops and collaborating with her GLSEN San Diego chapter for four years. In her spare time she works in a biochemistry lab at UC San Diego. She plans to continue her two passions of social justice and science in college.

Layne Gianakos has been involved in LGBTQ activism with GLSEN Connecticut since his freshman year at high school, following the murder of Lawrence King. Attending GLSEN National summits for training and working closely with GLSEN Connecticut has allowed him to initiate change in his state. One of his main projects has been a student leadership team for Connecticut which he trained alongside GLSEN Connecticut board members, preparing them to run workshops and reach out to schools and their GSA's. Layne will be accompanied by his mother.

Dontaee Williamson has been a part of the GLSEN Jump-Start National Student Leadership team since 2010. This fall, he will begin his senior year as a dance/acting major at School of the Arts in Rochester, NY. Through his participation in GLSEN and the Gay Alliance, Dontaee has overcome multiple barriers related to coming out as gay and now works to empower his peers to improve school climate for local LGBTQ students and families.

Gen Farrell is a student from the Northern Virginia Chapter of GLSEN. Gen started working with GLSEN after noticing the day to day harassment of peers. Now feeling empowered to make a difference, Gen has developed a passion for Transgender rights.

Kaleigh Colson is a student from the Southern Maine Chapter of GLSEN. Kaleigh is Co-President of her school's Gay-Straight-Transgendered Alliance as well as a community leader for LGBT civil rights in Maine. Kaleigh will be accompanied by her parents.

Jessica Cohen, one of the adults with the delegation, has been a board member of the Rochester, NY chapter of GLSEN since 2005. Currently, she serves as the adult coordinator of the local youth leadership Jump-Start team. Jess works with Dontaee to educate the community about the importance of anti-bullying policies and practice. Having both overcome personal challenges that resulted from external and internal homophobic messages, they share the vision of creating healthy educational communities for all students.

All GLSEN representatives are available for media interviews before and after the reception.

About GLSEN
GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian & 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.