GLSEN Jumpstarts Week of Legislative Action on LGBT Youth and Education Issues

NEW YORK--In a promising week for LGBT student issues in education, GLSEN is activating its members and allies in Texas, New York, Washington, Oregon to lobby aggressively for pending Safe Schools bills in those states.

"This is an important week because more and more state legislative bodies are recognizing that they have an obligation to protect every student in schools, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity," says MK Cullen, Director of Public Policy. "GLSEN is devoted to ensuring that student safety becomes a legislative priority around the country, and our activists are organizing to guarantee the passage of these existing measures."

GLSEN urged Texans to march on the Capitol yesterday and to stay for today’s rally in support of the Non- Discrimination Education Bill, which will protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in public schools and colleges. GLSEN chapters in Dallas, Austin and Houston have mobilized grassroots support for the legislation.

On March 20, residents of New York are asked to contact members of the Assembly Education Committee, who will be voting on the Dignity For All Students Act. The act will create a safe, harassment-free school environment for all students, regardless of many factors, including sexual orientation. GLSEN has played a pivotal role in The Dignity For All Students coalition, a group of more than 80 education and civil rights organizations from all over the state, and GLSEN members will continue to advocate for this bill through its legislative path.

March 21 marks the House hearing on Washington’s Anti-Bullying Act, which has already passed the state’s Senate. The bill requires school districts to adopt policies prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying on school grounds and school activities. ollowing the lead of local activists, GLSEN is encouraging Washington residents to support this measure. At the same time, GLSEN will continue encouraging lawmakers to amend the bill by adding specified categories, among them sexual orientation and gender identity, back to its language; the terminology was removed due to amendment in the Senate.

In anticipation of an April 19th lobby day, GLSEN is also calling on Oregon residents to begin rallying support for the Fair Schools Bill, which creates basic protections against discrimination for all of Oregon’s public school students. The bill prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in public education schools, programs, activities, and services. The lobby day is sponsored by Basic Rights Oregon, the state’s LGBT political organization who partnered with GLSEN and NGLTF to defeat an anti-LGBT ballot measure deceptively entitled the "Student Protection Act," in November 2000.

For up-to-date information on actions in these states, visit GLSEN’s online action center at www.glsen.org to tap into the campaigns GLSEN is waging in implicated states.

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GLSEN is the largest national organization working to end anti-gay bias in K-12 schools. Established nationally in 1995, the organization has become one of the nation’s leading voices for equality and safety in America’s K-12 schools. Visit www.glsen.org for more information.