GLSEN Chapters Utilize HRW Report To Provide Huge Boost To Local Safe Schools Work

Last week, responding to the impending release of Human Rights Watch's report, "Hatred In The Hallways", dozens of GLSEN chapters around the nation connected with their local media contacts to ensure local coverage of the report and the general issue of anti-gay abuse in our nation's K-12 public schools. Insofar as the report framed these abuses as actual human rights violations, chapters realized the major potential inherent in such a report to change the way in which the public perceives the issue. However, organizing around the release of this report didn't stop there. Chapters mobilized to provide reporters with the most thorough and enticing local perspective on the issue of anti-LGBT abuses, knowing that such a local angle would raise the public's awareness about these issues and, if framed in the proper manner, strategically benefit the chapter's current safe schools work. From organizing local press conferences, to appearing on nationally syndicated television programs, to feeding the story to a local daily, GLSEN chapters dedicated a great amount of time and resources this past week to take full advantage of the release of HRW's groundbreaking report.

In response to the impending release of the report, GLSEN Chicago organized an impressive press conference in a local high school that attracted a large array of both print and television reporters, representatives of various community groups, members of local school boards, parents, teachers, students, school administrators and representatives from the offices of certain state politicians. Even though the stated focus of the event was the actual HRW report, the chapter's speakers focused attendees attention on those specific manifestations of anti-LGBT bias that currently face students in Chicago Public Schools and those efforts that need to be taken (and are not currently being taken) by the school to address these particular problems. Building upon the three years of organizing work that the chapter has done with Chicago Public Schools regarding implementation of its inclusive anti-discrimination policy, chapter members utilized the public forum to actively and explicitly ASK members of the District's board to commit to train all principals and administrative staff regarding implementation of the said policy. To this request, a member of the District's school board publicly stated her commitment to this process. Furthermore, chapter members also utilized the event to raise the public's awareness about the lack of LGBT inclusive questions in the state's Youth Risk Behavior Study. Explaining why the inclusion of such information is so crucial to ensuring safe and inclusive schools for all, chapter activists made public calls for state officials to address and remedy the present lack of inclusive questions in the survey.

Eight hundred miles to the south, GLSEN Dallas was engaged in similar organizing to take full advantage of the HRW report. Creating a similarly well-attended, well-documented, and strategically savvy press conference, members of GLSEN Dallas utilized the opportunity to highlight those particular safe schools solutions that they are presently working towards. Similar to GLSEN Chicago, members of the Dallas chapter called on local education officials to take the necessary steps to determine the degree to which the local inclusive anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies are currently being enforced. However, the layout of the event definately answered that question on its own. With a variety of individuals presenting testimony about anti-LGBT discrimination or harassment that they had recently faced, it became quite obvious to all that there is, in fact, a major disparity between intent and actual enforcment of the policy. To this end, conference speakers called upon those in power to take the necessary steps to eliminate this disparity, thereby creating truly safe and inclusive schools for all in the Dallas School District. Chapter members also utilized the event to ask education officials to add gender identity/expression to the current policies.

In other regions of the country, members of local chapters approached the impending release of the report in a similar manner, going about the legwork to ensure that the report would be covered in the local paper, and that the story would be written in such a way as to focus upon those safe schools issues particular to each specific community.

However, even though the event provided chapters with a rare, one-of-it's-kind type of opportunity, organizing around this issue did not cease after the press conference or appearance of the articles. Rather, many chapters have continued their organizing around this issue, trying to take most advantage of the public attention that has been devoted to the issue of anti-LGBT abuses in our nation's schools. While some chapters have shifted their organizing to encourage a large show of support and thanks to those districts that have agreed to committ themselves to these issues, other chapters have shifted into a mode of follow-up organizing to remind school officials (and the public at large) of the various committments that they made to address these particular issues. Toward this end, GLSEN Chicago is planning on doing a Fall survey of principals in its district to document their progress toward training on enforcement of the anti-harassment policies.

Ultimately, the release of the HRW report has provided (and will continue to provide) GLSEN chapters and other safe schools activists with many opportunities to inform the public about these various issues and demand accountability from officials at all levels of government to effectively address anti-LGBT bias in schools. This past week's activities have, once again, reminded us all, that the GLSEN family of safe schools activists consists of an amazing collection of righteous, inspiring individuals who display an amazing amount of sacrifice and tenacity in the name of safe and inclusive schools for all. The staff at GLSEN National are honored to be working with you.