Congress Continues to Advance LGBT Legislation

GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard (L) and Sirdeaner Walker traveled to Washington DC to urge members of Congress to advocate for and advance comprehensive anti-bullying and LGBT-inclusive policies.

Last week, Congress passed historic legislation that provides the first federal protections for LGBT Americans. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act sends a strong message that anti-LGBT violence will not be tolerated in our society and our schools.

In the next few weeks Congress will continue work on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in both the House and Senate. ENDA will extend prohibitions against employment discrimination to cover sexual orientation and gender identity.

In addition to supporting efforts that protect students, educators and all Americans from anti-LGBT violence and discrimination, GLSEN continues to work with Congress to explicitly protect students from anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. The Safe Schools Improvement Act will require schools and districts receiving certain federal funding to implement a comprehensive anti-bullying policy that enumerates categories often targeted by bullies, including race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and others.

Learn more about the SSIA and how you can take action to support this critical bill.