Sen. Schatz, Rep. Takano, Rep. Lee Lead GLSEN Rise Up Resolution

Senator Brian Schatz, Rep. Mark Takano, Rep. Barbara Lee Lead GLSEN Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Resolution to Protect LGBTQ+ Youth

Today, Senator Schatz, Representative Takano, and Representative Lee introduced the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools resolution, a call to demand equal educational opportunity, basic civil rights protections, and freedom from erasure for all students, including LGBTQI+ young people in K-12 schools. The National Education Association, American School Counselor Association, and National Association of School Psychologists join GLSEN in supporting this resolution.

The resolution is introduced as House Republicans continue to push federal legislation to ban trans students from participating in school sports — and as an unprecedented amount of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation is moving in state legislatures across the country.

“LGBTQ+ students across the U.S. are facing attacks from right-wing extremists who are intent on silencing, excluding, and erasing them,” said GLSEN Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (they/she). “Lawmakers are meant to be working in the best interests of all of their communities, but instead, some are using kids as political pawns. I applaud Senator Schatz, Representative Takano, and Representative Lee for leading the resolution and rising in support of LGBTQ+ youth and policies that promote safe and inclusive schools."

“Every child should feel safe at school,” said Senator Schatz. “As attacks against LGBTQ+ students increase across the country, we need to take action to protect these students and fight back against the discriminatory policies that harm them. Our resolution pledges support to LGBTQ+ students, and makes clear this discrimination will not be tolerated in the Congress.”

“As state legislatures across the nation attempt to pass laws to censor and discriminate against the LGBTQI+ community, it is now more important than ever that we demand basic civil rights protections for queer students in our schools,” said Rep. Mark Takano, Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “Every young person should be able to go to school free of the fear of their basic civil and educational rights being denied in the classroom. It is time that we stand up and call out the harms of anti-LGBTQI+ education bills.”

“With the alarming rise in anti-LGBTQI+ legislation across the country, extremists are playing politics with our children’s lives,” said Rep. Barbara Lee. “These hateful policies create a hostile atmosphere for young people already facing statistically high mental health challenges, with nearly half of LGBTQI+ young people having seriously considered suicide. I urge colleagues to support this resolution to ensure all students feel safe, affirmed, and given the chance to thrive.”

Organizations supporting the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Resolution:

AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education), Ace and Aro 

Alliance of Central Ohio, Advocates for Youth, American Association of University 

Women, American Atheists, American Federation of Teachers, American Humanist 

Association, American Psychological Association , American School Counselor 

Association, Arizona Association of School Psychologists, Asian Americans 

Advancing Justice | AAJC, Asociación de Psicología Escolar de Puerto Rico, 

Association for Middle Level Education, Association of School Psychologists of 

Pennsylvania, Athlete Ally, Autistic Self Advocacy Network, Bayard Rustin Center for

Social Justice, CA LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network, CenterLink: The 

Community of LGBT Centers, Central Valley Pride, Charlotte Trans Health, 

Clearinghouse on Women's Issues, Colorado Children's Campaign, Connecticut 

Association of School Psychologists, Connecticut School Counselor Association, 

Council of Administrators of Special Education, Delaware Association of School 

Psychologists, Diversity Center of Oklahoma Inc , Eastern PA Trans Equity Project, 

EDGE Consulting Partners, EducateUS: SIECUS In Action, Education Law Center-PA, 

Equality California, Equality Federation, Equality Nevada, Equality Virginia, Equitas 

Health, EyesOpenIowa, Fairness WV, FAIRNY, Family Equality, Fast-Track Cities 

Institute , Feminist Majority Foundation, Florida School Counselor Association, 

FORGE, Inc., Four Corners Rainbow YUouth Center, GLBTQ Legal Advocates and 

Defenders (GLAD), GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality, GLSEN, 

Great Lakes Bay Pride, Healthy Teen Network, Henderson Equality Center, Human 

Rights Campaign, Indiana Association of School Psychologists, Indiana School 

Counselor Association, Inside Out Youth Services, interACT: Advocates for Intersex 

Youth, Iowa School Psychologists Association, Lambda Legal, Lancaster LGBTQ+ 

Coalition, Legal Momentum, the Women's Legal Defense and Education Fund, 

Lexington Pride Center, LGBTQ Center OC, LGBTQ+ Community Center of Southern 

Nevada, Los Angeles LGBT Center, Louisville Youth Group, Maine School Counselor 

Association, Massachusetts School Counselors Association, Massachusetts School 

Psychologists Association, Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health 

(MOASH), Michigan School Counselor Association, Missouri School Counselor 

Association, Movement Advancement Project, Muncie OUTreach , National 

Association of School Psychologists, National Association of Social Workers - NJ 

Chapter, National Black Justice Coalition, National Center for Learning Disabilities, 

National Center for Lesbian Rights, National Center for Transgender Equality, 

National Education Association, National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, National 

Organization for Women, National Women's Law Center, National Women's Political 

Caucus, New Haven Pride Center, New York State School Counselor Association 

(NYSSCA), North Carolina School Counselor Association (NCSCA), North County 

LGBTQ Resource Center , North Dakota Human Rights Coalition, North Las Vegas 

Equality Center, North Shore Alliance of GLBTQ+  Youth (NAGLY), NY LGBT Network,

Oakland LBGTQ Community Center , Oasis Legal Services, Ohio School Counselor 

Association, Omaha ForUs LGBTQ+ Center, One In Long Beach, Inc., one-n-ten, 

OutCenter Southwest Michigan, OutNebraska, Outright Vermont, Pacific Center for 

Human Growth, Pacific Pride Foundation, PFLAG National, Physicians for 

Reproductive Health, Plume, Pride Center of Staten Island, Pride Community Center 

of North Central Florida, Pride Community Center, Inc, PRISM FL, Inc, PROMO, 

Rainbow Pride Youth Alliance, Resource Center, Rockland County Pride Center, 

Roots of Change, Sacramento LGBT Community Center, San Diego Pride, Seacoast 

Outright (Portsmouth, NH), Side by Side Virginia, Inc., SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social 

Change, Silver State Equality-Nevada, SMYAL, Spencer Pride, Inc. , St. Louis Queer+

Support Helpline, Stonewall Alliance of Chico, Stonewall Columbus, Inc, Sussex 

Pride, The Atlanta Pride Committee, The Education Trust , The LGBT Center of 

Greater Reading, The Pride Center at Equality Park, The Rep Room, Transcend the 

Binary, TransFamily Support Services , Transgender Advocates Knowledgeable 

Empowering (T.A.K.E.), Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico (TGRCNM), 

Transgender Resource Education and Enrichment Services-TREES, Inc., TransVisible 

Montana, TransYouth Liberation , Unitarian Universalist Association , Unity House, 

University of Hawaii at Manoa , Uptown Gay and Lesbian Alliance (UGLA), Utah 

Association of School Psychologists, We Are Family, Wisconsin School Counselor 

Association, Youth Pride, Inc., GLSEN Albuquerque, GLSEN Arkansas, GLSEN Austin, 

GLSEN Bluegrass, GLSEN Bucks County, GLSEN Central New Jersey, GLSEN Central 

Ohio, GLSEN Collier County, GLSEN Connecticut, GLSEN Greater Cincinnati, GLSEN 

Greater Fort Wayne, GLSEN Greater Huntsville, GLSEN Greater Kansas City, GLSEN 

Green Bay, GLSEN Kansas, GLSEN Los Angeles, GLSEN Lower Hudson Valley, GLSEN 

Maryland, GLSEN Massachusetts, GLSEN Merced, GLSEN Mid-Hudson, GLSEN New 

Hampshire, GLSEN Northeast Ohio, GLSEN Northern New Jersey, GLSEN Northern 

Utah, GLSEN Northern Virginia, GLSEN Northwest Ohio, GLSEN Omaha, GLSEN 

Oregon, GLSEN Philly, GLSEN Phoenix, GLSEN Richmond, GLSEN San Diego County, 

GLSEN Southeast Michigan, GLSEN Southern New Jersey, GLSEN Tampa Bay, GLSEN 

Tennessee, GLSEN Upstate New York, GLSEN Washington State