Following the increased media attention paid to bullying-related suicides in 2010, Senator Al Franken took a strong stand on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students and those who are perceived to be LGBT. His Student Non-Discrimination Act (S. 555) protects them from school-based discrimination, much like Title IX does for gender discrimination, and much like other areas of law do for various protected classes. It recognizes bullying and harassment as discrimination, and it provides both for remedies against discrimination and incentives for schools to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Today, Senator Franken has an important video announcement for you regarding S. 555.
On the occasion of GSA Day 2012, when we celebrate the work of Gay-Straight Alliances that bringing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight allied people together to stop bullying, homophobia, transphobia and hate, PFAW has called on you to be part of the solution.
Below are some quick talking points (more detailed talking points here) you can use in your call and to help promote awareness about the bill.
- Celebrate Gay-Straight Alliance Day by supporting and cosponsoring the Student Non-Discrimination Act.
- Bullying and harassment are forms of discrimination, but federal civil rights statutes leave LGBT students, and those who are perceived to be LGBT, unprotected.
- Bullying and harassment in schools is a pervasive national problem.
- Both Americans overall and education professionals in particular recognize the problem and support congressional action.
- When students lose their sense of safety, they lose their access to quality education.
- As Congress works to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, it should address the bullying and harassment problem.
- This isn’t just a question of education. It’s a matter of life and death.
Please call your senators now: Capitol Switchboard – (202) 224-3121
You can let us know how your call went with our online call report form.
More than one third of the Senate already supports the Student Non-Discrimination Act. You can check for your senators on the list here and if one or both of your senators are on it, please make your call a “thank you” call.