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Loading ...Bill protecting LGBT students introduced in House
Colorado Democrat and openly gay Congressman Jared Polis introduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2010 in the House of Representatives on Thursday. The bill would protect public school students from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Hatred has no place in the classroom,” Polis said in a news release posted on his Web site. “Every student has the right to an education free from harassment and violence. This bill will protect the individual freedoms of our students and enshrine the values of equality and opportunity in our classrooms.”
Polis, co-chairman of the House LGBT Equality Caucus, is a strong proponent of equality in education.
SNDA would provide protections for LGBT students and ensure that all students are free from discrimination, harassment, bullying, intimidation and violence in schools.
“Every day innocent students fall victim to relentless harassment and discrimination from teachers, staff, and fellow students based on their sexual orientation,” said Polis.
“These actions not only hurt our students and our schools but, left unchecked, can also lead to life-threatening violence. Like Title VI for minorities in the 60s and Title IX for women in the 70s, my legislation puts LGBT students on an equal footing with their peers, so they can attend school and get a quality education, free from fear.”
Similar to Title IX, the legislation would endanger federal funding for those who violate it. There are currently 60 co-sponsors of the legislation.
Now if this bill can affect private schools as well it would be 100% perfect, but hey, I’ll settle with 75% and up.
I really don’t want to be negative but lets face it. Even though this bill costs nothing and is obviously a good thing, because it is for the sake of LBGTQ students, there will be a fight and the votes will follow party lines to the last vote. Our government is no longer in the business of protecting Americans, their in the business of staying in office and nothing more.
It’s a sad truth but even the President aluded to it in the State of the Union Address earlier this week.
I hope I’m wrong but don’t think I will be.
I live in Portland, Oregon. We drove too our state capital, Salem, to rally for LGBT youth laws. One young man, Jason, said he goes to high school in Gaston, a Portland suburb. He is gay and has bben beatem up for being himself. He just wants a GayStraight Alliance for procetion and for safety. My Representative Mitch Greenleaf, said he wiould vote for both laws. I said: “No more Mathew Shepards”. He said “Amen, no more killings”.
WRITE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE AND DEMAND PASSAGE OF THIS BILL. It is very important. I know from experience that school is hell for anybody who is bullied or harassed for any reason. Representatives who oppose this bill are saying, in effect, that they support bullying and harassment against LGBT students and we need to hold them accountable for every student who quits school, commits or attempts suicide or turns to use of drugs and alcohol because of homophobic bullying or harassment. Schools are not safe and caring for anybody unless they are safe and caring for everybody.
I’m actually in high school right now, and let me tell you, its hell. And while the bill may not affect the students, it will at least affect the teachers and staff. Which is important. I know from experience that hearing a homophobic comment hurts so much more when it comes from a teacher than when it comes from a student.
Help our GLBT students by signing this petition that will email our reps in congress to support H. R. 4530, the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA).
THEN click on the FACEBOOK SHARE to add it to your wall.
http://gayrights.change.org/actions/view/protect_lgbt_students_from_discrimination
http://gayrights.change.org/actions/view/protect_lgbt_students_from_discrimination
Go Jared polis! You proudly represent LGBT Colorado with your actions. Keep up the good work and know that we are behind you.
This should have been included in the No Child Left Behind legislation. After all, we are losing thousands of young men and women who drop out of school because they were bullied in and out of the classroom. Teachers and administrators must be held accountable for protecting all their students, not just straight ones.
LGBT kids don’t need special protection. They need to stiffen the penalities for hate crimes in that state. If they don’t have hate crimes laws on the books in this day and age, then prosecute them on the federal level. They will get the point.