 In schools
throughout New England and the nation, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender youth are making wonderful waves. They are coming out of
the closet and making their presence felt in every aspect of school
life: from the classroom to the football team, from the stage to the
math club. As LGBT students become more visible, more and more schools
are taking active steps to protect all students from discrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation.
At the same time, many schools fail to create healthy environments
where LGBT
youth can learn and grow in safety. The overwhelming majority of LGBT
students
experience homophobic name-calling in school, and anti-gay sexual
harassment,
threats, and physical assault are all too commonplace. Anti-gay insults
flow so
freely in many schools that they frequently receive no attention at all
from
faculty or staff. And when students report harassment, some
administrators fail
to address the problem appropriately, and others turn a deaf ear
altogether. We
can do better.
If you are a student in a public high school in New England, a safe,
respectful
education is your right. You have
the right to attend school free of
sexual
harassment, and without being harassed, by students or faculty, based
on your
sexual orientation or gender expression. You have the right to form a
Gay/Straight Alliance and have it treated the same way all other
extracurricular groups, even if other community members don't like it.
LGBT
students deserve to be able to take full advantage of their education:
to
attend school in safety, to participate fully in classes and
activities, and to
have their whole selves treated with respect. GLAD's
legal work aims to make it a reality.
Meet Jason Haas...
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