lesbian articles: Washington State House and Senate UNANIMOUSLY Pass Anti-Bullying Bill

Anti-bullying legislation passed the Washington State House (97-0) and Senate (48-0) last week that includes protections for LGBTQ Youth in public schools. Governor Christine Gregoire has already vowed to sign the bill as soon as it crosses her desk.

This legislation will create state-wide policies regarding bullying and harassment which will be required to be published online, as well as a staff position in every school responsible for handling all complaints of bullying and harassment.

Josh Friedes, advocacy director of Equal Rights Washington said in a statement, “Today let us celebrate the leadership of Representative Marko Liias who championed this legislation, the commitment of the legislature to ensuring that every student enjoys a safe learning environment and the ongoing work of the Safe Schools Coalition.”

See “Celebrate a Victory Against Bullying” published by Equal Rights Washington:

Celebrate a Victory Against Bullying

Let’s hope the United States Congress follows suit….

On January 27th of this year, Colorado Democrat and Co-Chair of the House LGBT Equality Caucus Jared Polis, who is an openly Gay Congressmen, introduced H. R. 4530, the Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2010. There were 60 co-sponsors of the bill.

The following quote from Congressman Polis appears on his website:

“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.”

Polis, also a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, is a former chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education and has founded and served as the superintendent of charter schools serving at-risk student populations. He further states,

“Hatred has no place in the classroom. 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.”

see: Congressman Jared Polis‘ website

also: 1-27_SNDA_Fact_Sheet and 1-27_SNDA_Bill_Text

To help this bill, contact your Congressmen and women and let them know it’s time to provide a safe learning environment for our youth, free from harassment, bullying and fear.

I look forward to reporting its passage. -MsQueer

Additional resources for this story: Julie Bolcer, The Advocate, March 8, 2010, and Ruth Schneider, 365Gay.com, March 9, 2010.