About 75 percent of schools fail to protect GLBT kids

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SUMMARY: LGBT students are completely unprotected in schools in 42 states while only truly "safe" in two, announced the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education (news - web sites) Network (news - web sites) (GLSEN) in a report released Monday.

LGBT students are completely unprotected in schools in 42 states while only truly "safe" in two, announced the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in a report released Monday.

The report summarizes policies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in six categories: nondiscrimination laws, safe-schools laws throughout the state, local safe-schools policy, education on sexuality and safer sex practices, quality of education and whether laws stigmatizing GLBT people exist in the state.


GLSEN Hails New York City Council's Overwhelming Passage of Dignity In All Schools Act
Lamont, Josh - Media Contact
jlamont@glsen.org (email) 212.727.0135 x136 (office)

Jun 29, 2004
NEW YORK, NY – The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, today hailed the overwhelming passage by the New York City Council of the Dignity In All Schools Act. The bill passed 45-3 and now needs Mayor Bloomberg's signature to ensure protections for all people from bias-harassment on school property.
"The New York City Council today set a positive example for the rest of the state and indeed the nation," noted GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings. "The veto-proof passage of this bill sends a clear signal to New Yorkers that the city is committed to ensuring that schools are safe and effective environments for all those who set foot on school property. Since 75% of American students still go to schools in states that do not ensure the safety of all students, we call on the mayor to immediately sign the bill and for the state of New York to follow the city's lead by passing the statewide Dignity for All Students Act which has been debated without signing for more than four years."

The Dignity In All School Act covers all people, including students, faculty, volunteers and visitors, from bias-harassment on school property based on factors including religion, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, disability, academic performance, or any other physical characteristic. The bill covers all public schools along with private non-parochial schools and includes training for principals on how to address bullying and harassment in their schools. Each school will compile an annual report to the Department of Education, which will document the number of bullying incidents, the type of bullying and how it was addressed. This will provide an annual snapshot of what sort of bullying is taking place in NYC schools.

GLSEN's 2004 State of the States report recently noted that 42 states, including New York State, receive failing grades when it comes to ensuring safe and effective school environments for all students, particularly lesbian, bay, bisexual and transgender students. The New York City Dignity In All Schools Act sets an example for the New York State legislature to emulate to join the growing roster of states that have taken steps to protect all students from bias and harassment.

GLSEN's 2003 National School Climate Survey found that LGBT students who did not have (or did not know of) a policy protecting them from violence and harassment were 40% more likely to report skipping school out of fear for their personal safety. 4 out of 5 LGBT students report being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation – while 83% of LGBT students note that faculty and staff never or only rarely intervene when they are present and homophobic remarks are made.


New Jersey and Minnesota came in first and second in the country according to the report, with the only two "A" scores in the country. Mississippi came in 51st, with a score of minus three out of a possible hundred.

GLSEN gave negative scores only to states with laws specifically restricting schools from positively describing GLBT issues or people in schools: Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.

Conversely, fewer than 25 percent of students in kindergarten through twelfth grade are protected from discrimination by safe-schools laws. Only eight states (California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin) have statewide legal protections for students by sexual orientation. Of those, only California, Massachusetts and New Jersey include protection for gender identity.

Six more states (Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New York and South Carolina) are now considering legislation prohibiting discrimination and/or harassment in schools, but only four of those include gender identity language.

"This report highlights what many safe-schools advocates have feared -- that our nation's policymakers have failed to give schools the policies and programmatic support they need to change environments where bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity are the rule and not the exception," remarked GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings in a press release Monday.

In a 2003 study of the "climate" of our nation's schools, GLSEN found a link between safe-schools laws and increased LGBT attendance and safety in school. Four out of five GLBT students reported homophobic harassment by their peers, while 83 percent stated that faculty and staff observing this harassment "never or only rarely intervene."

"In classrooms where 'faggot' is heard more often than the pledge of allegiance and 39 percent of LGBT students report being physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation, our schools and the states that govern them are failing," Jennings continued.

The same 2003 study showed that the group least protected by law -- transgender youth -- reported more physical assault and verbal harassment than did nontrans lesbian, gay and bisexual youth.

GLSEN's public policy director, Neil Bomberg, stated Monday that "As the nation prepares for this fall's campaign season, it is time for local, state and national candidates -- incumbents and challengers alike -- to articulate their commitment and legislative plans to address the violence, bias and harassment so pervasive in America's schools."

42 States Receive Failing Grades in Inaugural Safe Schools Report
Lamont, Joshua - Media Contact

jlamont@glsen.org 212.727.0135 ext. 136 (office) 917.553.2332 (mobile)

Jun 28, 2004
2004 State of the States Report is First Objective Analysis of Statewide Safe Schools Policies; Small Group of States Lay Groundwork to Ensure Safety for All Students
New York, NY, and Washington, DC – The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, or GLSEN, today announced the release of the 2004 State of the States report. The report summarizes state laws that affect school environments and school safety for all students, particularly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students. The report represents the first systematic measurement and comprehensive analysis of statewide policy to ensure the safety of all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

42 states received failing grades, or grades of "F", in the report. New Jersey was ranked first with a score of 95 and one of only two "A"s on the list. Mississippi was at the bottom of the list, and the only state with less than zero points, with a score of –3. A complete breakdown of all grades, including a ranking of states, is attached and also available by visiting www.glsen.org.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia were given letter grades based on points granted in six categories, including existence of statewide safe schools laws, statewide non-discrimination laws, support for education on sexual health and sexuality, local safe schools policies, general education issues (e.g. student/teacher ratios, graduation rates) and existence of laws that stigmatize LGBT people.

"This report highlights what many safe schools advocates have feared – that our nation's policymakers have failed to give schools the policies and programmatic support they need to change environments where bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity are the rule and not the exception," notes GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings. "In classrooms where 'faggot' is heard more often than the pledge of allegiance and 39% of LGBT students report being physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation, our schools and the state's that govern them are failing."

Key conclusions from the 2004 State of the States report include:

The vast majority of students do not have legal protections against anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. Only 8 states and the District of Columbia currently have statewide legal protections for students based on sexual orientation. Only California, Minnesota and New Jersey include protections based on gender identity or expression. More than 75% of the approximately 47.7 million K-12 students in the U.S. go to schools that do not include sexual orientation and gender identity/expression as statewide protected classes alongside federally mandated protections based on religion, race, and national origin.

GLSEN's 2003 National School Climate Survey finds a relationship between student safety, school attendance and safe schools laws. Among the several key findings is that LGBT students who did not have (or did not know of) a policy protecting them from violence and harassment were 40% more likely to report skipping school out of fear for their personal safety.

7 states had their scores reduced for their respective laws that stigmatize LGBT people by specifically prohibiting any positive portrayal of LGBT issues or people in schools. Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah have these laws.
A growing number of states and school districts are making initial efforts to curtail harassment and discrimination in schools through legislative and policy change, but laws and policies have not been passed in numbers necessary to match the pervasive levels of harassment and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in America's schools. 4 out of 5 LGBT students report being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation – while 83% of LGBT students note that faculty and staff never or only rarely intervene when they are present and homophobic remarks are made (Source: GLSEN 2003 National School Climate Survey, www.glsen.org).

"As the nation prepares for this fall's campaign season, it is time for local, state and national candidates – incumbents and challengers alike – to articulate their commitment and legislative plans to address the violence, bias and harassment so pervasive in America's schools," noted GLSEN Public Policy Director Neil Bomberg.

GLSEN's 2004 State of the States report summarizes the laws affecting students, particularly LGBT students in K-12 schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. GLSEN prepared the State of the States 2004 report to continue the comprehensive collection of data and information related to education issues impacting LGBT students, teachers and staff. Key findings, the complete report and additional information about methodology and demographics may be obtained by calling GLSEN's Communications Department at 212-727-0135 or by visiting www.glsen.org.

STATE OF THE STATES
(In ranked order according to score. States with matching scores have been given matching ranks)

1 New Jersey
2 Minnesota
3 Washington, DC
4 Vermont
5 California
6 Connecticut
7 Wisconsin
8 Massachusetts
9 Rhode Island
10 Maryland
11 Nevada
12 Washington
13 New York
14 New Hampshire
15 Alaska
15 Hawaii
17 New Mexico
18 Iowa
19 Maine
19 Virginia
21 Florida
21 Illinois
23 Pennsylvania
24 Delaware
24 Tennessee
26 Missouri
26 North Dakota
26 West Virginia
29 Oregon
30 Kansas
30 Wyoming
32 Nebraska
32 North Carolina
34 Georgia
35 Colorado
36 Kentucky
37 Michigan
38 Indiana
39 Ohio
40 South Dakota
41 South Carolina
42 Utah
43 Texas
44 Montana
45 Arkansas
45 Oklahoma
47 Louisiana
48 Idaho
49 Alabama
50 Arizona
51 Mississippi

Policy and Law documents:

About GLSEN
GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. Established nationally in 1995, GLSEN envisions a world in which every child learns to respect and accept all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. For more information on GLSEN's educational resources, public policy agenda, student organizing programs or development initiatives, visit www.glsen.org.