LGBT Bullying

A Boy Named Issak

By Issak Wolfe at 5:11pm

I am a high school senior at Red Lion Area High School in Pennsylvania.  As a student who happens to be transgender, my life isn’t all that different from other students in my class, except that I came out the summer before my junior year and have been going by my male name ever since.  I try hard to make good grades, work at a part –time job, and have a wonderfully supportive family and an awesome girlfriend.  My high school, like any other, has a senior prom. Our prom always has a king and a queen, and every senior gets a spot on the ballot for royalty. This year was my turn to get a chance at king like every other boy in my class. 

The Single Most Important Step Congress Could Take to Improve the Lives of LGBT Students

By Ian S. Thompson, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 10:48am

For those who work each and every day to secure basic fairness and equality under the law for LGBT Americans, the pace of positive...

"Protecting" LGBT Youth by Putting Them in Harm’s Way

By Chris Hampton, ACLU LGBT Project at 4:19pm

Tennessee State Senator Stacey Campfield is well known for such antics as claiming AIDS resulted from “one guy screwing a monkey” and trying to weasel his way into the state’s Black Legislative Caucus.  But perhaps Campfield’s greatest source of notoriety is the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, a nasty proposed law he’s introduced and reintroduced every chance he’s gotten during his nine years in the legislature.  In its earlier incarnations, the bill would have banned any discussion of sexuality except for heterosexuality in public schools up through the eighth grade.  This week, Campfield has brought “Don’t Say Gay” back yet again, with a misleading new name (the “Classroom Protection Act”) and a particularly disturbing new addition: The bill now seeks to require school nurses and guidance professionals to notify the parents of any student they work with who identifies as gay or questioning.

Victim of Brutal LGBT Bullying in Ohio School Tells His Story

By Ian S. Thompson, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 3:53pm

The ACLU of Ohio is representing both Zach and his mother, and is working with his high school to ensure that something like this never happens again.

 

U.S. Senators to LGBT Youth: "It Gets Better"

By Ian S. Thompson, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 3:24pm

On Wednesday morning, 13 members of the U.S. Senate delivered a video message of hope and encouragement to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young people across the country as part of the It Gets Better Project. Just as importantly, the senators committed themselves to working every day to bring about positive changes for LGBT people that will actually make their lives better, and our country a fairer and more just society.

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Historic Support for the Student Non-Discrimination Act

By Ian S. Thompson, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 2:42pm

On Tuesday, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) signed on as a co-sponsor to the Student Non-Discrimination Act. What’s the big deal you might be asking, particularly on a bill that already has the support of more than 160 House members?

What makes Rep. Clyburn’s co-sponsorship so significant is that, for the first time, every member of the House Democratic Leadership – Minority Leader Pelosi (D-Calif.), Minority Whip Hoyer (D-Md.), and Assistant Minority Leader Clyburn – are now SNDA co-sponsors.

No More Band-Aids on Bullying

The ACLU of Southern California on addressing the bullying of LGBTQ students.

Giving 'Em Hope: The It Gets Better Project

By Ian S. Thompson, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 3:10pm

September was a hard month for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, especially for some of its youngest and most vulnerable members.

In Greensburg, Indiana, 15-year-old Billy Lucas was found by his mother in the family's barn after he had taken his own life. Late last week, Asher Brown, of Houston, Texas, died after shooting himself. On Tuesday, 13-year-old Seth Walsh of Tehachapi, California, passed away after spending nine days on life support after he hanged himself from a tree in his backyard. On Wednesday, the body of 18-year-old Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi was pulled from the Hudson River in New York, days after he was allegedly humiliated and outed to other students by his roommate. And just this morning we learned that on the same day, 19-year-old college student Raymond Chase hanged himself in his dorm room in Rhode Island.

Just Say "No" to "Don't Say Gay"

By Amanda Goad, LGBT Project & Anna Ziering, LGBT Project at 2:11pm

For a while, it looked as if Tennessee legislators had come to their senses and backed off the bill popularly known as "Don't Say Gay." Unfortunately, the bill is now roaring forward again, but there may still be a chance of stopping it.

Tennessee Principal's Reaction to GSA T-Shirt Raises the Question: Who's Really Causing the Disruption Here?

By Amanda Goad, LGBT Project at 1:35pm

Students can express whatever ideas they want through their clothing as long as they don't cause a "substantial disruption."

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