American Civil Liberties Union : Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth

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The Youth & Schools program strives to make public schools safe and bias-free, defending free expression in public schools and working to help students establish gay-straight alliance clubs.	> Federal Appeals Court Says It's OK for School to Teach Children's Book Encouraging Tolerance for Gay People > ACLU Sues Florida High School for Suppressing Free Speech

The LGBT Project's Youth & Schools program has a ton of online information for students, but also for parents, teachers, and school administrators. Here's how to get around:

"What's Your Problem?" contains information to help you better understand your rights, what steps you should take to fight back, and how we might be able to help
"Change Your School" gives you the tools you need to make your school a safer, more welcoming place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students
"Library" is a huge collection of information about schools issues for LGBT youth and links to handouts, letters, and legal briefs from both the ACLU's website and elsewhere on the web
"Get Help" tells you how to contact us with questions about experiencing anti-gay discrimination in your school and how to find out what your rights are under the law

Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth : Press Releases

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ACLU Takes On High School Principal For Discriminating Against Male Couple (04/29/2008)
MEMPHIS – A public high school principal who posted the names of two boys on a list of students believed to be couples, revealing their relationship to their parents as well as other students and teachers, violated the students' constitutional right to freedom of association, the American Civil Liberties Union charged today. In a letter to school board officials in Memphis, Tennessee, the ACLU demanded today that the school reprimand the principal and take steps to ensure such actions never happen again.

Federal Appeals Court Says It's OK for School to Teach Children's Book Encouraging Tolerance for Gay People (01/31/2008)
BOSTON – A Massachusetts federal appeals court today ruled that an elementary school can continue to use children's books that encourage tolerance for gay people. The ACLU cheers the decision, which rejected the claims of parents who said exposing their children to such books violated their ability to direct the religious training of their children.

ACLU Sues Florida High School for Suppressing Free Speech (01/31/2008)
PONCE DE LEON, FL - A Florida high school has been trampling the First Amendment rights of students who support equal rights for gay people, according to a federal lawsuit filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union. In its lawsuit, the ACLU described an atmosphere of fear and censorship at Ponce de Leon High School, where the school board's attorney says even expressions like a rainbow sticker may mean students are members of an "illegal organization."

ACLU Demands Virginia High School Stop Censoring Gay Student (12/20/2007)
PORTSMOUTH, VA – The American Civil Liberties Union today demanded that a high school that punished a student for wearing a t-shirt featuring a lesbian pride symbol apologize to the student and guarantee that it will no longer illegally censor her in the future. School officials at I.C. Norcom High School had threatened the 17-year-old senior with suspension because a teacher was upset by her t-shirt, which bears an image of two overlapping female gender symbols.

Federal Court Agrees with ACLU: Schools Can Protect Both Gay Students and Religious Speech (10/26/2007)
CINCINNATI - A federal appeals court today agreed with the American Civil Liberties Union, ruling that a school policy designed to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students from harassment went too far in squelching the right of some religious students to express their views on homosexuality.

Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth : Publications

Know Your Rights! - Students Wallet Card (06/15/2007)
You have the right to be yourself. This wallet card provides LGBT students with the basics – outlining students’ legal rights in public schools.
> Order online!

Making Schools Safe Training Manual (01/31/2006)
This is an abridged version. Contact us for copies of the full manual.

Ask Sybil Liberty About Your Right to Equality in Education (12/31/1997)
ACLU's resident expert, Sybil Liberty, answers common questions about students' rights from a student point of view.

Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth : Legal Documents

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Outing at Hollis F. Price Middle College High School - Demand Letter (04/29/2008)

Gillman v Holmes County School District - Complaint (01/31/2008)

Laccone v. I.C. Norcom High School - Demand Letter (12/20/2007)

Gillman v. Holmes County School District - Letter from School District to ACLU (11/12/2007)

Gillman v. Holmes County School District - Letter from ACLU to School District (11/02/2007)

Lesbian Gay Rights : Schools Youth : Legislative Documents

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Sign-on Letter to Omnibus Appropriations Bill Conferees Urging No New Funding to Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Programs Under the Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS) Grant Program funded through the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill (02/05/2003)

Letter to the Senate on First Amendment Issues in Sen. Helms' "Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act" Amendment to ESEA (05/21/2001)

Letter to the House on the First Amendment Issues in Rep. Hilleary's "Boy Scouts of America Equal Access Act" Amendment to ESEA (05/21/2001)