How You Can Help Stop LGBT Bullying

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students face rampant bullying inside America's schools.  Classrooms that are supposed to be safe, welcoming, enriching locations of learning get turned into abusive and dreadful venues for harrassment, teasing, and physical and emotional abuse for thousands of LGBT students.

On Monday of this week, an 11-year-old Massachusetts student committed suicide because of what his mom described as rampant bullying over his perceived sexual orientation at school.  Two weeks ago, parents sued a Mentor, Ohio high school for not protecting their child from physical abuse, name-calling and taunts over his perceived sexual orientation.  The student, Eric Mohat, was told by one of the school bullies, "Why don't you go home and shoot yourself, no one will miss you."  Mohat did.

These are just two stories from the past 14 days that illustrate how widespread bullying is toward LGBT students.  Here are some numbers, according the the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN):

• Nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT youth (86.2%) reported being verbally harassed at school;
• More than 60 percent of LGBT students said they felt unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation;
• Nearly 45 percent of LGBT students reported being physically harassed in school; and
• Nearly one-third of LGBT students nationwide said they had missed a day of school in the past month because of feeling unsafe

These numbers make it clear that LGBT bullying is pandemic inside America's school system.

GLSEN (among others) are fighting back against bullying toward LGBT students by organizing a National Day of Silence to draw attention to the issue.  The day, which will be marked next Friday (April 17), is a time for students across the country, straight and gay, to come together and bring attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools.  All told, students from more than 7,500 middle and high schools participated in 2008.  Numbers are expected to be even greater this year.

This is exactly the type of education and action that's needed in order to dismantle bullying and ignorance toward LGBT students.  Members of Congress are also stepping up to the plate, too, with a resolution introduced by Reps. Eliot Engel and Tammy Baldwin supporting GLSEN's "National Day of Silence" campaign.  Change.org member Ted Nunn has started an action right here that allows you to write your U.S. Congressperson, and ask them to sign onto the Engel/Baldwin resolution. Already, the resolution (known as H.R. 92) has 33 cosponsors.  We need more.

Please consider signing this petition to your Congress member. LGBT bullying is a dangerous phenomenon, that turns schools from safe spaces to violent havens.  No student should fear for their safety inside the classroom.  Check out the PSA about the National Day of Silence, featuring Lance Bass, below.