IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 860 

Supporting the goals and ideals of GLSEN’s 2018 national ‘‘Day of Silence’’ 

in bringing attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and 

queer (LGBTQ) name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in schools. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 27, 2018 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New 

York, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. PETERS, Mr. 

LOWENTHAL, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. 

BARRAGA ́N, Mr. PALLONE, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. 

NORTON, Mr. KIHUEN, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mrs. 

LOWEY, Mr. PANETTA, Ms. LEE, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mr. 

GUTIE ́RREZ, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. 

VELA ́ZQUEZ, Mr. KILMER, Mr. WELCH, Ms. HANABUSA, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, 

Mr. KILDEE, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. CICILLINE, 

Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. YARMUTH, Ms. ESTY of Connecticut, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. POCAN, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Mr. 

CORREA) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of GLSEN’s 2018 national 

‘‘Day of Silence’’ in bringing attention to anti-lesbian, 

gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) namecalling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals 

in schools. 


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•HRES 860 IH 

Whereas the national ‘‘Day of Silence’’ is a day in which students take a vow of silence to bring attention to the antilesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in 

schools; 

Whereas GLSEN is a national nonprofit organization working to create safe and affirming learning environments in 

primary and secondary schools nationwide, regardless of 

sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; 

Whereas GLSEN designates one day of every April as the 

national ‘‘Day of Silence’’; 

Whereas hundreds of thousands of students at thousands of 

schools, domestic and international, have participated in 

the national ‘‘Day of Silence’’ in past years; 

Whereas students experiences of anti-LGBTQ discrimination 

and harassment are not unique but shared worldwide; 

Whereas GLSEN’s 2015 National School Climate Survey illustrates the pervasive harassment and victimization 

faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer 

students by documenting their experiences within the preceding academic year; 

Whereas 70 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 

students reported being verbally harassed by their peers 

at school because of their sexual orientation and 54 percent because of their gender expression; 

Whereas 27 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 

students reported being physically harassed by their peers 

at school because of their sexual orientation and 20 percent because of their gender expression; 

Whereas nearly 13 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 

transgender students reported being physically assaulted 


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•HRES 860 IH 

by their peers at school because of their sexual orientation and 9 percent because of their gender expression; 

Whereas 57 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender 

students reported that they felt unsafe in school due to 

bullying, harassment, and discrimination, and 31.8 percent reported missing at least one entire school day in 

the preceding month because of safety concerns; 

Whereas transgender students were more likely than all other 

students to report feeling unsafe at school due to bullying, harassment, and discrimination; 

Whereas according to the 2015 National Transgender Discrimination Survey, those who identified as transgender 

or gender nonconforming while in grades K through 12 

reported alarming rates of harassment, physical assault, 

and sexual violence so severe that 17 percent of those 

surveyed had to leave school; 

Whereas student academic performance is affected such that 

lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students who experienced high levels of verbal harassment because of 

their sexual orientation or gender expression report a 

grade point average nearly a half grade lower than those 

of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students who 

experienced low levels of such harassment; 

Whereas the presence of supportive staff contributed to a 

range of positive indicators including fewer reports of 

missing school, fewer reports of feeling unsafe, greater 

academic achievement, higher educational aspirations, 

and a greater sense of school belonging; 

Whereas a growing number of States, cities, and local education authorities are adopting laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discriminaVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:38 Apr 27, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR860.IH HR860

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•HRES 860 IH 

tion against students on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity or expression; and 

Whereas every child should be guaranteed an education free 

from name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination regardless of their sexual orientation and gender 

identity or expression: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of the national 

3 ‘‘Day of Silence’’ while uplifting the importance of 

4 supporting lives of LGBTQ students; 

5 (2) requests that the President issue a procla6 mation calling on the people of the United States to 

7 observe GLSEN’s national ‘‘Day of Silence’’ with 

8 appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities; 

9 and 

10 (3) encourages each State, city, and local edu11 cational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit 

12 name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimina13 tion against students, teachers, and other school 

14 staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gen15 der identity or expression, so that the Nation’s 

16 schools are institutions where all individuals are able 

17 to focus on learning. 

Æ 


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