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[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 328 Introduced in House (IH)]

110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 328

  Supporting the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence with 
 respect to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, 
       bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in schools.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 15, 2008

    Mr. Engel (for himself, Ms. Baldwin, Mrs. Capps, Mrs. Davis of 
   California, Mr. Ellison, Mr. Farr, Mr. Fattah, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. 
Gutierrez, Mr. Holt, Mr. Honda, Mr. Loebsack, Mrs. Lowey, Mrs. Maloney 
of New York, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McGovern, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Nadler, Ms. 
 Norton, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Rothman, Ms. Linda T. Sanchez of California, 
Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Sires, Ms. Solis, Mr. Stark, Ms. Sutton, Mr. Towns, 
    Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Weiner, Mr. Wexler, and Ms. Woolsey) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Education and Labor, 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

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
  Supporting the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence with 
 respect to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, 
       bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in schools.

Whereas the National Day of Silence is a day in which students take a vow of 
        silence to bring attention to the anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
        transgender name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals 
        in schools, including students, teachers, and other school staff;
Whereas the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network designated one day of 
        every April as the National Day of Silence;
Whereas the 2008 National Day of Silence will be held in memory of Lawrence 
        King, a 15-year-old California student who was shot and killed in school 
        in February by a 14-year-old classmate because of King's sexual 
        orientation and gender identity and expression;
Whereas more than 500,000 students from more than 5,000 junior and high schools 
        participated in the National Day of Silence in previous years;
Whereas the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network's 2005 National School 
        Climate Survey illustrates the pervasive harassment and victimization of 
        lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students;
Whereas more than 80 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students 
        have been verbally harassed at school by their peers because of their 
        sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;
Whereas nearly 40 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students 
        were physically harassed by their peers because of their sexual 
        orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;
Whereas nearly 20 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students 
        were physically assaulted by their peers at school because of their 
        sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression;
Whereas over 40 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students 
        reported that faculty and staff never intervene when homophobic language 
        is used in their presence;
Whereas nearly 30 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students 
        reported missing at least one entire schoolday in the last month because 
        they felt unsafe;
Whereas lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth who experienced high 
        levels of verbal harassment because of their sexual orientation are more 
        likely to report that they did not plan to attend college than youth who 
        never or rarely experienced such harassment;
Whereas unchecked harassment based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and 
        gender expression has a negative impact on student academic performance, 
        such that grade point averages are a half grade lower than those for 
        other students;
Whereas 40 States do not have laws protecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
        transgender students from name-calling, bullying, and harassment that 
        occurs at school because of sexual orientation;
Whereas only five States and the District of Columbia have laws protecting 
        students from anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, 
        bullying, and harassment based on their gender identity or expression; 
        and
Whereas every child should be guaranteed an education free from name-calling, 
        bullying, harassment, and discrimination regardless of his or her sexual 
        orientation, gender identity, or gender expression: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of 
        Silence;
            (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
        calling on the people of the United States to observe the 
        National Day of Silence with appropriate ceremonies, programs, 
        and activities; and
            (3) encourages each State, city, and local education 
        authority to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, 
        bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, 
        teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual 
        orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, so that our 
        schools are institutions where all individuals are able to 
        focus on learning.
                                 <all>
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