IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 98 

Supporting the goals and ideals of GLSEN’s 2020 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 24, 2020 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HAALAND, Ms. NORTON, Mrs. 

HAYES, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. RYAN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. VARGAS, Ms. 

VELA ́ZQUEZ, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. LYNCH, Mrs. CAROLYN B. 

MALONEY of New York, Mr. HECK, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Mr. 

GALLEGO, Mr. LOWENTHAL, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. LEE

of California, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. FOSTER, 

Mr. STANTON, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Mr. BERA, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. 

QUIGLEY, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. PETERS, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mrs. 

WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. WELCH, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. 

SOTO, Ms. DEAN, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mrs. LEE of Nevada, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. JOHNSON

of Georgia, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. KILMER, Mr. COX of California, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. 

MENG, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. POCAN, Ms. 

CRAIG, Mr. CROW, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. HIGGINS of New 

York, Mr. SUOZZI, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. TITUS, Ms. TLAIB, 

Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Ms. FINKENAUER, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. 

CLARK of Massachusetts, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. SIRES, Miss RICE of New 

York, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Ms. OCASIOCORTEZ, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. OMAR, Mr. 

LUJA ́N, Mr. ROUDA, Mr. TONKO, Mrs. LOWEY, and Mr. CISNEROS) 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 


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•HCON 98 IH 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of GLSEN’s 2020 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. 

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 

Day of Silence; 

Whereas hundreds of thousands of students at thousands of 

schools have participated in the National Day of Silence 

in past years; 

Whereas GLSEN’s 2017 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, transgender, 

and queer students reported being verbally harassed by 

their peers at school because of their sexual orientation, 

and 59 percent because of their gender expression; 

Whereas 29 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 

and queer students reported being physically harassed by 


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•HCON 98 IH 

their peers at school because of their sexual orientation, 

and 24 percent because of their gender expression; 

Whereas nearly 13 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

transgender, and queer students reported being physically 

assaulted by their peers at school because of their sexual 

orientation, and 11 percent because of their gender expression; 

Whereas 60 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, 

and queer students reported that they felt unsafe in 

school because of their sexual orientation, and 35 percent 

reported missing at least one entire schoolday in the preceding month because of safety concerns; 

Whereas transgender students were more likely than all other 

students to report feeling unsafe at school because of 

their gender expression; 

Whereas according to the 2015 National Transgender Discrimination Survey, those who expressed a transgender 

identity or gender nonconformity 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 according to the 2017 National School Climate Survey, student academic performance is affected such that 

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students 

who experienced high levels of harassment and assault 

because of their sexual orientation or gender expression 

report a grade point average nearly a half grade lower 

than those of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and 

queer students who experienced low levels of such harassment and assault; 


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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 discrimination 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 his or her sexual orientation and gender identity or expression: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That Congress— 

3 (1) supports the goals and ideals of the Na4 tional Day of Silence; 

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

7 observe the GLSEN’s Day of Silence with appro8 priate ceremonies, programs, and activities; and 

9 (3) encourages each State, city, and local edu10 cational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit 

11 name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimina12 tion against students, teachers, and other school 

13 staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gen14 der identity or expression, so that the Nation’s 


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1 schools are institutions where all individuals are able 

2 to focus on learning. 

Æ 


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