IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 49 

Supporting the goals and ideals of GLSEN’s 2017 Day of Silence in bringing 

attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer namecalling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in schools. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 6, 2017 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mr. CICILLINE, Ms. CLARKE of New 

York, Ms. DEGETTE, Ms. DELBENE, Mr. DEUTCH, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. 

ESTY, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. HANABUSA, Mr. HASTINGS, Ms. NORTON, Ms. 

JAYAPAL, Mr. KEATING, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. KILMER, Mr. 

KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, Mr. LOWENTHAL, 

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. NORCROSS, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. PETERS, Mr. POCAN, Mr. PRICE of North 

Carolina, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. SA ́NCHEZ, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. 

SLAUGHTER, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. TAKANO, 

Mr. TONKO, Ms. TSONGAS, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. WELCH, Ms. 

WILSON of Florida, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, and Mr. 

POLIS) submitted the following concurrent 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 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of GLSEN’s 2017 Day of 

Silence in bringing attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer 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 antiVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:31 Apr 07, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC49.IH HC49

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•HCON 49 IH 

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in 

schools; 

Whereas GLSEN is a national nonprofit organization working to ensure 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 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 

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 because 


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•HCON 49 IH 

of their sexual orientation, 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 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 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 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 discriminaVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:31 Apr 07, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC49.IH HC49

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•HCON 49 IH 

tion 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 

15 schools are institutions where all individuals are able 

16 to focus on learning. 

Æ 


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