IV 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 40 

Supporting the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence in bringing 

attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, 

bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in schools. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 13, 2011 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Ms. BALDWIN, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, 

Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. CICILLINE, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. DOYLE, Mr. 

ELLISON, Mr. FARR, Mr. FILNER, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. AL

GREEN of Texas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. HOLT, Mr. HONDA, Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. LEE of 

California, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. 

MCCOLLUM, Mr. MORAN, Mr. NADLER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. 

POLIS, Ms. RICHARDSON, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Ms. 

WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SHERMAN, Ms. WOOLSEY, 

and Mr. WU) 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 the National Day of 

Silence in bringing attention 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 antiVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:41 Apr 14, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC40.IH HC40

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•HCON 40 IH 

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

Whereas the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network 

designates one day of every April as the National Day of 

Silence; 

Whereas hundreds of thousands of students at more than 

8,000 schools have participated in the National Day of 

Silence in past years; 

Whereas the 2008 National Day of Silence was held in memory of Lawrence King, a 15-year-old California student 

who was shot and killed in school in February 2008 by 

a classmate due to his sexual orientation and gender 

identity and expression; 

Whereas the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s 

2009 National School Climate Survey illustrates the pervasive harassment and victimization faced by lesbian, 

gay, bisexual, and transgender students by documenting 

their experiences within the preceding academic year; 

Whereas nearly 85 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 

transgender students reported being verbally harassed by 

their peers at school because of their sexual orientation, 

and more than 60 percent because of their gender expression; 

Whereas more than 40 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 

transgender students reported being physically harassed 

by their peers at school because of their sexual orientation, and nearly 30 percent because of their gender expression; 

Whereas nearly 20 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 

transgender students reported being physically assaulted 

by their peers at school because of their sexual orientaVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:41 Apr 14, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC40.IH HC40

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•HCON 40 IH 

tion, and nearly 12.5 percent because of their gender expression; 

Whereas more than 60 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 

transgender students reported that they felt unsafe in 

school, and nearly 30 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 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 almost 15 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 Mar 15 2010 00:41 Apr 14, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC40.IH HC40

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•HCON 40 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 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 National Day of Silence with appropriate 

8 ceremonies, programs, and activities; and 

9 (3) encourages each State, city, and local edu10 cation authority to adopt laws and policies to pro11 hibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and dis12 crimination against students, teachers, and other 

13 school staff regardless of their sexual orientation 

14 and gender identity or expression, so that the Na15 tion’s schools are institutions where all individuals 

16 are able to focus on learning. 

Æ 


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