III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 628 

Supporting the goals and ideals of the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in 

Schools Initiative, a call to action to communities across the country 

to demand equal educational opportunity, basic civil rights protections, 

and freedom from erasure for all students, particularly LGBTQI+ young 

people, in K–12 schools. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 8, 2024 

Mr. SCHATZ submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of the Rise Up for 

LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative, a call to action 

to communities across the country to demand equal educational opportunity, basic civil rights protections, and 

freedom from erasure for all students, particularly 

LGBTQI+ young people, in K–12 schools. 

Whereas young people, teachers, school staff, families, and 

communities must be free from transphobia, homophobia, 

racism, sexism, and ableism in K–12 schools; 

Whereas K–12 schools must be safe and inclusive learning 

environments that include and affirm LGBTQI+ young 

people, especially those who are transgender, nonbinary, 

intersex, Black, Indigenous, people of color, and people 


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with disabilities and those who are from communities 

that experience marginalization; 

Whereas, for more than 2 decades, Congress has supported 

a resolution for a National Day of Silence, and, for a decade, Congress has supported a resolution for No NameCalling Week; 

Whereas advocates have designated 2024 to 2025 as a time 

for communities to support the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ 

Youth in Schools Initiative in support of LGBTQI+ 

young people in schools by building on the goals of National Day of (No) Silence and No Name-Calling Week 

to create a sustained call to action to demand equal educational opportunities, basic civil rights protections, and 

freedom from erasure for all students; 

Whereas LGBTQI+ young people frequently experience biasbased bullying and harassment, discrimination, and punitive discipline that increases the likelihood they will enter 

the school-to-prison pipeline; 

Whereas over 200 anti-LGBTQI+ education bills have been 

introduced each year in State legislatures across the 

country, the majority of which specifically target 

transgender and nonbinary young people, including— 

(1) in Idaho, where on March 30, 2020, Governor 

Brad Little signed the first bill into law barring 

transgender students from playing on the school sports 

teams that correspond with their gender identity; 

(2) in 24 additional States that enacted policies between 2021 and 2024 that prohibit transgender students 

from playing alongside their peers on school sports 

teams; 

(3) in Tennessee, where in 2021, Governor Bill Lee 

signed a bill that allows any student, parent, or employee 


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to sue if they interact with a transgender person in a 

school bathroom or other facility; and 

(4) in 10 States that, between 2021 and 2024, enacted laws that prevent transgender students from using 

the school bathroom or locker room that corresponds with 

their gender identity; 

Whereas GLSEN’s 2021 National School Climate Survey 

found that LGBTQI+ students who experienced discrimination on the basis of their LGBTQI+ identity at 

school in the past year, including being prevented from 

using the restroom that aligns with their gender identity 

and being barred from playing on the school sports team 

that aligns with their gender identity, were nearly 3 times 

as likely to have missed school in the past month, had 

lower GPAs, reported lower feelings of school belonging, 

and had higher levels of depression compared to 

LGBTQI+ students who had not experienced similar discrimination; 

Whereas LGBTQI+ young people are more likely than their 

non-LGBTQI+ peers to experience mental health concerns, including stress, anxiety, and depression; 

Whereas nearly half of LGBTQI+ young people seriously 

considered suicide in the last year, a trend that increases 

among Indigenous, Black, and multiracial LGBTQI+ 

young people; 

Whereas the GLSEN’s 2021 National School Climate Survey 

found that, among LGBTQI+ students who said that 

they were considering dropping out of school, 31.4 percent indicated that they were doing so because of the hostile climate created by gendered school policies and practices; 


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Whereas States have passed or attempted to pass legislation 

that erases or censors LGBTQI+ individuals, history, 

and contributions from classroom literature and curricula, including— 

(1) in Florida, where in March 2022, Governor Ron 

DeSantis signed HB 1557 into law, censoring instruction 

related to LGBTQI+ people, commonly referred to as 

the ‘‘Don’t Say LGBTQ+’’ law; 

(2) in the 6 additional States that enacted laws between 2022 and 2024 censoring instruction related to 

LGBTQI+ people; 

(3) in Arizona, where in May of 2021, Governor 

Doug Ducey signed HB 2035, which requires parental 

consent for a child to learn about topics such as the 

United States Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. 

Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), in which the Court held 

that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to 

same-sex couples; and 

(4) in Arkansas, Florida, Montana, and Tennessee, 

which in 2021 enacted laws that treat instruction related 

to LGBTQI+ individuals in history, science, the arts, or 

any academic class as a sensitive topic that requires parental notification and allows parents to opt their child 

out of such instruction; 

Whereas these laws harm students and force families to consider leaving their homes, as demonstrated in a Williams 

Institute report, which found that 56 percent of 

LGBTQI+ parents of students in Florida considered 

moving out of Florida and 16.5 percent have taken steps 

to move out of Florida because of HB 1557; 

Whereas States have gone farther by specifically targeting 

transgender students and their families with policies that 


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attack mental health counseling and gender-affirming 

care for transgender students, including— 

(1) in Texas, where in 2022, Governor Greg Abbott 

issued a directive to the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate the parents of young people 

seeking gender-affirming care for child abuse, which purported to require school professionals to report parents 

who are supportive of their transgender child for investigation; and 

(2) the introduction of at least 55 bills in 22 States, 

since the beginning of the 2024 legislative session, that 

prohibit or create barriers to the social affirmation of 

transgender and nonbinary students in schools, such as 

using a student’s chosen name and pronouns, regardless 

of the risk to the student’s safety, health, and well-being; 

Whereas 85 percent of transgender and nonbinary young people say that recent debates prompted by State legislation 

restricting the rights of transgender individuals have negatively impacted their mental health; 

Whereas data provided by the Department of Justice shows 

that the number of reported anti-LGBTQI+ hate crimes 

in schools has increased from 145 reported incidents in 

2019 to 251 reported incidents in 2022; 

Whereas every young person must have equal educational opportunity and freedom from the fear that their basic civil 

and educational rights will be taken away from them; 

Whereas young people who develop in positive school climates, free from bullying, harassment, and discrimination, report greater physical and psychological safety, 

greater mental well-being, and improved educational and 

life outcomes; 


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Whereas positive school transformation must recognize that 

safety is too low of a bar and that all communities deserve to be acknowledged and affirmed in schools; 

Whereas students and families, educators, and community 

members in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Montana, 

Tennessee, Texas, and in all States and territories are 

advocating for safe and inclusive learning environments 

that affirm LGBTQI+ young people, particularly those 

who are transgender, nonbinary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, and people with disabilities; 

Whereas affirming policies, such as enumerated anti-bullying 

protections, gender neutral dress code guidelines, and inclusive learning practices, are proven strategies to address hostile learning environments for all students; and 

Whereas we must all demand the best possible future for all 

young people in schools, particularly those who identify 

as LGBTQI+, without exception: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of the Rise Up 

3 for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative in de4 manding the best possible future for all young peo5 ple in schools, particularly those who identify as 

6 LGBTQI+; 

7 (2) recognizes the contributions of students and 

8 families, educators, and community members who 

9 participate in the Day of (No) Silence to draw atten10 tion to the bullying, harassment, assault, and dis11 crimination faced by LGBTQI+ students; and 


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1 (3) encourages each State, territory, and local2 ity to support the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in 

3 Schools Initiative and adopt laws and policies that 

4 prohibit bias-based victimization, exclusion, and era5 sure. 

Æ 


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