IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 38 
Supporting the goals and ideals of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education 
Network’s (GLSEN) 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 16, 2015 
Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Mr. BLU-
MENAUER, Mr. NADLER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. TAKANO, Mr. 
LOWENTHAL, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, 
Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. LEE, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. TAKAI, Ms. 
JACKSON LEE, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. ISRAEL, 
Mr. HIGGINS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. SPEIER, 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. SIRES, Mr. HECK of 
Washington, Mr. MURPHY of Florida, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. POCAN, Ms. 
LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Mr. NEAL, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. JOHN-
SON of Georgia, Mrs. CAPPS, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. VAN 
HOLLEN, Mr. POLIS, Mr. PETERS, Ms. TITUS, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. 
SHERMAN, Mr. LEWIS, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
HONDA, Mr. KILMER, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Ms. LOFGREN, Mrs. 
LAWRENCE, Mr. KEATING, Mr. TONKO, Mr. FARR, Mrs. WATSON COLE-
MAN, Ms. DEGETTE, Miss RICE of New York, Ms. KUSTER, Ms. 
DELBENE, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. GRAYSON, and 
Mr. CARSON of Indiana) 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 con-
cerned 
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 
Supporting the goals and ideals of the Gay, Lesbian and 
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•HCON 38 IH 
Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) National Day 
of Silence in bringing attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bi-
sexual, and transgender name-calling, bullying, and har-
assment faced by individuals in schools. 
Whereas the National Day of Silence is a day in which stu-
dents take a vow of silence to bring attention to the anti- 
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, bul-
lying, and harassment faced by individuals in schools; 
Whereas the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network 
(GLSEN) designates one day of every April as the Na-
tional 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 Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s 
2013 National School Climate Survey illustrates the per-
vasive harassment and victimization faced by lesbian, 
gay, bisexual, and transgender students by documenting 
their experiences within the preceding academic year; 
Whereas nearly 75 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 55 percent because of their gender expres-
sion; 
Whereas more than 35 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
transgender students reported being physically harassed 
by their peers at school because of their sexual orienta-
tion, and nearly 25 percent because of their gender ex-
pression; 
Whereas nearly 17 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
transgender students reported being physically assaulted 
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•HCON 38 IH 
by their peers at school because of their sexual orienta-
tion, and nearly 11.4 percent because of their gender ex-
pression; 
Whereas more than 50 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
transgender students reported that they felt unsafe in 
school because of their sexual orientation, and 30 percent 
reported missing at least one entire school day in the pre-
ceding 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 Discrimina-
tion 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 ex-
perienced 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 edu-
cation authorities are adopting laws and policies to pro-
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•HCON 38 IH 
hibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimina-
tion against students on the basis of their sexual orienta-
tion and gender identity or expression; and 
Whereas every child should be guaranteed an education free 
from name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimina-
tion regardless of his or her sexual orientation and gen-
der identity or expression: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That Congress— 
(1) supports the goals and ideals of the Na-
tional Day of Silence; 
(2) requests that the President issue a procla-
mation 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 edu-
cational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit 
name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimina-
tion against students, teachers, and other school 
staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gen-
der identity or expression, so that the Nation’s 
schools are institutions where all individuals are able 
to focus on learning. 
Æ 
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