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 Flor-
ida, 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 addi-
tion to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently 
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provi-
sions 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, bisex-
ual, and transgender name-calling, bullying, and harass-
ment 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- 
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•HCON 40 IH 
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, bul-
lying, 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 mem-
ory 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 per-
vasive 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 expres-
sion; 
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 orienta-
tion, and nearly 30 percent because of their gender ex-
pression; 
Whereas nearly 20 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
transgender students reported being physically assaulted 
by their peers at school because of their sexual orienta-
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•HCON 40 IH 
tion, and nearly 12.5 percent because of their gender ex-
pression; 
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 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-
hibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimina-
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•HCON 40 IH 
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-
cation authority to adopt laws and policies to pro-
hibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and dis-
crimination against students, teachers, and other 
school staff regardless of their sexual orientation 
and gender identity or expression, so that the Na-
tion’s schools are institutions where all individuals 
are able to focus on learning. 
Æ 
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