Title: 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.
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of Silence (during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gay people in schools). Requests that the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe the National Day of Silence.
Encourages each state, city, and local educational agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity or gender expression.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 49 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals in 
                                schools.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2017

Mr. Engel (for himself, Ms. Barragan, 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. Sanchez, 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 anti-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 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 discrimination regardless of his or her sexual 
        orientation and gender 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 National Day of 
        Silence;
            (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
        calling on the people of the United States to observe the 
        GLSEN's Day of Silence with appropriate ceremonies, programs, 
        and activities; and
            (3) encourages each State, city, and local educational 
        agency to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, 
        bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, 
        teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual 
        orientation and gender identity or expression, so that the 
        Nation's schools are institutions where all individuals are 
        able to focus on learning.
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