The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) today demanded that Minnesota's largest school district take immediate action to address the bullying and harassment routinely faced by LGBT students.
Protecting students from anti-LGBT bullying requires school-wide efforts that include specific anti-bullying policies as well as a focus on nurturing school climates where respect for differences is an integral part of school life, the SPLC told the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in written testimony submitted for a public briefing today.
The bullying of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students is a severe, nationwide problem – one made more difficult by the reluctance of many school districts to take strong steps to prevent it. Nearly nine out of 10 LGBT students experienced harassment in 2009, according to a survey by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which sponsors the National Day of Silence.
Desiree Shelton and Sarah Lindstrom were both selected by their classmates as "royalty" for the Snow Days winter events at Champlin Park High School. In an effort to prevent them from walking in the royal procession together as a same-sex couple, the school told Shelton and Lindstrom that it was altering the royal processional. Less than 24 hours after filing a federal lawsuit on behalf of the couple, the SPLC reached a settlement agreement with school officials that would allow the women to walk together in the processional.
In 1977, Marie Von Hoffburg, a female service member of the United States Army, was discharged due to her alleged sexual orientation. The Southern Poverty Law Center appealed the decision on her behalf alongside the American Civil Liberties Union.
