BOSTON, MA
(April 14, 2010) — Last week Gov. Jennifer Granholm reiterated her
call for anti-bullying legislation in the wake of the suicide of
a 12-year-old Michigan girl. Granholm has favored legislation that
would specifically address the common reasons for bullying–sexual
orientation and gender identity. The Family Equality Council
(FEC), Parents,
Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), and Gay, Lesbian
and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) issued the
following statement responding to the Governor’s
comments.
“We applaud Gov.
Granholm for urging lawmakers to take up anti-bullying legislation
that includes language spelling out or enumerating prohibitions
on specific kinds
of bullying. Several authoritative studies demonstrate why school
policies that include enumeration language, including sexual
orientation and gender identity, are vital to school safety and
protection from verbal and physical abuse. Students who attend
schools with enumerated anti-harassment policies report they feel
safer and are less likely to skip a class because they feel
uncomfortable or unsafe. Enumeration does not create special
groups or privileges; rather, it provides safety in a way that
research has shown is essential for protecting all students–and
particularly the one million American children who have LGBT
parents. Safe schools legislation that affords the strongest
protections through enumeration and mandated training programs
should be the standard for the rest of the country.”