[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 38 Introduced in House (IH)]

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. 
   Blumenauer, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Takano, Mr. 
   Lowenthal, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, Mr. 
Gutieerrez, 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. Saanchez of California, 
Mr. Neal, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Johnson 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 Coleman, 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 concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
   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.

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, and 
        transgender name-calling, bullying, and harassment faced by individuals 
        in schools;
Whereas the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) 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 Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network's 2013 National School 
        Climate Survey illustrates the pervasive 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 expression;
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 orientation, and nearly 25 percent because of their gender 
        expression;
Whereas nearly 17 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students 
        reported being physically assaulted by their peers at school because of 
        their sexual orientation, and nearly 11.4 percent because of their 
        gender expression;
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 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 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 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 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 
        National 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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