[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 38 (Wednesday, April 10, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               IN SUPPORT OF THE NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE

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                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 10, 2002

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the efforts of 
thousands of students across the United States today. These students 
are participating in the National Day of Silence that calls attention 
to the treatment that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students 
encounter each and every day. In my home state of New York there are 
167 schools participating.
  Since 1999, the Gay, Lesbian Straight Education Network has conducted 
surveys to document the experiences of LGBT students in high schools 
across our nation. In the 2001 survey, over 900 LGBT students were 
surveyed in 48 states and the District of Columbia. What they found 
should send a shiver up the spine of every member of the House of 
Representatives. The sad fact is that LGBT students face taunting, 
harassment, and physical violence. 85% of these students reported 
hearing homophobic remarks, such as ``faggot'' or ``dyke.'' 24% 
reported hearing such remarks from faculty or school staff, 65% 
reported being sexually harassed. And most disheartening, 42% were 
physically harassed because of their sexual orientation.
  Our children go to school for one reason! To learn! As a former 
educator, I can guarantee you that if a student is worried about being 
harassed or beaten up, he or she is not paying attention in class--he 
or she is not learning. We have an obligation to make sure that our 
schools are safe. Anything else is a failure on our part as a Congress 
and as a society.
  The students participating in today's National Day of Silence deserve 
our strong support. They are taking a stand for themselves, their 
families, and their friends. Schools, such as the Horace Mann School 
and Yonkers Middle High School, are leading the way in teaching our 
children to respect each other, to appreciate differences, and to 
ensure that all our children have the opportunity for a safe and 
fruitful education.
  National Day of Silence is sponsored by the Gay, Lesbian, Straight 
Education Network and the United States Student Association. I want to 
congratulate these organizations and the hundreds of schools and 
thousands of students for a job well done.




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