[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 69 (Friday, April 27, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3710]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE

  (Mr. PANETTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Day 
of Silence, a day of silence to bring attention to the discrimination 
and harassment faced by our LGBT youth across our country.
  Eight out of ten LGBT students are harassed because of their sexual 
orientation or gender identity by the time they graduate from high 
school, students like Annie Hsu, at Santa Cruz High School in my 
district on the central coast of California, who has said that ``we 
must be unafraid to stand up against marginalization.''
  This month, those of us on the LGBT Equality Caucus took that stand 
by introducing the Student Non-Discrimination Act. This bill would 
prohibit discrimination in public schools based on actual or perceived 
gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and it would protect 
students from the intimidation and violence they may receive.
  By standing up and speaking out, Annie and other LGBT students give 
us motivation to push forward and pass laws that will protect every 
student in every school across every community so that they are not 
afraid to be themselves.

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