[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5130]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE

  (Mr. FARR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the National Day of 
Silence.
  Tomorrow is the 18th year we have recognized the National Day of 
Silence, a day when young people come together to raise awareness for 
the discrimination that LGBT students face.
  I am proud of students who stand up against bullying, students like 
Karen Jimenez of Aptos, California, who said: ``Identity extends 
further than our physical selves, so when expression of identity 
becomes restricted, it's similar to having chains placed on your 
home.''
  I am a proud sponsor of the Student Non-Discrimination Act and will 
continue to fight for acceptance and tolerance for LGBT youth. 
California is a leader in promoting and protecting the rights of our 
LGBT community.
  This year, we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the passage of the 
Safety and Violence Prevention Act and recent passage of a bill to 
ensure that trans students are afforded necessary gender neutral 
facilities in their schools.
  We, in Congress, have a responsibility not to be silent. It is our 
job to speak for those who cannot. We must work harder towards becoming 
a wholly gender-inclusive society that welcomes and protects all our 
Members.

                          ____________________