Due to a lack of education or being exposed to the LGBTQ community, the students at our school are homophobic but also sexualize the idea of being queer. A GSA would normalize being queer, it would break a lot of boundaries and stereotypical mindsets. A Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) club would provide a much-needed safe place for students to meet, support each other, talk about issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity, and work to create positive change on campus. Under the Federal Equal Access Act (http://www.gsanetwork.org/equal-access-act), any school that receives government funding and has at least one other non-curricular club is legally required to also allow a GSA. Legally, public schools with other clubs must let students start a GSA -- and must treat the GSA like any other student club! Schools can't make up rules that only apply to the GSA and nobody else. GSAs have been proven to make schools safer for all students. Allow us to start a GSA so that ALL students can succeed.

In the Spring of 2016, the Parkway Board of Education voted to bring changes to the Sexual Education Curriculum to make it inclusive. But it is still under attack. The Parkway School Board now has a conservative majority. We must tell them that we NEED Sex Ed to keep us safe. Please sign to stand with Parkway Students.

Because Students health, safety and even lives could be in danger without this type of education. Bad information leads to poor ability to make decisions and leaving students without tools needed to handle what happens when those decisions are made. We need all the information when it comes to sexual health, not just some of it.

In order to empower our community we need a culturally enriched education that celebrates diversity and individuality and that is not limited to conquest, slavery, labor or servitude. Our education must be reflective and responsive to the needs of our community. A diverse education is reflective of our lived experiences and identities as marginalized ethnic, racial, cultural, gender and LGBT communities. Educate to Liberate!

In November 2013, Jewlyes Gutierrez, a transgender girl from California, was outrageously charged with assault for defending herself against bullying at school. A year earlier, Dynasty Young in Indiana was expelled for bringing a stun gun to school in self-defense after enduring months of harassment based on his sexual orientation and gender expression. Jewlyes, Dynasty, LGBTQ youth, and all students deserve better. Our district can -- and must -- take action now to make sure our students are never put in a similar position. We often hear about bullying in schools, but the anti-bullying and zero tolerance policies adopted in response pose just as much of a danger for LGBTQ youth of color. Together, hostile school environments and extreme disciplinary policies create a school-to-prison pipeline for youth of color, youth with disabilities, and LGBTQ youth, telling them that their lives are disposable and that simply trying to get an education carries a risk of jail time. LGBTQ youth make up just 5-7% of the youth population, but represent 15% of those in the juvenile justice system. Exclusionary practices (like suspensions and expulsions) hurt all students' ability to succeed and achieve their academic goals and dreams. We believe restorative justice practices are the best solution for school discipline problems involving bias-based bullying and harassment, because they allow schools to address the root problems behind bullying and harmful behavior. In January, the Obama administration released guidelines for improving school climate and discipline. Those guidelines recommend best practices like restorative approaches and condemn punitive policies and court referrals. It has been proven that alternative discipline with non-punitive approaches provides better student outcomes and keeps the student community together. In March 2014, the National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the Opportunity to Learn Campaign, and the Advancement Project jointly released a toolkit highlighting restorative approaches as a best practice and providing guidance to administrators and educators on implementing them. In order to keep ourselves and fellow students in school, we demand that restorative justice practices, as outlined in the "Restorative Practices: Fostering Healthy Relationships & Promoting Positive Discipline in Schools" toolkit, be implemented in our district.

The bill's purpose is to amend the education code to require schools to integrate age-appropriate, factual information about social movements, current events, and history about the roles and contributions of people with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people into existing social studies and history lessons. It also prevents the State Board of Education from adopting instructional materials that discriminate. This is important to the students because it reflects that the district has an interest in all their students, and also does not discriminate against them.

Without the proper publicity, teens who are struggling with their sexual and romantic orientations won't be able to find our club as easily. We're working very hard to educate students on the LGBT community so they can feel safe and protected, but my kids feel like they're being targeted by school officials. GSA should be extended the same rights as every other club, not singled out because of what we stand for.

Junior High is the time that people start to question their sexuality and gender. This time is more important than ever to be able to have help and support.

Comprehensive sex education is an essential resource which is not currently being offered at Cabrillo. According to the United States Center for Disease Control, LGBTQ+ youth have reported higher rates of non-consensual or forced sex, dating violence, HIVs/STI's, and pregnancy experiencing some form of these harms. Implementing this resource can make the difference in empowering a young person to have confidence in their sexual health and can possibly save lives.

The LGBTQ community is a historically under-served, underrepresented and marginalized community. Offering studies will not only dispel the myths and stereotypes associated with this community, but it will also be consistent with the colleges's Vision, Mission, Values, and Institutional Student Learning Outcomes statement as articulated by the following: "Diversity Because ARC is a community valuing the varied perspectives and experiences of students, faculty and staff, the college offers educational opportunities for enhancing cultural awareness, supporting diversity, and promoting the free exchange of ideas and the development of a culturally competent and inclusive college community." (as of 4/1/2014 per http://www.arc.losrios.edu/About_ARC/Vision_Mission_and_Values.htm)