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.

Many of our own peers are forced into an environment where their identities are unwelcome. Students you see everyday are bullied by not only other students, but their parents as well. '"LGBT people are targeted for violent hate crimes at a rate of two times that of... Muslims or black people, four times that of Jews, and 14 times that of Latinos.' Data from the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs also shows (link is external) that the transgender community is particularly vulnerable to such violence. In 2013, 67% of hate crime homicides were committed against transgender women of color" -http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/blog-post/lgbt-america-numbers "Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24.1 LGB youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth.2 LGB youth are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth.2 Of all the suicide attempts made by youth, LGB youth suicide attempts were almost five times as likely to require medical treatment than those of heterosexual youth.2 Suicide attempts by LGB youth and questioning youth are 4 to 6 times more likely to result in injury, poisoning, or overdose that requires treatment from a doctor or nurse, compared to their straight peers.2 In a national study, 40% of transgender adults reported having made a suicide attempt. 92% of these individuals reported having attempted suicide before the age of 25.3 LGB youth who come from highly rejecting families are 8.4 times as likely to have attempted suicide as LGB peers who reported no or low levels of family rejection.4 1 out of 6 students nationwide (grades 9–12) seriously considered suicide in the past year. [5] Each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average.6" -https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/preventing-suicide/facts-about-suicide/

Transgender people face an incredible amount of discrimination and violence on school campuses across the United States. From verbal and emotional abuse to violence that results in physical harm and deaths, the experiences of transgender youth in school are already filled with adversity. Additionally, we know that members of the federal government have used language that dehumanizes TGNC people, making it clear that they have no interest in ensuring our safety. This directly contributes to TGNC students experiencing continued trauma and harm simply from attempting to access public education.. Gavin Grimm and Ash Whitaker are just a few recent examples that show how TGNC youth face pervasive discrimination as they try to access fair and equitable treatment in schools, and live as their authentic selves. As young people trying to survive and thrive within the educational system, we should not be forced to deal with threats and attacks from the very federal agencies that are meant to ensure we can ALL access a quality education. TGNC students deserve a fair and equitable education and safe environments in schools, just like our peers. We are resilient and will continue to demand justice until we get the protections we deserve. Now, we call for the Department of Education to support us and ensure that the law is on our side. #ShowUp4TransYouth! #TQYouthResist

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.

I believe a GSA Club is important and could benefit HHS, because in a small town in the "country" some people are brought up to not tolerate LGBT+. I want to let LGBT+ students unite with straight allies to end this problem within the school and give a safe place for all students to come and discuss the issues. This could also give a safe place for students who have not come out yet to build up the courage to be known as an LGBT+ student and feel safe being who they are.

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.

The Clovis Unified School District's majority vote (4-3) refusing the adaptation of a gender-neutral dress code is illegal. Under the California Education Code (Ch. 2 Art. 3 Sec. 220), students are entitled to their right of not being subjected to "...discrimination on the basis of disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression...". Students, parents, and community members alike believe that the mindset during the implementation of the 1975 CUSD dress code does not reflect the mindset of 2016's society.

Many student feel their gender doesn't categorize as male or female. These kids are often discriminated against or disregarded completely. This can create many issues for both the mental and physical health of the student. If we educate our school about non binary genders, it will help on the path to equality. Also, if we create a bathroom for non binary individuals, not only would it give them somewhere to use the restroom safely, it would create a better and more accepting environment in general.

Schools shouldn't punish students for standing up for justice. I was fighting for my civil rights and my rights as a human being and that is why the issues surrounding Ferguson and Racism itself are important to me. I believe the school also needs to adopt better alternatives other than suspension, expulsion, and detention because this is not helping people's education but set them up for things like incarceration and pushing them away from school. This is not the first time that people of color have been unfairly targeted. We have been punished more than most of the white kids have been even though we are not behaving worse. It is important to work together and find solutions and it has been proven that current punishments do not work. Not only am I targeted but people with disabilities, other people of color, people who Identify as trans*, and much more are affected by schools current practices. We need to work together.

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.

My name is Zeam, and I am a transgender/gender non-conforming student who had to quit sports because of the lack of support within schools. I am not only saddened because I had to cut out an important aspect out of my high school career, but also because I feel as though I cannot escape harassment — now even just reading the Star Tribune. It was painful to be on a team where I was expected to be someone I’m not. From the gendered uniforms to the phrase used to rally the team, I felt like a soulless body replaced me every game I played in. That’s why I was so hurt when the Star Tribune on Sunday ran a full-page ad full of blatant discrimination, problematic language and harmful intention about transgender students. The ad tried to smear a proposal for the Minnesota State High School League that would ensure that transgender students can participate in sports and be athletes like everyone else. The ad perpetuates negative roles of female-bodied individuals as well as erases trans* identities and promotes discrimination. The group who paid for the ad has also personally attacked me as well as other students in fliers, printing our legal names next to our identities in red, and negatively describing our work for safer schools. The Star Tribune should not be affiliated with such harassment and a group promoting discrimination. The Star Tribune needs to discontinue the ad, issue an apology, and work on a story covering this topic from the perspective of trans* student athletes.

Because it really means alot to me..... i have put alot of time and effort getting sponsers and getting this club allowed at johnsonville high school and it just hurts when you cant even be in your own schools yearbook!