My middle school experience was filled with some hate and bullying at the start until I found a couple of people like me. We started talking about starting a petition and even went to our school counselor about it. We didn't think about it that much afterwards so it was forgotten about. A couple of months later the idea came back to me and I decided to go all the way with it. A Gay-Straight 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.

This is important because of the increase in attacks, bullying, mistreatment, and more in Maine high schools, originating mostly in bathrooms, as they have no cameras.

The lack of LGBT representation in our curriculum is responsible for the disadvantages and dangers that LGBT youth typically face. We need LGBT History, Sex-Ed, and Gender-Ed to show all students that the LGBT community is just as important as any other minority group in our country. The lack of representation and education is why LGBT+ are treated like 2nd class citizens and why they themselves believe it as well. It's time to end our children's confusion. End their insecurities, self-hatred, and end LGBT+ discrimination in schools with the power of proper education and representation. ''According to data from the 2015 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), of surveyed LGB students: 10% were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property 34% were bullied on school property 28% were bullied electronically'' [https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm] This has to stop. LGBT youth face a drastic disadvantage. And it’s not being addressed effectively. Why is Sex-Ed specifically important? For the same reasons why sex-ed is important for any other child. There comes an age when youth undergo changes in their body and need an explanation. They NEED to learn safe practices and need to learn certain things to keep them healthy and safe, so that they may avoid jeopardizing their life at such an early stage. The lack of proper LGBT+ sex ed in schools isolates and endangers youth. This is why we have such high risks of depression, suicide, and catching HIV/STDS. We are left to fend on our own and discover these things for ourselves. “ LGB youth are at greater risk for depression, suicide, substance use, and sexual behaviors that can place them at increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Nearly one-third (29%) of LGB youth had attempted suicide at least once in the prior year compared to 6% of heterosexual youth. In 2014, young gay and bisexual men accounted for 8 out of 10 HIV diagnoses among youth. ‘’ [https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm] “Every year, 50,000 Americans are infected with HIV. Youth and young adults ages 13 to 29 comprise one-third of those infections. Inadequate sexual health education is a significant barrier to promoting healthy practices among LGBTQ youth. That is why HRC advocates for legislation at the state and federal level, such as the Real Education for Healthy Youth Act, to improve sexual health education.” -Post submitted by Jordan Dashow, HRC Policy Assistant [https://www.hrc.org/blog/california-mandates-lgbtq-inclusive-sex-education] From personal experience, I can say that the lack of adequate LGBT sex-ed in my middle school led to really poor and dangerous decisions as a child. Underage teens -minors- our CHILDREN, are turning to dating and hookup apps to experience and learn sex themselves. The rise of underage teens on these apps are growing at such an alarming rate AND EVEN becoming normalized. Why is this being ignored?? I've seen 14 year olds on these apps. Minors are repeatedly meeting adults through these apps and no one is noticing. No one is being punished. What is even more horrific is that more and MORE pedophiles are being created as LGBT minors meeting up for casual sex is going unnoticed/ignored. Predators are beginning to become comfortable with committing statutory rape and publicly state on their profile statements like: "The younger the better" "YOUNGER ONLY.’’ Predators are actively seeking minors and minors are actively putting themselves at risk. This is happening in real time at this very second. The traumatic and life threats that LGBT+ Youth face due to the lack of sex education and using dating/hookup apps are: STD/HIV Exposure Human Trafficking Rape and Manipulation Normalizing Statutory Rape Gaining Unhealthy Relationship Practices Exposure to Drugs and Violence It has been going on for years. I am one of the countless LGBT minors who have turned to these platforms because of the lack of sex-ed that is relevant to us. I've experienced things that I regret and don't want any other child to experience or carry on their shoulders. California LGBT+ youth aren’t the only ones that need this education, ALL LGBT+ youth do. Please, do not let this slide. Protect our youth and their future. By implementing these changes in our state, we are leading a movement much more greater. May California continue to be a leading example of striving to make equality possible for all. Protect our children.

Our student and staff populations have changed tremendously in the almost 20 years since this policy was last updated. We have become a more diverse city and a more diverse school system. In many ways, we acknowledge, accept, support, include and celebrate our diversity in our schools. Our policies should also PROTECT this diversity in all of its forms. According to a recent study (GLAAD’s third annual Accelerating Acceptance report), 20% of millennials and younger identify as LGBTQ, and 12% of millennials and younger identify as either transgender or gender-nonconforming. These are significant numbers. Statistically speaking, this means that, of our approximately 8,000 students in grades 9-12 alone, 1,600 of them likely identify (publicly or privately) as LGBT, and almost 1,000 identify (publicly or privately) as transgender or gender non-conforming. Of our approximately 4,700 district employees, it is likely that as many as 700-900 openly or privately identify as LGBTQ individuals. Due to Attorney General Mark Herring’s 2015 opinion on school boards’ authority, localities ARE able to enact nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation and gender identity. This gives school boards the authority to protect students and employees through policy updates. According to Equality Virginia, today more than 25% of Virginia’s public school students and employees are protected based on their sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. These protections now exist in 53 counties and 18 independent cities in our Commonwealth. Sadly, Newport News students and staff are not among them. Our LGBTQ students and staff members deserve these protections against discrimination.

At Lowndes High students struggle with their sexuality because of bullying and acceptance. They have to keep their sexual orientation a secret from their parents. They have to keep it hidden around other students so that they aren't bullied for being different. Our overall goal is to create a safe place for these students t be who they really are. A Gay-Straight 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 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.

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.

A Gay-Straight 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.