Bullying and the Laws Pertaining to It
GPSOLO, Volume 34, Number 1, February 2017
4 Pages Posted: 10 Mar 2017 Last revised: 12 Apr 2017
Date Written: February 1, 2017
Abstract
This Article describes the climate of anti-gay sentiment and fear that has made it difficult for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students to come out or to seek support within school communities. The 1970s Miami - Dade Gay Rights Ordinance (the so-called Save Our Children campaign) fostered a climate of silence and invisibility that eventually morphed into overt hostility toward LGBT students across most student populations in the country.
The Author cites contemporary data showing dramatically high rates of hostility, including bullying and harassment, toward LBGT students. She summarizes the steps taken by the U.S. Department of Education to address bullying and she suggests several critical steps essential to improving the experience of LGBT students.
Keywords: bullying, Title IX, equal protection, LGBT, education, homophobia
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