Portions of this article appeared in a February 25, 2009 article
written by Beth Slovic for the Willamette Week newspaper

When Franki Dennison discovers one of her second- or third-grade students at Southeast Portland’s Arleta School is treating another classmate unkindly, she doesn’t ignore the student’s bad behavior. Neither does her student teacher.

“We stop for any incident and deal with it,” she says.

Sometimes that means pulling a child aside and talking about his or her conduct. In more severe cases, it may mean sending the child to the principal’s office.

Now a new bill in the Oregon Legislature would require that public schools like Arleta go a step further, requiring them to report to state officials what groups of students are being targeted by bullies.

House Bill 2599 would force school districts to implement training programs for staff to help prevent harassment and bullying. As it’s written now, the legislation would also deem school districts “nonstandard” if they did not comply. The penalty for non-compliance: The threat of losing state school fund money.

The goal of the bill, called the Oregon Safe Schools Act by its supporters, is to institutionalize anti-bullying regulations across the state. The measure, introduced by the House Education Committee, would also make explicit that the new protections for young people include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students, who do not always report incidents of bullying, according to advocates.

Support for the measure comes from the usual suspects: the Oregon Education Association, the statewide teachers union; the Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition; and Basic Rights Oregon, the advocacy group for LBGT Oregonians.

Ed. Note: TransActive strongly supports the passage of HB2599. Members of our staff have met with House Speaker Dave Hunt, who is a strong supporter of safer schools for our children and youth.

• UPDATE: On March 25, 2009, The Oregon Safe Schools Act (HB2599), passed the Oregon House by a vote of 50-9. It is expected to pass the Oregon State Senate and to be signed into law by Oregon Governor, Ted Kulongoski.

The Nine Who Voted Against The Oregon Safe Schools Act

Rep. Vicki Berger (R) District 20 (Salem) (send email)

Rep. Sal Esquivel (R) District 6 (Medford) (send email)

Rep. Bill Garrard (R) District 56 (Klamath Falls) (send email)

Rep. Bruce L. Hanna (R) District 7 (Roseburg) (send email)

Rep. Andy Olson (R) District 15 (Albany) (send email)

Rep. Dennis Richardson (R) District 4 (Central Point) (send email)

Rep. Kim Thatcher (R) District 25 (Keizer) (send email)

Rep. Jim Weidner (R) District 24 (Yamhill) (send email)

Rep. Matt Wingard (R) District 26 (Wilsonville) (send email)

The Nation

GLSEN Representatives Meet with
Education Secretary Arne Duncan

Washington, March 23, 2009 - In an historic first, GLSEN Executive Director Eliza Byard and a delegation of students and teachers met with Education Secretary Arne Duncan today to discuss the importance of anti-bullying efforts to the Administration's education reform agenda.

Secretary Duncan affirmed a commitment to make schools safe for every student, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.

"It was moving to witness these students and teachers sharing their personal stories of pain, rejection, resilience and hope with the nation’s top education official," Byard said. "Secretary Duncan showed great compassion for their experiences, respect for their perseverance and dedication to identifying effective responses to school climate issues. I am confident that we will see growing engagement with these issues at the Department of Education and truly positive change."

Secretary Duncan also expressed an interest in finding ways to highlight the problem of bullying and harassment in national discussions about education, and requested further data on a number of proposed interventions.

The World

Anti-Homophobia/Transphobia
Campaign In Cuba

by Patricia Gregg

Excerpted from an article that originally appeared in Havana Times.org

"I think you have to open yourself up to a sense of respect; I'm not talking about tolerance or acceptance, but a true respect for diversity." urged Alberto Roque, a gay medical specialist and a member of the Cuban Communist Party.

Havana, March 30, 2009 - This was the kickoff to the 2009 “Campaign for the Respect of People’s Sexual Orientation.” Under the theme of “Diversity Is Natural,” the crusade aims to “contribute to the education of the entire society, with an emphasis on university youth, in respecting free and responsible sexual orientation and gender identity as exercises in equality and social justice.”

“The National Center for Sexual Education (Cenesex) cannot do this work alone, which is why we have called on the youth, who will be future professionals and leaders of Cuban society,” said Mariela Castro, the director of this institution that has established a broad program in support of sexual diversity in Cuba since 2004.

“This year we want to center ourselves among groups of people that are growing, groups that in turn can do more, like university students,” said Castro. With that objective, Cenesex has begun working with members of the Young Communist League and FEU in Havana, an action that they will subsequently extend to the provinces.

In statements to IPS, the Cenesex director said that this year’s celebration of International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia will be held in Havana on Saturday, May 16. It will be dedicated not only to youth, but also to the family, “so that fathers and mothers can better understand their homosexual or transgender children.”

Castro added that though the date is still not officially recognized, the National Assembly (Cuba’s parliament) will include in its work agenda an initiative to reform the national Family Code, which has been effective in Cuba since 1975 and contains proposals on gender identity and rights of “sexual minorities.”

“Our work will help us to slowly change prejudices behind those processes,” she said.