By Liz Seaton NCLR State Policy Director Yesterday, the Virginia Board of Juvenile Justice voted 5-1 to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in the juvenile correctional facilities over which it has broad oversight. Eight percent of boys and 23 percent of girls in juvenile detention identify their sexuality as other than heterosexual, so this is an important step forward to protect their rights. This is the second time that the Board has voted this way over the advice of Virginia...
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Youth justice
Being a teenager in the juvenile justice system is challenging for any young person, but as Cyryna can attest, being transgender adds an additional layer of fear. Cyryna, a transgender girl, experienced the dark reality that most people don’t talk about while being housed in a juvenile correction facility for boys, where she was the victim of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse by many of the boys she was housed with. Some of her abuse was witnessed by, and sometimes encouraged by, the...
Couple Will Be Allowed to Walk Together in High School Procession (Champlin, MN, January 29, 2011)—This is a joint press statement from Sarah Lindstrom, Desiree Shelton, their counsel, and the Anoka-Hennepin School District, Champlin Park High School, Principal Michael George, Superintendent Dennis Carlson, and their counsel. All parties are pleased to announce that we have worked together, collaboratively, to arrive at an arrangement for introductions of elected royalty that is respectful and...
Motion for Temporary Restraining Order Also Filed After Failure to Rescind Discriminatory Actions (Champlin, MN, January 28, 2011)—The Southern Poverty Law Center, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Faegre & Benson, LLP have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Anoka-Hennepin School District and Champlin Park High School (CPHS) on behalf of two lesbian students, Desiree (“Dez”) Shelton and Sarah Lindstrom. The lawsuit, which addresses the school’s effort to...
A statement from NCLR Federal Policy Attorney Maya Rupert, Esq. (Washington, D.C., November 18, 2010)—Today, in an effort to call attention to the serious and pervasive issue of bullying and harassment that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth face in public schools throughout the country, a press conference was held to discuss the dire need for action to make schools safe for all students and the pending legislation designed to address this issue. The event included safe...
Statement from NCLR Sports Project Director Helen Carroll (San Francisco, CA, October 27, 2010)—The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) announced on October 25, 2010 that Dr. Pat Griffin, former Director of It Takes A Team! Education Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Issues in Sport at the Women’s Sports Foundation, has joined GLSEN to develop and direct a program to address LGBTQ issues in youth and high school sports. The GLSEN Sports Project, which will...
Calls for Civility Not Sufficient (San Francisco, CA, September 30, 2010)—Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights urged community and public leaders to condemn anti-LGBTQ bullying in response to news that four teenagers reportedly committed suicide after suffering bullying and harassment because they were gay or believed to be gay. The teenagers are: Seth Walsh, 13, of Tehachapi, CA; Billy Lucas, 15, of Greensburg, IN; Asher Brown, 13, of Houston, TX; and Tyler Clementi, 18, a college...
(Washington. D.C., May 20, 2010) — Today, the National Center of Lesbian Rights (NCLR) applauds Senator Franken for introducing the Student Non-Discrimination Act in the Senate. The Student Non-Discrimination Act is federal legislation designed to ensure that all students have access to public education in a safe environment free from discrimination, including harassment, bullying, intimidation and violence. The proposed legislation would provide nationwide comprehensive prohibition of...
(Washington, D.C., January 27, 2010) — Today, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) applauds the introduction of the Student Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 4530), new federal legislation designed to ensure that all students have access to public education in a safe environment free from discrimination, including harassment, bullying, intimidation and violence. The Student Non-Discrimination Act would provide nationwide comprehensive prohibition of discrimination in public schools based...
(San Francisco, CA, April 16, 2010) — Today hundreds of thousands of students nationwide will stay silent to bring attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) name-calling, bullying, and harassment in their schools as part of the Day of Silence. “Today my kids are participating in Day of Silence and our 13-year-old son Julian helped to organize events at his school,” said NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell. “Seeing my kids and knowing of the thousands of others around...
