When we first heard Rep. Jared Polis was going to introduce legislation to protect school kids from bullying based on actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, we were all, Hooray! And while we’re still all Hooray!, we’re also: How curious that he’s putting forth a bill that would secure the Department of Justice’s just-announced argument that Title IX can be used to fight school bullying.
The Obama administration’s lawyers are working their way into a case to back a teenage high school student’s charges that he was bullied at school for being gay, and school administrators did nothing to stop it. DoJ’s main argument? That Title IX outlaws discrimination based on gender and gender stereotyping.
Now here comes Polis’ H.R. 4530, based on 1972’s Title IX law, that “would provide remedies for actual or perceived discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in both elementary and secondary schools,” reports D.C. Agenda. Polis says he has 60 sponsors at the ready, which sounds promising.
It’s also the clearest example yet that the White House and Congress are working in tandem on at least one LGBT equality effort.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Fitz
This is wonderful news about an issue which could really improve GLB life.
WildCat
Who hijacked my Queerty? Doesn’t Queerty exist only to find fault with Obama and Congress? Maybe my computer is broken.
Kyle
Kudos and thanks to Polis.
zack
@wildcat I know, right?!? It really is a shame that the guys that run this website don’t understand that a positive approach can be more effective than their current “everyone sucks unless they do it our way” approach.
Thom
@WildCat:
maybe they’re working on a more give credit where credit is due type thing.
davidmcfatridge
Help our GLBT students by signing this petition that will email our reps in congress to support H. R. 4530, the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA).
http://gayrights.change.org/actions/view/protect_lgbt_students_from_discrimination
CommieBlaster
Polis is a documented Socialist Progressive.
Take a deeper look at “Polis the Commie” here: http://www.commieblaster.com/progressives/index.html