Support the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA)
Millions of Americans fought extremely hard to win civil rights protections that address discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, and disability.
We’ve made tremendous progress, but in the area of sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination, we must continue the fight.
LGBT students are vulnerable to harassment and bullying within our education system, and lack the legal protections that would prohibit such intimidation. It’s reported that 9 in 10 LGBT youth are verbally harassed, and over a third of students are physically abused because of their sexual orientation.
Taunting, teasing, and violence against LGBT youth diminishes educational opportunities, and can lead to health issues, self-inflicted violence and even suicide.
What would the Student Non-Discrimination Act do?
The Student Non-Discrimination Act would prohibit federally funded schools from discriminating against students based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Right now in most areas of the country, schools are allowed to discriminate!
Schools that actively sanction discrimination or that show indifference to harassment and bullying would risk losing federally funded educational programs.
The act would provide a safe learning environment for all students, and would give victims and their parents the necessary legal protections and tools to address both grievances and remedies.
What can I do to support the SNDA?
As we learned with the repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy, citizen support and pressure is crucial in getting Congress to do the right thing.
We need Fearless citizens to tell our elected officials that civil rights must be expanded. Become a citizen co-sponsor of the Student Non-Discrimination Act and your name will be presented before Congress in support of the bill.
Additional Resources
- Take Action - Become a Citizen Co-Sponsor of the Student Non-Discrimination Act
- Ask Your Member of Congress to Become a SNDA Co-Sponsor
- Download the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) - Bill text available soon