Recently, some GLSEN National Student Council members spoke at a National Day of Action on Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on sex–including sexual orientation and gender identity–in federally funded education programs.
Read excerpts from their speeches:
Ryan: “All is not well in our nation’s public schools. LGBTQ students face immeasurable challenges – some new, but many more from the pages of a tired, hate-filled playbook. Every level of government across this country has been subject to regressive challenges that aim to curb the rights of LGBTQ students. The need for a strong Title IX that protects all students is not a new one, but it’s an urgent one. The Biden administration recognized that urgency when last year they proposed an update to Title IX that would, for the first time in history, expand Title IX protections to explicitly include gender identity and sexual orientation. It’s a step toward a future where every student, no matter who they are, no matter who they love, feels like they belong in their classroom and on the field.
Yordanos: “When you feel like you have no options or choices, it feels suffocating. And this is the reality for students just minutes away from me. In a neighboring school district of mine, students faced a school board that restricted their ability to express their true selves and a superintendent who called for the removal of all Pride flags in schools. We can’t have students living in constant fear, thinking about whether or not their school is next. When we protect LGBTQ+ students on a federal level, we’re making sure that these school districts aren’t in a constant seesaw, where the constant fear of those with radical agendas is creating a toxic environment for students, and where the future is unknown.”
