Lawmakers Address Discrimination in Texas Schools

(Austin, January 13, 2005) ? Against the backdrop of a funding debate on public schools in Texas, Representatives Garnet Coleman (D-Houston), Jessica Farrar (D-Houston), and Rafael Anchia (D-Dallas) filed a bill on Wednesday that could reform Texas schools in another way. The Dignity for All Students Act, HB 376, would protect students in Texas public schools from discrimination based on such things as race, religion, and sexual orientation.

"Every Texas student has the right to a public education," says State Representative Garnet Coleman. "When students are discriminated against in school and the school does nothing about it, we are failing them in a very fundamental way. When we say, ‘Leave no child behind,’ we do not footnote that statement with, ‘unless they are gay, lesbian, or transgender’. The Dignity for All Students Act will help set a tone in Texas that no type of discrimination will be tolerated in this state."

"Feeling that school is a hostile or unsafe place interferes with a student’s ability to learn," said Randall Ellis, Executive Director of the Lesbian/Gay Rights Lobby of Texas. "Studies show that students who experience discrimination or harassment, and in general do not feel safe at school, are more likely to miss school or drop out altogether than those who do not experience discrimination. Many gay youth drop out of school because of discomfort in the school setting. The Dignity for All Students Act, simply put, is good public policy."

Some students have sought relief from harassment and discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, as well as Title IX of the Education Amendment Act of 1972; however, these laws do not specifically protect students from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Concerned that gay youth are increasingly being denied their legal rights at school in the aftermath of November’s election, Lambda Legal expanded its ongoing campaign for youth rights to several communities where students have faced antigay hostility in recent weeks.

"We're alarmed by a noticeable increase in gay youth facing discrimination or hostility since the election. While we've just been through a very contentious national election that focused a great deal on the rights of gay couples, the rights of gay youth are very clear, and they're not up for public debate," said Michael Adams, Director of Education and Public Affairs at Lambda Legal.

Specifically, Lambda Legal cited concerns about the Texas Board of Education’s decision to sandbag the approval of new health textbooks for high school and middle school students unless major textbook publishers agreed to change the wording to explicitly define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

In Texas, Lambda Legal is working with stations in Dallas, Houston, Lubbock and Austin.

For more information visit www.lgrl.org. Lambda Legal's PSA and toolkit on youth rights are online at www.lambdalegal.org.