by Leif Mitchell

Leif Mitchell

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is the leading national education and advocacy organization which strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. The all-volunteer Connecticut chapter of GLSEN has been working to end bullying and harassment against LGBT students in K-12 schools since 1994. I have been involved with GLSEN since graduating from college in 1996 when I was the first summer intern in GLSEN’s national office. I have remained involved, and I am proud of the work GLSEN has accomplished both locally and nationally.

Despite GLSEN’s amazing national staff, incredible local volunteers, and the recent appointment of our founder and former Executive Director, Kevin Jennings, to a top post in the Department of Education, there's no doubt that we have a long way to go before we reach our mission. We've experienced several tragic suicides of middle-school aged children - each provoked by anti-LGBT bullying and harassment. This chilling reality shows that we've got a lot of work left to do. And it's the support of our local community that enables us to provide the high impact programs and effective advocacy that are so necessary to preventing more young spirits from being broken at the hands of anti-LGBT bullying and harassment.

Sirdeaner Walker, the mother of 11-year-old Carl Walker-Hoover, who died by suicide after enduring constant bullying at school, testified on July 8^th in front of the House Subcommittees on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education and Healthy Families and Communities in support of the The Safe Schools Improvement Act, H.R. 2262. The Act would require schools that receive funding from the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act to implement a comprehensive anti-bullying policy that enumerates categories often targeted by bullies, including race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and others. In her testimony, Ms. Walker stated, "School bullying is a national crisis, and we need a national solution to deal with it. That is why I am here today. Teachers, administrators and other school personnel need additional support and clear guidance about how to ensure that all kids feel safe in school. Congress can make sure they have that guidance and support by making anti-bullying policies mandatory in all of our nation's schools." To view her entire testimony, click here.

GLSEN Connecticut is working to ensure that no students in Connecticut suffer like Carl did. Included below are descriptions of the main programs GLSEN Connecticut is implementing locally.

GLSEN Connecticut is proud to announce the creation of localized TV public service announcements as part of GLSEN's award-winning “Think Before You Speak” campaign in partnership with the Ad Council. The PSAs, which feature celebrities Wanda Sykes and Hillary Duff, are part of the first national public education campaign designed to address the use of anti-gay language among teens, particularly the expression "that's so gay." Copies of the localized PSA, which include a title card at the end with information about GLSEN Connecticut, have been shipped to local TV stations. Read more about this incredible campaign here. Visit ThinkB4YouSpeak.com to view all three PSAs, and to download An Educator's Guide, packed with resources for teachers to implement in schools.

In last three years, GLSEN Connecticut has distributed thousands of dollars to Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs) throughout the state as part of our small grants initiative. If you are working in or with a school please visit our web site to download an application. These funds have been used to transport students to True Colors, purchase LGBT inclusive books for the schools’ library, invite a guest speaker on LGBT issues, and to provide refreshments for meetings of the GSA. We have also provided over 30 No Name Calling Week kits to middle schools throughout the state that have applied and met the criteria set forth in our No Name Calling Week Application.

GLSEN Connecticut also recently updated Tackling LGBT Issues in School: A Resource Module. Edited by Leif Mitchell and Meredith Startz, Tackling LGBT Issues in School is a revised version of the acclaimed Tackling Gay Issues in School (published in 1998) with more inclusive resources, reorganized materials, updates and much more! A binder of 125 pages, Tackling is a comprehensive resource module divided into four unique sections: (1) Rationale for the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues in schools, (2) Recommended Curriculum and Staff Development Activities, (3) Extracurricular Activities, and (4) Resources. It’s also available for free as a downloadable PDF here.

GLSEN Connecticut continues to support the work of GSAs in implementing the Day of Silence, Ally Week and other national initiatives. These efforts will be enhanced this year at the impetus of board members Joy Lenters and Layne Gianakos, a member of GLSEN’s National Student Leadership Team. Beginning in August, GLSEN Connecticut will be reaching out to schools throughout the New Haven area to help train GSA members and advisors. If you are interested in getting more involved with this initiative, please contact Joy or Layne.

GLSEN Connecticut distributes resources to schools and GSAs, such as:

• Recommended Anti-bullying Resources,
• Harsh Realities: The Experiences of Transgender Youth in Our Nation's Schools,
• From Teasing to Torment: School Climate in America,
• GLSEN's Jump Start Guide for student leaders, and
• Results from GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey.

What Can YOU Do?

1. Get involved! Sign up to receive “Respect”, our monthly Enewsletter, as well as Breaking News. You’ll be the first to learn things like when and Action Alerts Dr. Jill Biden announced she’d speak at GLSEN's Respect Awards, and you’ll know what actions to take like thanking US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for Kevin's appointment.
2. Volunteer! We are always looking for more volunteers to help us advance GLSEN's safe schools message in Connecticut. If you have 5 - 10 hours available each month and you're looking for a great organization to work with, we'd love to have you join our team! E-mail Liane Roseman for further details or visit our web site to learn the dates for upcoming meetings.
3. Donate! If you would like to make a generous, tax-deductible contribution to GLSEN Connecticut to help us secure GLSEN's vision for safer schools, please do so by clicking here. Also, we’re happy to report that GLSEN received a four star rating from Charity Navigator. Another good reason to support our work to combat anti-LGBT bullying and harassment in our schools!
4. Visit our web site! Here you can download resources, apply for grants, and support our work.

Thank you for your continued support to make Connecticut schools safe and affirming for all students!

Leif Mitchell is the co-chair of the Connecticut chapter of GLSEN.