Home Feature Franken pushes for federal anti-bullying measures

Franken pushes for federal anti-bullying measures

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Sen. Al Franken urged Congress to pass strong anti-bullying protections for LGBT students at a press conference on Thursday. Franken is the author of the Student Non-Discrimination Act which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing school civil rights laws. Franken was joined by Tammy Aaberg whose son Justin took his own life in July.

“Right now not all LGBT kids are getting a fair shake at a public school education and that’s because most LGBT kids are bullied. Sometimes these kids do the unthinkable and tragically take their own lives,” said Franken. “We are failing our kids by sending them to schools where they don’t feel safe. That’s why I’ve sponsored the Student Non-Discrimination Act in the senate. This bill would give LGBT kids the same civil rights protections against harassment and bullying as other kids that applies to other students on the basis of race, sex, religion disability and national origin.”

Franken is pressing Congress to pass the SNDA during the lame duck session. The bill faces stiff opposition from the religious right.

Here’s the full video of Franken’s remark’s courtesy of The Uptake:

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Andy Birkey has written for a number of Minnesota and national publications. He founded Eleventh Avenue South which ran from 2002-2011, wrote for the Minnesota Independent from 2006-2011, the American Independent from 2010-2013. His writing has appeared in The Advocate, The Star Tribune, The Huffington Post, Salon, Cagle News Service, Twin Cities Daily Planet, TheUptake, Vita.mn and much more. His writing on LGBT issues, the religious right and social justice has won awards including Best Beat Reporting by the Online News Association, Best Series by the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and an honorable mention by the Sex-Positive Journalism awards.

1 COMMENT

  1. Franken is our man!!! Thank goodness!!! Last year this was taken to unkindly in my ap government class. They were not happy that lgbt students were getting “special” attention for bullying. Ummm with the statistics, I think we sort of need it. For the most part the teachers in my school were good about it. But there is a ton more work to be done in the area as far as the students are concerned.

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