White House Takes On Anti-Gay Bullying Issue

  WASHINGTON -  After the number of American teen suicides has dramatically increased in recent months due to discrimination against gays, the Obama Administration is launching a nationwide campaign to decrease the amount of bullying in schools. 

An education assistant secretary for civil rights said that part of the campaign is to make high school and university students aware of the serious legal consequences for harassment and violating civil rights, especially for sexual orientation discrimination. President Obama said that it is time to end bullying as a "rite of passage" and that harsher punishment in schools would be enforced during his administration.

Additionally, the US Department of Education wants to strengthen prosecution and awareness of other discriminatory practices, such as a recent string of anti-semitic acts in schools.