Today's Date: March 28, 2024
John Legend to Perform at City Year Los Angeles’ 13th Annual Spring Break Event   •   Empire State Realty Trust Receives WELL Health-Safety Leadership Award; Becomes Among the First Commercial Office and Multifamil   •   Fastenal Releases 2024 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report   •   PMI Foods Gives Easter Donation of 15,000 Pounds of Prime Rib to New Life Church in Arkansas   •   Taro Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. Expands OTC Portfolio for Children with the Introduction of bébé Bottoms™   •   VIRGIN HOTELS CHAMPIONS INCLUSIVE TRAVEL FOR NEURODIVERSE TRAVELERS   •   YMCA of the USA Partners With Old Spice To Increase High School Graduation Among Boys And Young Men Of Color Through Mentorship   •   Visit Visalia Recognizes Autism Awareness Month in April   •   Parkland Corporation Announces the Results of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders   •   Make-A-Wish and celebrity wish granters announce goal to recruit 1 million people to become "WishMakers"   •   Jamieson Wellness Publishes Inaugural Sustainability Impact Report   •   Suffolk Kicks off 2024 “Build With Us @ Suffolk” Program in Boston for Trade Partners, Opening Doors for Minority-,   •   Equalpride Partners with TransLash Media for Trans Day of Visibility, Amplifying Voices of Black Trans Femmes in the Arts   •   More $10-a-day child care spaces   •   Sypher Secures Strategic Partnership with FAIA to Fuel Growth   •   Amerex Group Unveils Red Carter Swimwear's Revitalized Collection   •   Coachella Concerned That People Have Sex, Says AHF   •   Torrid Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2023 Results and Initiates Fiscal 2024 Guidance   •   Carnegie Learning Named 2024 SIIA CODiE Award Finalist for Best Educational Game and Best AI Implementation in Ed Tech   •   Re:wild and Colossal Biosciences team up to leverage revolutionary technology to save critically endangered species on the brink
Bookmark and Share

Alliance Urges Passing Of Safe Schools Act

SAN FRANCISCO  - The Make It Better Project, launched by Gay-Straight Alliance Network in response to recent LGBT youth suicides, is gaining momentum across the country as more than 40 organizations endorse. Actions are planned in 29 locations to remember the youth who have died and call on Congress to pass the federal Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act.

Inspired by columnist Dan Savage's "It Gets Better," video campaign, GSA Network launched the Make It Better Project to give youth and adults the tools they need to combat anti-LGBT bullying and make schools safer for LGBT youth right now.

The Make It Better Project includes awebsite and YouTube channel where students and adults can upload video messages to share what they are doing to Make It Better. You can also follow the project on Twitter and Facebook.

"As a gay youth who has been bullied at school, I am calling on youth and adults around the country to join the Make It Better Project and put a stop to anti-LGBT bullying." said Isaiah Baiseri, 17, a GSA Network youth activist who spoke out about bullying and suicide on the Dr. Phil show this Wednesday. "Schools should be safe for every student. Please don't wait until another LGBT youth dies to do your part to Make It Better."

The Make It Better Project includes a Week of Action, with 29 events planned around the country so far. Visit the Make It Better Project website for a list of events.

On Tuesday, October 12th, members of the 40+ endorsing organizations will unite to call Congress, urging their representatives to pass the Safe Schools Improvement Act and the Student Non-Discrimination Act. October 12th is the anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay 21-year-old who was tortured and killed in Laramie, Wyoming on October 12, 1998.

"Our community has suffered a terrible loss in the past month, as numerous LGBT young people have taken their own lives after relentless bullying, including Raymond Chase, Seth Walsh, Asher Brown, Billy Lucas, and Tyler Clementi, to name just a few. These tragic and preventable deaths have made headlines across the country, serving as a wake up call to people everywhere," said Carolyn Laub, Executive Director of GSA Network, who launched the Make It Better Project. "We can't afford to wait another day, and lose another life, to the epidemic of anti-LGBT bullying in our schools. This is the moment for all of us -- students, parents, teachers, administrators, community members, and elected officials to do everything in our power to make schools safer for LGBT youth."

The Make It Better Project is sponsored by GSA Network. GSA Network empowers youth to fight homophobia and transphobia in school by training youth activists and supporting student-led Gay-Straight Alliance clubs in California and throughout the country.

The Make It Better Project is endorsed by: 
GLSEN
GLAAD
PFLAG
Lambda Legal
COLAGE
ACLU of Northern California
Marriage Equality USA
TransgenderLawCenter
GroundSpark
Safe Schools Coalition
Equality California
Equality Federation
LA Gay & LesbianCenter - Family Services Program
Advocates For Youth
NYAC
Gender Justice LA 
GLBTQ Online High School
Californians for Justice
Youth Pride, Inc.
OregonSafeSchools and Communities Coalition
GayCity Health Project
SMYRC
Scenarios USA
Safe Schools South Florida
SF LGBTCenter
Our Family Coalition
Outright Vermont
GSA for Safe Schools
PacificCenter
Billy DeFrank Center
Rainbow Health Initiative
TransActive
LIGALY
Youth Suicide Prevention Program
University of Washington Q Center
Mass Equality
Campus Progress
Jer's Vision
Youth Leadership Institute
Friends of Project 10
Break the Cycle
Illinois Safe Schools Alliance
Courage Campaign
Family Equality Council
Harmony Cafe
DiversityCenter
Greater Seattle Business Association (GSBA)

 


STORY TAGS: GENERAL , BLACKS , AFRICAN AMERICAN , LATINO , HISPANIC , MINORITIES , CIVIL RIGHTS , DISCRIMINATION , RACISM , DIVERSITY , RACIAL EQUALITY , BIAS , EQUALITY



Back to top
| Back to home page
Video

White House Live Stream
LIVE VIDEO EVERY SATURDAY
alsharpton Rev. Al Sharpton
9 to 11 am EST
jjackson Rev. Jesse Jackson
10 to noon CST


Video

LIVE BROADCASTS
Sounds Make the News ®
WAOK-Urban
Atlanta - WAOK-Urban
KPFA-Progressive
Berkley / San Francisco - KPFA-Progressive
WVON-Urban
Chicago - WVON-Urban
KJLH - Urban
Los Angeles - KJLH - Urban
WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
New York - WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
WADO-Spanish
New York - WADO-Spanish
WBAI - Progressive
New York - WBAI - Progressive
WOL-Urban
Washington - WOL-Urban

Listen to United Natiosns News