Claim your right to equal education

When it comes to schools, as in many other areas, federal law does not yet fully protect LGBT people – yet there are some legal protections in place that many people are not aware of. The US Department of Education has authority to investigate and address bullying, harassment and discrimination against LGBT students in some circumstances. If you or someone close to you has experience bullying, harassment or discrimination in school, you can file a complaint with Department of Education. PFLAG and the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) have launched a campaign to encourage students to do just that. You can find information about filing a school civil rights complaint on PFLAG’s website. This campaign to engage students and the federal government comes on the heels of GLSEN’s tenth annual Encuesta nacional de clima escolar, which finds continuing threats to the safety, well being and education of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and gender non-conforming students. NCTE urges students who have faced bullying or discrimination, and those close to them, to heed the call and file a complaint with the Department of Education today.