The News and Observer reports that: "The House approved by a one-vote margin a bill that would ban bullying against school children for actual or perceived differences including sexual orientation."
I actually find this to be repulsive that the bill wasn't approved by a much wider margin. Apparently the reason is that...
"Opponents, particularly Republicans, have said the bill should not name special categories of victims and have said the bill should simply ban all bullying. Supporters, mostly Democrats, have said the bill focuses attention on children who are the most likely targets in schools across the state."
In reality, GLBTQ and gender-nonconforming young people need special protections because they receive special abuses. Of course it is imperative that all young people feel safe in schools, and that the onus is on EVERYONE to ensure that school spaces are safe spaces, but it is a fact of reality, uncovered in oh so many studies, that GLBTQ and gender-nonconforming young people are particularly trageted and abused physically and emotionally in schools and are thus more likely to have a lower self-esteem, abuse themselves, and committ suicide.
The dismal state of this bill proves that our homophobic and/or ignorant representatives need to be educated.
RSS Feed