OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

National Day of Silence

Floor Speech

Date: April 27, 2018
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Minors and Children Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

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Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Day of Silence, a day of silence to bring attention to the discrimination and harassment faced by our LGBT youth across our country.

Eight out of ten LGBT students are harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity by the time they graduate from high school, students like Annie Hsu, at Santa Cruz High School in my district on the central coast of California, who has said that ``we must be unafraid to stand up against marginalization.''

This month, those of us on the LGBT Equality Caucus took that stand by introducing the Student Non-Discrimination Act. This bill would prohibit discrimination in public schools based on actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity, and it would protect students from the intimidation and violence they may receive.

By standing up and speaking out, Annie and other LGBT students give us motivation to push forward and pass laws that will protect every student in every school across every community so that they are not afraid to be themselves.

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