Mission Students Support National Coming Out Day

Dozens of students at John O’Connell High School sport purple clothes and accessories in support of National Coming Out Day.
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Seth's Law Tightens Anti-Bullying Policies
Although California has adopted anti-bullying legislation, LGBT youth are still subject to harassment, intimidation and bullying. Seth's Law will tighten anti-bullying policies in California schools by ensuring that all schools have clear and consistent policies, instituting better training and clearer guidelines for teachers and administrators, and establishing shorter timelines for investigating claims of bullying. AB 9 will help create a respectful and safe environment for all students. Visit Seth's Law

Fair Education Act
Governor Jerry Brown has signed a bill that will fairly and accurately portray the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement and the historic contributions of the diverse LGBT community in social science instruction.

The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act (SB 48), by including fair and accurate information about the rich and diverse history of LGBT people in instructional materials, will enrich the learning experiences of all students and promote an atmosphere of safety and respect in California schools. SB 48 was authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and co-sponsored by Equality California and Gay-Straight Alliance Network.

 Studies have shown that inclusion of LGBT people in instructional materials is linked to greater student safety and lower rates of bullying.  In schools where the contributions of the LGBT community are included in educational instruction, bullying declined by over half and LGBT students were more likely to feel they have an opportunity to make positive contributions at school. Visit Fair Education Act

In the Pink

Lincoln High School kicked off an early Gay Pride Event with their annual Pink Tsunami In February.  After one week of events building up to the day, students decorated classrooms and hallways "pink pink pink" and donned as much pink as possible.

Pink Tsunami focuses on creating safe schools and is based on an event started in Canada by young people when a student was bullied for wearing pink to school.

Pictured above are Wellness Coordinator Jen Kenny-Baum, and Community Health Outreach Worker,
Ian Enriquez.

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Gay Pride Month Poster Contest Winners

This year, as part of the SFUSD Gay Pride Month, Support Services for LGBTQ Youth held a student poster contest. View the winning posters. Multiple copies of the posters, along with newly created Silence Stickers, educational resources, and buttons, have been distributed to Elementary, Middle and High School Health LGBTQ Liaisons.