Students at schools and colleges across the country are observing National Coming Out Day in a variety of ways all aimed at raising LGBT visibility. National Coming Out Day is celebrated every Oct. 11 to mark the anniversary of the 1987 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Equality.
Over the past 20 years there have been remarkable advances in LGBT civil rights, but perhaps the most noticeable change has been the number of people publicly identifying as gay.
In the 1980s the average gay came out in college. Today it is in high school, and gay-straight alliances are springing up in high schools across the country. In 1997 there were 100 high school gay and lesbian groups. Now, there are more than 3,000 across the country in communities large and small.
Still young people in a number of states continue to have problems organizing LGBT student groups. This week the Okeechobee County, Florida, School Board tightened its rules governing clubs in a bid to block a GSA, despite an ongoing federal lawsuit.
As well, bullying and harassment of LGBT students continues to be a problem for many students across the country. A study released earlier this year by researchers at the Children's Hospital Boston Division of Adolescent Medicine found that lesbian and gay adolescents were three to four times more likely to report having been bullied than heterosexual teens.
A 2005 study commissioned by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network found that three-quarters of students surveyed across America said that over the previous year they heard derogatory remarks such as "faggot" or "dyke" frequently or often at school, and nearly nine out of ten reported hearing "that's so gay" or "you're so gay" - meaning stupid or worthless - frequently or often.
Over a third of students said they experienced physical harassment at school on the basis of sexual orientation and more than a quarter on the basis of their gender expression. Nearly one-in-five students reported they had been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation and over a tenth because of their gender expression.
The study also showed that bullying has had a negative impact on learning. LGBT students were five times more likely to report having skipped school in the last month because of safety concerns than the general population of students.
A public service announcement by Grey's Anatomy star T.R. Knight began airing nationally this week urging people to accept their gay friends and family members. The 20-second spot, by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is part of a series of PSAs featuring 22 entertainers from television, film and sports to mark National Coming Out Day.
Yet despite the increases in LGBT numbers coming out three key pieces of legislation remain tied up in Congress.
The Matthew Shepard Hate Crime bill passed the Senate last month. A House version has already passed and the two versions of the bill must be reconciled before heading to President Bush who has threatened to veto it.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act was pulled from hearings last week after LGBT groups complained that it had been altered to remove protections for the transgendered. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), said that there were not the votes to pass ENDA with the trans protections included.
Legislation to repeal the military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" ban on LGBT service personnel also is before Congress. The measure has more than 130 sponsors but no date has been set for a vote.
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