February 8, 2010

>Iowa GOP Lawmakers Publicly Endorse Anti-LGBT Bullying in Schools

>Two Iowa Republican state legislators have introduced a bill that would remove sexual orientation and gender identity/expression from a list of enumerated categories already listed in the state’s anti-bullying law.

The reason, beyond wanting to see LGBT students bullied? To use children as pawns.

Schultz told NBC affiliate WHO-TV that the rationale behind the move is to force a vote on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, since the Iowa Supreme Court pointed to laws like Iowa’s Safe Schools Law in making its April decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

Iowa Pride Network Executive Director Ryan Roemerman summed it up well.

“When our state is facing record budget deficits and unemployment, House Republicans feel their time is best spent picking on Iowa’s LGBT youth.”

Iowa Pride Network also recently released its 2009 Iowa School Climate Survey, which found that more than 3 out of 4 Iowa LGBT students had been verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation.

   

About Daryl Presgraves

       

Daryl Presgraves is the Director of Communications at GLSEN--the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.