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“Imagine going through the ups and downs of your teenage years, but
doing it while being called names, pushed and shoved, and spit on – all
without anyone coming to your defense at your school or reprimanding the
other students who seem to hate you with passion.”
– Lt. Governor Sally Pederson, 3/13/06
As Lt. Governor Pederson underscores, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgender (GLBT) students continue to face hostile and unsafe hallways
and classrooms in Iowa schools. And to help create safer, more
inclusive schools and communities for these students, the GLBT Youth in
Iowa Schools Task Force was created four years ago. In that time, we
are pleased to report much success in the movement to protect GLBT
students from harassment and discrimination. However, we cannot
afford to lose this momentum, and we hope you will join us through your
financial support!
Since its inception, the Task Force has presented to over 5,000
educators, parents, students, and community members at 19 public forums
and over 75 education conferences, while distributing over 25,000
resource packets on “Making Our Schools Safe for GLBT Students”
throughout Iowa. To provide further education and training, the Task
Force joined Governor Vilsack in February to present the sold-out
Governor’s Conference on LGBT Youth, which helped educate and inspire
over 500 people to create change in 80 different communities across our
state.
We are also happy to report that for the first time in Iowa—due in part
to our public education and advocacy—every major education association
now agrees that LGBT students should be explicitly protected from
bullying and harassment. In addition, 77 school districts and 8 cities
now have similar protections due to this education and your action.
Despite this success, much work remains and we need your help to get
it done! We hope you will consider your most generous gift or
pledge today. Your gift will help us continue to educate Iowa’s
educators, parents, and students about creating safer schools for all
students. Make checks payable to the GLBT Youth in Iowa Schools Task
Force, and mail to:
GLBT Youth in Iowa
Schools Task Force
P.O. Box 1797
Des Moines, IA 50305-1797
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