LGBT

Our Supporting teachers, students and parents in protecting the rights and interests of LGBT persons and their allies.

LGBT

Thank you for visiting this page and for broadening your knowledge about education law and LGBT issues. Below you will find introductory information for 3 very important education laws and links to detailed legislature. If you have questions or need more information about a particular law as it applies to your position in education, please find contact information to your right on this webpage.

AB 9: SETH’S LAW

What is Seth’s Law?

“Seth’s Law” focuses on protecting students who are bullied based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity/gender expression, as well as race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, and religion.

The law has strict requirements for school personnel and intervening/reporting when witnessing acts of discrimination, harassment, intimidation, or bullying. Also, Anti-bullying policies are required to be adopted by each district – posted and annually updated, and provided to each school within the district.

Read more here… Seth's Law NCLR Seth's Law

Other related laws:

AB 537 The California Student Safety and Violence Prevention Act

AB 394 The Safe Place to learn Act

SB 777 The Student Civil Rights Act

AB 537: California Student Safety & Violence Prevention Act

This law changed California’s Education Code by adding actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity to the existing nondiscrimination policy.

AB 537 protects students and school employees against discrimination and harassment at all California public schools and any school receiving state funding except religious schools. The protections cover any program or activity in a school, including extracurricular activities and student clubs.

SB 48: FAIR Education Act

The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive, and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act prohibits discriminatory instruction and discriminatory materials from being adopted by the State Board of Education. Education Code is also amended to include instruction on the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans in the social sciences.

Sharing accurate and inclusive information is a vital step to setting a climate of respect and keeping our schools safe. Schools that perpetuate silence or harmful stereotypes about LGBT people can be breeding grounds for the fear and ignorance that fuel bulling during the early grades and hate violence or even suicide by the time students reach high school.