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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 21, 2008
Contact:
Misty York, Kentucky Fairness Alliance Communication Director, (859) 489 6997
KENTUCKY FAIRNESS ALLIANCE WITHDRAWS FROM BULLYING COALITION
When I hear a person use the expression, "that's so gay" -- meaning something like, “that’s so stupid" -- I speak up. My usual strategy is to confront the offender with a thought experiment: Imagine that expression again, replacing "gay" with any other word that signifies a group of people. In particular, imagine a group to which you belong. How does it make you feel?
I believe my one-woman campaign against "that's so gay" is making a difference, one mind at a time. But this example represents just the smallest tip of the iceberg. Gay and gender-nonconforming youth suffer unimaginable abuse: harassment, threats, even physical violence. Meanwhile, we adults are all too often complicit through silence.
Putting an end to the bullying of gay and gender non-conforming students is a worthy goal. The Kentucky Fairness Alliance believes 100% that no child should ever be afraid to go to school. Still, KFA has withdrawn from the coalition supporting House Bill 91, which claims to protect Kentucky students by helping schools deal with bullying.
Pouring resources into passing House Bill 91 does not serve Kentucky's gay community. In 2005, the bullying coalition agreed to remove specific categories that included sexual orientation and gender identity. The compromise was intended to placate anti-fairness extremists, and increase the odds of the bill's passage.
Three years later, that compromise has failed to get results. Senate President David Williams dismissed the bill in the January 16 Herald-Leader, while admitting he hadn't even read it. It seems the anti-fairness industry has maintained its stranglehold, placing its ideology of fear above protecting Kentucky students.
Moreover, removing the categories including sexual orientation and gender identity has rendered the legislation ineffectual. The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is the national leader in researching anti-bullying initiatives. The results of its bi-annual School Climate Survey could not be clearer. Ambiguous laws that don't explicitly protect gay and gender non-conforming kids have no measurable impact on harassment. Comprehensive policies with explicit protections lead to a significant reduction.
For these reasons, the Kentucky Fairness Alliance has decided to withdraw from the coalition advocating for House Bill 91. We certainly don't oppose the measure; we urge the Senate to open its collective eyes to the harms associated with school bullying.
However, the compromise bill has failed to attract Senate support. Further, even if it did pass, its ambiguity would render it ineffectual. We therefore believe our resources are better concentrated elsewhere, on legislation that would actually improve the lives of gay Kentuckians, such as the statewide fairness bills (House Bill 274 and Senate Bill 55).
In the meantime, it's up to fair-minded adults to stop anti-gay school bullying, one mind at a time. We must reject complicity through silence. We must each wage our own one-person campaigns, until every student feels safe at school.
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With over 10,000 members, the Kentucky Fairness Alliance seeks to advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people through leadership development, public education and by encouraging participation in the democratic process.
The Ampersand symbolizes the solidarity we are building through Friends & Family, and suggests the inclusiveness we are working toward. It reflects the idea that no one individual, legislator, organization, or city can carry all the water for equality. Our success lies in our solidarity.
