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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 20, 2004)
22 • auûusl 2Û. 20Û4 om, you can’t throw a stick at MLC without hitting a queer person,” said Joel Smith, cover model for this story. He wanted to reassure his mom that posing for a photo for Just Out was unlikely to cause problems for him at his school, Metropolitan Learning Center in Northwest Portland. Not that anyone is throwing sticks—or insults—at MLC, a pro gressive K-12 school that stresses justice and compassion, among other values. When it comes to harassment and bullying not all students in Oregon are as lucky as Smith. The national Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network released its first State of the States report June 28. Oregon got an E The GLSEN report evaluated all 50 states and the District of Columbia in the areas of general education, state safe schools laws to protect queer students, state nondiscrimina tion laws, sexuality education and local safe schools policies. Only eight states and the District of Columbia received passing grades. New Jersey and Minnesota, scoring 95 and 91 out of 100 points, received the report’s only A’s. Mississippi was the only state to end with negative points (-3 overall), in part because of a law that specifically prohibits any positive portrayal of queer issues or peo ple in schools. Oregon, earning only 28 points, ranked 29th and, along with 41 other states, received a failing grade. Most states, includ ing Oregon, fell short when it came to a M statewide safe schools law and nondiscrimi nation law that included sexual orientation and gender identity. Bonnie Tinker, executive director of Love Makes a Family, is not surprised that Oregon received a poor mark. She notes, “Although Oregon has a bully law, it doesn’t go very far in actual implementation.” Human Rights Watch and Lambda Legal still a cultural expectation that homosexuality would like to see statewide legislation that should not be talked about. The whole point offers concrete protection for sexual minority of bullying is to intimidate and to keep people students. Some Oregon schœl districts such as closeted. We must recognize that bullying is Beaverton, Salem-Keizer and Portland do easy because teachers themselves are intimi have such protections in place on a local dated by it.” level. Portland’s policy states that the schœl Even in districts such as Portland where district “is committed to maintaining a learn the employee contracts have an anti-discrimi ing environment that is free of harassment. nation law that includes sexual orientation, Flimsy legislation Harassment against persons on the basis of many teachers are reluctant to be open age, color, creed, regon legislation defines bullying as “any disability, marital # of States act that substantially interferes with a status, national ori Receiving a student’s educational benefits, opportuni gin, race, religion, # of States D-Grade ties or performance” and involves physical sex, political affilia Receiving a harm to the student or the student’s property, tion or sexual orien C-Gradt generates fear of harm or creates a hostile tation will not be environment. Oregon law mandates that each tolerated.” # of States schœl district “shall adopt a policy prohibit GLSEN would Receiving a ing harassment, intimidation or bullying.” B-Grade like to see policies The law provides suggestions to what that go one step fur should be included in district policies but ther to include gen # of States stops short of making requirements. Schœl der identity. Receiving districts are “encouraged to develop the policy While statewide an A-Grade after consultation with parents and guardians, anti-bullying laws schœl employees, volunteers, students, would be helpful by administrators and community representa providing a course tives.” Schœl districts are also “encouraged” of legal action and to have a description of the type of behavior by acknowledging expected from each student, a statement of homophobia as a problem, safe schœl consequences and a procedure for investigat advocates recognize ing reports of bullying. However, such policies the need for grass are not required. GLSEN’s .Stute of the States 2004 grade distribution roots change. Tinker Instead of general guidelines, GLSEN and for the 50 states and the District of Columbia other national advocacy organizations such as explains: “There’s O
