IV
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 52
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 12, 2009
Mrs. Capps (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of Pennsylvania, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Nadler of New York, Ms. DeGette, Ms. Velázquez, Ms. Woolsey, and Mrs. McCarthy of New York) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Honoring and remembering the life of
Lawrence Larry
King.
Whereas Lawrence King was a 15-year-old boy from Oxnard, California, who was shot by a fellow student during computer class on February 12, 2008, and died in the hospital two days later;
Whereas the police classified the murder as a hate crime;
Whereas at least 179 vigils have been held in all fifty States in memory of Lawrence King since his death on February 14, 2008;
Whereas a record number of more than 18,000 students from a record number of more than 6,500 middle and high schools registered as participants in the 12th annual National Day of Silence, which was held in memory of Lawrence King, to bring attention to anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, bullying and harassment;
Whereas one year after an act of hate in Oxnard, California, vigils are being organized across the country in memory of Lawrence King, calling for an end to violence and harassment directed at lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools;
Whereas more than 85 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students report being verbally harassed at school by their peers because of their sexual orientation, and more than 66 percent because of their gender expression;
Whereas more than 40 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students report being physically harassed by their peers because of their sexual orientation, and more than 30 percent because of their gender expression;
Whereas more than 20 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students report being physically assaulted by their peers at school because of their sexual orientation, and nearly 15 percent because of their gender expression; and
Whereas every child should be guaranteed an education free from name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination regardless of his or her sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression: Now, therefore, be it
That Congress—
honors the life and remembers and condemns the murder of Lawrence King;
encourages efforts to address anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination on school campuses;
encourages training to enable school staff to identify and address anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination effectively and in a timely manner;
encourages the implementation of age-appropriate, inclusive curricula to help students understand and respect difference within the school community and society as a whole; and
encourages each State, city, and local education authority to adopt laws and policies to prohibit name-calling, bullying, harassment, and discrimination against students, teachers, and other school staff regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.