Implementing Policy the Protects the Rights of Homosexual Students Essay

Implementing Policy the Protects the Rights of Homosexual Students - Essay Example The GSA Network has devoted significant monetary and staffing resources to addressing the problems of discrimination, harassment, and homophobia in VUSD schools through its Fresno office. The GSA Network primarily fights homophobia and intolerance in schools by empowering gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and heterosexual members in high schools to form and maintain local, school-based, student-run clubs called "GSAs". The GSA Network also encourages members to form community-based GSAs made up of students and supportive community members. See id. One-hundred fifty (150) GSA clubs in Northern California and the Central Valley are presently registered with the GSA Network. The GSA Network connects these school- and community-based GSAs to each other and to community resources in order to: foster safe environments for student members; educate student members and the school community about homophobia, gender identity, and sexual orientation issues; and fight intolerance, discriminatio n, harassment, and violence in schools. It is alleged that openly gay students are subject to severe verbal and physical harassment and suffer physical and emotional damage from Defendants' allegedly hostile environment. Heterosexual students are deprived of an environment that is free from hostility directed toward students who are gay or lesbian or who are perceived to be gay or lesbian. Harassment and discrimination is alleged to be a fact of life for gay or lesbian students, or those perceived as gay or lesbian, attending schools within the VUSD, including Golden West High School.. These students have been repeatedly called "faggot", "queer", and other anti-gay epithets on campus and in the classrooms, sometimes in the presence of teachers. One gay student allegedly confronted his teacher after class about students making loud, derogatory, anti-gay comments in class.. The teacher told the student that he did not hear the comments and refused to do anything about them. Gay or lesbian students, or those perceived as gay or lesbian, have been spit upon by other students on the campus of Golden West. Former Golden West students, perceived to be gay, have had food, pencils, erasers, and textbooks and other objects thrown at them. One gay student was almost hit by a car driven by another student who was actively trying to run him down. See id. One student directed a death threat to a gay student at Golden West.. Golden West students have also allegedly spray-painted the word "Fag" on a pickup truck of another student. One gay student at Golden West was attacked on campus by students yelling "fag", "queer" and other derogatory terms. When the student fought back, Golden West administrators broke up the fight and led the gay student away in handcuffs. That student did not return to Golden West. Students are allegedly afraid to associate themselves with any openly gay students on campus for fear of being verbally and physically assaulted. Students who are gay or lesbian experience chronic psychological injury from the harassment at school each day. One gay student suffers from insomnia and lies awake each night reviewing the harassment he suffered during the day and worrying about what