ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH

Advocates for Youth Calls for Passage of Bill to Make California Schools Safe and Discrimination Free

AB 537 An Important Step to Protect Gay and Lesbian Youth

WASHINGTON, DC (September 10, 1999) Advocates for Youth today calls on the California Legislature to pass AB 537, the California School Safety and Violence Prevention Act of 2000. In letters to Governor Gray Davis and California legislators, Advocates for Youth cites the high incidence of violence directed at gay and lesbian youth as a crucial reason for policy makers to take effective and immediate action to ensure that every student is protected from violence and discrimination.

Advocates for Youth's President, James Wagoner, believes that the enactment of AB 537 is an opportunity for legislators to send a strong message that California's schools are safe havens for all students. "When society allows harassment and discrimination to go unchecked in our educational institutions, we create a climate in which incidents of hate violence can flourish."

A Harvard Medical School study recently found that gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth (GLB) are nearly three and one-half (3 ½) times more likely than other youth to attempt suicide. Published in the May issue of Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, this study reveals society's failure to protect thousands of young people who need more, not less, support in every aspect of their lives.

"It is each citizen's responsibility to do his or her part in ending this violence," added Wagoner. "The California Legislature must set an example by refusing to allow a climate of intolerance and discrimination against GLB youth in our schools. School administrators must ensure that verbal and physical abuse are not the price GLB youth have to pay for a high school diploma."

Advocates for Youth sponsors a web site www.YouthResource.com that serves as a support network for the more than 10,000 young people who visit the site each month. Advocates for Youth is a national nonprofit organization that creates programs and support policies to help young people make safe, responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. Founded in 1980, Advocates for Youth has offices in Washington, DC, Chapel Hill, NC, and Los Angeles, CA.

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Note to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set up an interview with adolescent sexuality experts, please contact Bill Barker at (202) 419-3420.

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