You are here: Home » Featured » New York Anti-Bullying Law Signed, Goes Into Effect In Two Years

New York Anti-Bullying Law Signed, Goes Into Effect In Two Years

09/08/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
While lesbians and gays cannot get married in New York, they, along with bisexuals and transpeople, are considered protected under a new anti-bullying law aimed at curbing harassment and discrimination against students based specifically on their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, race, color, weight, national origin, ethnicity, religion or disability. The law also requires that New York State school districts adopt anti-bully policies and that each district appoint at least one staff member in each school to implement anti-bully techniques and methods.

Patterson stated after signing the law “We are going to make sure that whether its expression or non-expression… that every student in this state is going to get an unparalleled opportunity to be educated in an environment that is safe and secure and encouraging their long-term success.”

The sponsor of the DASA or Dignity for All Students Act was sponsored by State Senator Tom Duane. He stated “This is a huge, huge step for schools throughout New York State. He was among the several dignitaries who attended the signing which included New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn; New York City Councilmembers Daniel Dromm and Jimmy Van Bramer; New York City Comptroller John Liu; Ross Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda; state Assemblymember Danny O’Donnell, who sponsored the bill in the state Assembly; Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union; Melissa Sklarz, director of the New York Trans Rights Organization; Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers; and Pauline Park, chair of the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy.

Quinn, who is openly lesbian, stated “Children cannot learn if they don’t feel safe. Children cannot walk from one classroom to another classroom in their building and dwell on the test that it is the second classroom if their walk down that hallway was walking the gauntlet. They simply cannot get in their chair and digest what they are being taught, take it in and process it when half of their brain is focused on the fear they have about leaving that seat to go to the cafeteria or to the next classroom.”

The problem with bullying is that it can lead to higher rates of suicide among the bullied. According to one Massachusetts Department of Public Health study, forty percent of LGBT high school students attempt suicide while only ten percent of heterosexual cisgender students will. Often times a student is perceived as lesbian or gay by their gender expression and not by any actions that they ahve taken.

The DASA was first introduced by Duane in 1999. He stated “No student should ever feel afraid to go to school. No student should ever have to try and learn while they are in fear. No child should have ever live with that, but children’s academic performance will improve if they have confidence from their school.”

The DASA will go into effect on 1 July 2012 in order to give the school districts enough time to set up policies and implement them.

Source