MINNEAPOLIS, May 7, 2009-Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota lend our support to House File 1198, a bill to reduce harassment and bullying in our public schools, including based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. Right now the Minnesota law requires a model policy covering harassment and violence, not bullying and intimidation, and incorporates the categories of sexual orientation and gender identity only by reference to a different chapter, not explicitly.
Because gay and lesbian youth experience a disproportionate amount of bullying and harassment, to the detriment of their well-being and their ability to do well in school, it seems wrong to exclude them from the explicit attention of a model harassment policy for schools. HF1198 would correct this.
Frankly, our Log Cabin board members, as conservatives, have concerns about proliferating “protected classes” and “victim groups.” But if the State is going to address harassment issues in the schools–and include other categories explicitly–it would be negligent to exclude a group that is at significantly higher risk than the average student for harassment and bullying.
Log Cabin Republicans of Minnesota promotes legislation to provide basic fairness for gay and lesbian Americans and works to build a more inclusive GOP. It is a chapter of Log Cabin Republicans, a 30-year old organization which has state and local chapters nationwide, a full-time office in Washington, DC, a federal political action committee and state political action committees.
