A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative, a call to action to communities across the United States to demand equal educational opportunity, basic civil rights protections, and freedom from erasure for all students, particularly LGBTQI+ young people, in K-12 schools.
This is a non-binding Senate resolution (S. Res. 168) introduced in the 119th Congress that expresses support for the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative. Its primary purpose is to urge communities, states, territories, and localities to take action to ensure equal educational opportunities, basic civil rights protections, and freedom from erasure for all K-12 students, with emphasis on LGBTQI+ youth. The resolution highlights concerns about discrimination, hostile school climates, and recent legislative efforts targeting LGBTQI+ students, and it calls on policymakers to adopt inclusive laws and practices. It does not itself create new rights or authorize funding; rather, it signals Senate support and encourages action at the state and local level. The resolution also frames the issue within broader federal advocacy efforts—linking it to ongoing or historic actions such as the National Day of Silence and No Name-Calling Week—and designates 2025–2026 as a period to intensify advocacy. It cites data on discrimination, mental health impacts, and reported hate crimes to justify the need for safer, more affirming school environments.
Key Points
- 1Non-binding Senate resolution that endorses the Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative and urges action to ensure equal educational opportunity, civil rights protections, and freedom from erasure for all students, especially LGBTQI+ youth in K-12 schools.
- 2Emphasizes the need for safe, inclusive learning environments that affirm LGBTQI+ students, particularly those who are transgender, nonbinary, intersex, people of color, and/or living with disabilities.
- 3Highlights concerns about ongoing legislation at the state level (anti-LGBTQI+ bills), such as bans on transgender students in sports and restrictions on bathroom/locker room access, and the broader trend of censorship or parental notification requirements for LGBTQI+-related content.
- 4Cites research and data (e.g., GLSEN surveys, DOJ hate-crime data) showing discrimination, poorer school outcomes, and negative mental health impacts for LGBTQI+ students, underscoring the link between climate and educational outcomes.
- 5Calls on states, territories, and localities to support the Rise Up initiative by adopting laws and policies that prohibit bias-based victimization, exclusion, and erasure in schools, and it recognizes the work of participants in related advocacy days.