CA Supreme Court Upholds Student Civil Rights Act

(Sacramento, June 1, 2009) –Today, a Sacramento Superior Court dismissed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate SB 777, the California Student Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against students on the basis of race, religion, disability, gender, and sexual orientation. The lawsuit was brought by a right-wing group that specifically objected to protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students. The court held that the plaintiffs had failed to show any way in which the statute was even allegedly unlawful.

“We are pleased the court rejected this attack on the Student Civil Rights Act,” said Carolyn Laub, Gay-Straight Alliance Network Executive Director. “School should be safe place for all children, including those who are—or are perceived to be—lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.”

The lawsuit was filed on November 5, 2008. State Superintendent Jack O’Connell, represented by California Attorney General Jerry Brown, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on January 8, 2009. On March 19, 2009, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Lambda Legal, the Transgender Law Center, Equality California, and Gay-Straight Alliance Network filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the motion to dismiss.

Governor Schwarzenegger signed SB 777 into law on October 12, 2007. SB 777 reinforced existing anti-discrimination protections in publicly-funded schools and updated the Education Code so that teachers and administrators do not have to cross-reference other parts of state law to understand their obligations to protect students from harassment and discrimination in all school activities. The bill was sponsored by Equality California, the state’s LGBT legislative organization, and authored by former Senator Sheila Kuehl.

According to the 2001 California Healthy Kids Survey, nearly 30 percent of California youth in grades 7 to 11 report experiencing harassment or bullying based on their actual or perceived race, ethnicity, religion, disability, gender, or sexual orientation.

Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender-rights advocacy organization in California. In the past decade, EQCA has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil-rights protections in the nation. EQCA has passed over 50 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org

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Original source : http://gay_blog.blogspot.com/2009/06/ca-supreme-co…

LGBT Youth to Call for Harvey Milk Day and More in Sacramento

Hundreds of youth from throughout California will gather in Sacramento to educate legislators and rally in support of the Harvey Milk Day Bill, SB 572, and the Mental Health Access for At-Risk Youth Bill, SB 543. More than 200 youth are expected to participate in Queer Youth Advocacy Day 2009.
The event is sponsored by Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Equality California Institute, BIENESTAR, Transgender Law Center, The Trevor Project, and the National Association of Social Workers California Chapter.

The event is set for Monday, April 20: Rally at 12:30 p.m. and legislative visits from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the California State Capitol.

Hundreds of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight ally youth leaders from every part of California, as well as teachers, parents, concerned community members and elected officials.

Before the event, 70youth leaders arrived in Sacramento on Friday to participate in an intensive 3-day training called the GSA Advocacy & Youth Leadership Academy (GAYLA). This training will cover the legislative process, policy and administrative advocacy, media activism, and other important leadership skills for students working to fight homophobia and transphobia in school.
Learn more at www.gsanetwork.org