Yesterday afternoon the NC Senate voted 25-22 to pass the School Violence Prevention Act on the first of two votes. We told you about the bill two days ago. If finally passed (there are more votes to come), the bill would require schools to adopt strong policies against bullying and harassment, including bullying based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. The latest polls show nearly 70 percent of North Carolinians favor the bill, but it has faced strong pushback from the state’s two Roman Catholic bishops as well as so-called “family values” groups (imagine being in a family in which one of that “values” is that it’s OK to bully gay teenagers). The bill will be up for a second vote later today. If you think kids should be protected from bullying — all kids, not just the ones with a seal of approval from conservative political groups — then take a minute to call or e-mail your state senator and tell him or her how you feel. You can look up your senator here.
This article appears in May 5-12, 2009.
