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New law aims to stop schoolyard bullying of gays


Maryland becomes 11th state to enact such a measure


by Joshua Lynsen
Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Stephanie Kreps says some people are surprised to learn the extent to which gay students are bullied in Montgomery County schools.

The co-founder of Rainbow Youth Alliance said even in one of Maryland's most liberal jurisdictions, some students are harassed so aggressively that they drop out of school.

"One boy faced the same bullying at school and in his neighborhood," she said. "He couldn't find anywhere he felt safe."

A new law aims to change that. It bars the harassment of students based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and requires districts to develop bullying prevention programs.

Kreps, who helped start the Rainbow Youth Alliance at Unitarian Universalist Church in Rockville so harassed gay students could have a safe space, welcomed the law.

"If it will save kids, if it will help kids to stay in school, I think it's a good thing," she said.

David S. Fishback, a board member of the Metro D.C. chapter of Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays, agreed.

"There's a lot for reasons why it's important," he said, "but the main one is it lets our children know that it's unacceptable to bully, harass or intimidate people based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity."

Fishback, who has two gay sons, said the new law is particularly helpful because it takes the "very, very important step" of requiring schools to develop programs that prevent bullying.

He noted the law also requires schools to investigate reported bullying incidents and set remedial actions for students who break the policy.

"What we all want for our children is safe lives, where we all treat our children with respect and fairness," Fishback said. "And that's what Maryland is standing up for."

Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland, said the new law came from "one of the most comprehensive anti-bullying bills in the country."

"It's a good, common sense measure," he said, "and it's heartening that it really transcended the politics of division by passing in an overwhelming and bipartisan fashion."

Before being signed into law this month by Gov. Martin O'Malley, the bill was unanimously supported by all 141 state House members. It passed the Senate 37-10.

"It was one of those bills that we worked very hard with the bill sponsor to make sure that it didn't turn into an LGBT bill, while at the same time making sure that the bill addressed LGBT-centric bullying," Furmansky said. "And bullying obviously doesn't just affect the LGBT community, but of course LGBT-questioning youth can be disproportionately victims of harassment in our schools."

Furmansky, who said he was harassed in school because he's gay, said the law would make a difference for many gay teens.

"Far too many of us grew up in a culture where our time in school was like navigating a minefield of hostility, simply because we were perceived to be gay, maybe before we even knew it ourselves," he said. "The ways in which this sort of toxic environment informs the rest of our lives constantly unfolds, and this culture of violence, forced conformity and intimidation flies in the face of a civilized society."

Fishback said the law, which requires schools to publicize their anti-bullying policies, would empower gay students.

"By bringing it out into the open and making it safer for kids to complain if they're getting hassled," he said, "in the long run, it makes for a better environment than kids cowering in the corner."

According to the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, Maryland is the 11th state to enact an anti-bullying law based on sexual harassment, and the seventh to include protections based on gender identity.